Sooji Ki Kheer / Semolina Pudding

                                                                               

This is a favourite dessert of my younger brother. I like it a lot too! Growing up, it was one of the simple desserts...along with sewai, phirni, custard etc, that we had after dinner. Hard to imagine now that we had dessert every evening! And nothing out of a can or ready to eat. It was made from scratch every single time. I remember how much we relished it.....savouring each spoonful. Even if we didn't care for the main meal we would look forward to the sweet dish served after as a high treat!

 Sooji Ki Kheer is an easy dessert that requires little skill or effort but is immensely satisfying. All it involves is roasting sooji in ghee till golden and then cooking in milk until thick. Sweeten with sugar, add some cardamom powder for a pleasing flavour, garnish with nuts and....it is ready!

This dessert can also double up as infant food or a breakfast cereal with a little tweaking of the recipe. Instead of roasting sooji in ghee, dry roast it and cook in water till thick. Add a little warm milk and sugar at the time of serving. This process makes it lighter and far more easily digestible.

Ingredients:   

3 cups milk, full cream
3 tbsp sooji ( semolina)
3 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp ghee
1/2 tsp cardamom powder
1 tbsp raisins
1 tbsp cashew nuts, chopped
1 tbsp almonds, chopped

Method:  In a heavy bottom pan heat ghee and fry the nuts and raisins. Remove and keep aside. In the same pan add sooji.Stir over low flame until sooji turns golden. Add milk and cook, stirring constantly. Gradually the milk will thicken. Add sugar and cardamom powder and stir for another minute or two. Switch off flame and transfer to serving dish. Garnish with nuts and raisins and chill before serving.

In case you want a richer taste, add condensed milk or add more milk and let it reduce.  If  the dessert becomes too thick after cooling, add some milk.


                                                                             

Kale Chane Ke Kebab / Black Chickpeas Kebab

                                                                       

The first time I had these kebabs I thought they were made from mincemeat! Believe me, if you don't tell folks beforehand, chances are, they won't know that these are vegetarian...made from kala chana or black chickpeas.

I nearly always  have kala chana at home. It  makes a nice change once in a while and it is good to know that it also has numerous health benefits....excellent source of protein, high in fibre content, low glycaemic index....to name only a few. I have previously posted a kala chana curry recipe and a dry preparation called kale chane ki ghughni. This is  yet another delicious and easy recipe which anyone can make.

I find these kebabs make an excellent evening snack.  In fact,  teamed  with garlic bread or a nice paratha it can make a complete  healthy and wholesome meal.

Ingredients: 

1/2 cup kala chana ( black chickpeas)
1 tbsp  chana dal
3-4 cloves
3-4 whole black pepper
1/2 inch ginger, chopped
1 dry red chilly
2 slices bread, dipped in water and squeezed
Salt to taste
1/2 tsp red chilly powder
1/2 tsp amchur ( dry mango powder)
Oil to fry

Filling:
1 tbsp fresh coriander leaves, chopped
1 green chilly, finely chopped
1/2 inch ginger, finely grated
1 onion, finely chopped
Salt to taste
             
                                                                         

                                                                   

Method:   Soak kala chana with chana dal  overnight or for 6 to 8 hours in plenty of water.  Pressure cook kala chana , chana dal, whole black pepper, ginger, cloves and dry red chilly together in 2 cups of water. Lower flame after first whistle and let it cook for 20 minutes. On opening the cooker if there is some water remaining then let it dry out over slow flame. There should just be a little water, enough to grind mixture coarsely.

                                                                         

To the prepared mixture add  soaked bread, salt, red chilly powder and amchur. Mix ingredients for filling together. Make a small ball of the mixture, flatten and put 1 tsp of filling and shape into a ball again. Flatten slightly. Make the others in the same way. Heat oil and deep fry 4 - 5 kebabs at a time in medium hot oil. Serve with chutney.

If you like you can shallow fry  the kebabs or  use a non stick pan brushed with oil.

Kheema Masala / Mincemeat Curry

                                                                                 

It has been a few weeks since I returned from visiting my daughters in Australia. Yet, I am still answering questions about my trip. The most common being, " So, how was Australia??" ( Huh?) What am I supposed to say? How do I sum up everything in  a line!?!!  I usually end up just saying    " Wonderful! "And really, I hope, that says it all.

Seriously though, I was charmed by Australia. But, what I treasure most about my trip was spending quality time with my kids, and yes,  cooking for them. My younger daughter had a nice home cooked meal waiting when we got in from the airport but after that the kitchen was handed over to me. " All yours" she announced!! And I took it over literally. I turned everything inside out as I rearranged and took stock. First off, I prepared the dry spice powders I normally use in my cooking..roasting and grinding cumin, black pepper, red chilly and whole spices. Then I made a list of other ingredients which I would need  and once we were all stocked up the food fest began.

The recipe I am sharing here, Kheema Masala, is one that I made for my daughters in Australia. As the name states, it is a curry prepared from mince meat, using traditional Indian spices. It is a quick and easy recipe with no prior prep work or marination required.

Ingredients: 

1/2 kg kheema  ( mincemeat)
2 big onions or 1 cup, chopped finely
2 tomatoes, chopped
1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
1 tbsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp red chilly powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
Salt to taste
1 tsp cumin powder
1/2 tsp black pepper powder
1 tsp garam masala powder ( whole spice powder)
4 tbsp oil
Fresh coriander leaves to garnish

Method:  Chop onions and tomatoes finely.

In  a heavy bottom pan heat oil and add chopped onions. Saute for couple of minutes until the onions soften and then add ginger garlic paste and kheema. Stir over low flame until the water released from kheema dries up and kheema is very lightly browned. Now add the tomatoes and the spice powders...coriander powder,  red chilly powder, cumin powder, black pepper powder, whole spice powder and salt. Continue to stir over low flame until oil separates. Add 1 1/2 cups of warm water, cover and let it cook for 15 to 25 minutes or transfer to a pressure cooker at this stage. Lower flame after first whistle and let it stay on slow flame for 10 minutes. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve.

Always check seasonings before serving. Sometimes the true taste will show up only at the final stages. Kheema can soak up water so if required add more warm water and simmer a little before serving. The amount of water added depends on the consistency you want to keep, so add accordingly. If the tomatoes are not very sour then use a tbsp or two of tomato paste in addition to tomatoes.

Aloo Ka Chokha / Indian Style Mashed Potatoes

                                                                       

Hello everyone! I am sorry there have been no posts off late as I was away on vacation, visiting my daughters in Australia. I did intend to keep posting even while on holiday, and carried my laptop with this intention, but it didn't happen. Too many distractions, too little dedication!! Oh well!

Incidentally, it is exactly two years today since I started my journey as a food blogger. I have had a lot of fun sharing my recipes and experiences and am so very grateful to the overwhelming support I have received not only from my friends and family but from all those people who have taken the time to view my blog. A big thank you to everyone.

Coming to the recipe, Aloo Ka Chokha is a simple dish that is made from boiled and mashed potatoes to which a few ingredients like raw garlic, onion, green chillies etc are added. The final twist in this recipe is the mustard oil which has a unique stinging flavour. If you are not comfortable with mustard oil then you can of course make do with any other oil.

This is a traditional recipe commonly made in the East Indian states of Bihar, Jharkhand and Bengal. Apart from these places I was surprised to learn that this humble yet delicious dish has found it's way as far afield as the West Indies where it is hugely popular. The Indian migrants carried the recipe there with them ages back!

In our family we generally enjoy Aloo Ka Chokha with Khichri ( rice and lentils cooked together). On the last evening of my stay in Australia I  decided to make this favourite combination. It made for a light yet satisfying meal.


Ingredients: 

2 boiled potatoes or 1 cup mashed potatoes
1 tbsp chopped onion
1 tsp crushed or finely chopped garlic
1/2 tsp chopped green chilly
1 tsp mustard oil
Salt to taste
1 tbsp coriander leaves
1 tsp dried mango powder

Method:   Boil and peel potatoes. Mash them well so that no lumps remain.  Finely chop onion, garlic, green chilly and coriander leaves.

Place the mashed potatoes in a bowl and add onion, garlic, green chilly, coriander leaves, salt, mango powder and mustard oil.  Mix thoroughly to combine all the ingredients. Serve.

Chawal Ke Pakore / Leftover Rice Fritters

                                                                     

If you are in the mood for a quick snack then you can't do better than this!! All you need is some leftover rice and a few other ingredients and you can make these crispy, delicious pakore ( fritters)! It is an awesome recipe that will leave people wondering about the secret ingredient. My advice? Keep them guessing!!

As a homemaker one tries to make exact portions of  food, that is enough to satisfy the appetite but not in excess.  Quite often that just does not happen and one is left with extra food. Throwing away food is not even an option as it has been drilled into me from a young age to respect food and not waste it. So the challenge is to re invent dishes so that one can use leftover food and present it in a new avatar. This is one such recipe that serves the purpose.

Ingredients: 

1 cup cooked rice
2 tbsp yoghurt
3 tbsp besan ( gram flour)
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 tsp crushed garlic
1/2 tsp green chilly, chopped
2 tbsp methi ( fresh fenugreek leaves), finely chopped
Salt
1/4 tsp red chilly powder
1/2 tsp cumin powder
Pinch of baking soda

Method:  Finely chop the onion, garlic and methi.  Mash the cooked and cooled rice.

In a bowl assemble all the ingredients.... rice, onion, garlic, methi, besan, yoghurt, salt, cumin powder, red chilly powder and green chilly. Mix everything well, making sure batter is neither too thick nor runny, and leave aside for few minutes. Add baking soda and mix well.

In a heavy bottom pan heat oil. Form balls of the mixture and drop into warm oil. Make sure oil is not too hot. Fry till the pakore ( fritters) turn golden brown. Remove on to an absorbent paper. Serve hot with chutney or ketchup.

                                                                      

Paneer Makhani / Cottage Cheese Curry Cooked in Butter

                                                                               

                                                                         

My neighbour Jennifer's daughter Prithvi was here in Dar to spend her summer vacation with her parents. Jennifer, being a fantastic cook and a doting mother, went on an overdrive to make all her daughter's favourite dishes. We got to share in the culinary fest as invariably Jenny or Prithvi would come by to give us a generous helping of the special dish prepared. I too joined in the fun, making a few recipes specially for Prithvi. It is always lovely cooking for children. Their appreciation and enjoyment is heart warming. As the time drew near for Prithvi to leave, I wanted to make one last dish for her.....something  really nice. After much deliberation I decided to make this old faithful recipe " Paneer Makhani".

Paneer Makhani, also called Paneer Butter Masala, is a restaurant style dish in which paneer cubes are fried and then simmered in a rich gravy of butter, tomato, cream and spices. The delicious blend of tomato and cream is what gives this dish it's distinctive flavour.

Ingredients:

500 gm paneer ( cottage cheese)
3 tbsp butter
1 tsp garlic, chopped
2 onions or 1/2 cup onion paste
1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
1 cup tomato puree
1/4 cup cream
1 tsp red chilly powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 tbsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp whole spice powder ( garam masala  powder)
1 tsp Kasoori Methi ( dried fenugreek leaves)
Salt to taste
Whole spices: 1 bay leaf, 1 inch cinnamon, 2-3 cloves, 1 black cardamom
Oil to fry paneer
Coriander leaves to garnish

Method:  Cut paneer in cubes and deep fry in hot oil till golden in colour. Remove and keep aside in a bowl of salted water. Chop the garlic and coriander leaves. Blend onion into paste.

Heat butter in a heavy bottom pan and add whole spices - cloves, cinnamon, bay leaf and cardamom. Add garlic, saute for a minute and then add onion paste. Saute for couple of minutes until the water dries up and it changes colour slightly. Mix tomato puree, ginger garlic paste,coriander powder, red chilly powder, turmeric powder, salt and add. Cook for two minutes. Add cream, reserving some for garnish. Stir till  mixture dries out. Add one cup of warm water, lower flame and cover. Let it simmer for five minutes. Uncover, add paneer, garam masala powder, kasoori methi and some of the coriander leaves. Cook for two minutes. Serve, garnished with cream and remaining coriander leaves.

                                                                             

                                                                       

Lauki Ka Bachka

                                                                             

Sometimes a simple recipe gives as much joy as an elaborate one, don't you think? The recipe I am sharing here today is a delightful little gem which I am sure anyone would enjoy. Even those who are not too fond of lauki ! This crispy, savoury treat can be assembled in no time and eaten at meal times as a crunchy side dish or on it's own as a snack with chutney.

I managed to get a really tender and fresh lauki from the mboga ( Swahili for vegetable)seller the other day and thought it was ideal for bachka. Similar to pakodas or bhajias, it is called bachka in Eastern UP, Bihar and Jharkhand where it is very popular. It is a particular favourite with my husband as it reminds him of his childhood years in Ranchi.

Ingredients: 

1 cup lauki ( bottle gourd), round slices
3 tbsp besan  (gram flour)
1 tbsp rice flour
Pinch of baking soda
Salt to taste
1/4 tsp red chilly powder
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1/4 tsp ajwain ( carom seeds)
Oil to fry

Method:   Peel lauki and cut in fine, round slices. Wash, drain, wipe and leave to dry on a paper towel.


                                                                         

Sieve besan and rice flour. Add ajwain, salt, turmeric powder and chilly powder. Make a thick batter using sufficient water. Whisk well to avoid any lumps. Leave aside for 10 to 15 minutes. Add baking soda and mix.

                                                                           

In  a heavy bottom pan heat oil. Dip lauki slices in the batter. Tap off the excess batter and drop in oil. Do not stir immediately or the batter will separate. Let it firm up a little and then flip side. Fry till golden and remove on to an absorbent paper.                  

                                                                             

Preferably get a tender lauki which has no or soft seeds. To get crisp bachka make sure you dry lauki before dipping in batter. The batter should not be too thick or runny. It should be medium thick. Also , make sure to tap off the excess batter before dipping in oil. Do not overcrowd the pan....fry few at a time. The oil should not be too hot or the lauki will not cook. The batter should be whipped well and then allowed to rest for a bit, which will ensure the bachka puff up while frying

Kesar Peda

 
                                                                         

Coming out of a shop in town a few days back I saw a man selling what looked like khoya in the street. I was intrigued. Was it possible that khoya could be sold by a roadside hawker here in Dar es Salaam?? Seemed unlikely. I was sorely tempted to buy but held back not knowing what sort of quality it would be, if it was indeed  khoya. But the incident kept niggling at the back of my mind and I happened to mention this curious fact to the proprietor of the shop from where I regularly buy paneer, fresh cream, butter, etc. It is a tiny shop but the quality found there is the best. He told me that it was quite possible that what I had seen was khoya and that he himself stocked khoya! I gave him a  disgruntled look that said " Now you are telling me ?!!?? After five years of visiting your shop??!!?"

I haven't used khoya in ages! For the longest time I have been ignoring recipes that contained khoya as it was not available here in Dar es Salaam. Oh, I have made khoya from scratch a few times but it is a long, time taking process in which milk is stirred over low flame until it thickens and then dries up to form khoya. To be able to get ready khoya seemed like taking a leap from step one directly to step 5! I couldn't believe my luck!

Once I got the khoya  home and the excitement settled down a little  I  wondered what to make with this precious ingredient. This simple peda recipe seemed like a good idea.  Kesar Peda derives it's name from the use of saffron in the recipe which is called kesar in Hindi. It is a traditional sweet  and is easy and quick to make, ideal for festive or auspicious occasions.

Ingredients: 

250 gm khoya/ mawa  ( dried milk)
1/4 tsp kesar ( saffron)
Drop of yellow food colour
3 tbsp sugar, powdered
1/2 tsp cardamom powder
1/4 cup warm milk
1 tbsp almonds, chopped
1 tsp ghee

Method:  Crumble the khoya.  Soak kesar in warm milk for few minutes. Add the food colour also to the milk. Powder sugar with cardamom seeds. Chop almonds.

Stir khoya over low to medium heat in a heavy bottom pan. Keep stirring until the khoya  softens and melts. Add sugar and cardamom powder. Also add the kesar and milk. After a little while the mixture will begin to thicken and leave sides. Remove on to a greased plate. After it is cool enough to touch, knead the mixture lightly to form a smooth dough.  Pinch off a lemon sized portion and shape into a ball in your palms. Press lightly  to flatten. Using your thumb create a dent in the centre and place chopped almonds. Form all the pedas in a similar fashion. The pedas will firm up more as they cool down completely. Store in an airtight container and consume within few days. 

Mathri

                                                                           

While staying at my friend Padmaja's place in Lucknow few months back, my daughter and  I became addicted to mathri.  It was still fairly cool at that time and mathri tasted just so good with adrak wali chai( ginger tea). Without realising it, we would end up eating several at one sitting. Tea times apart, it was the snack of choice that we reached out for in between meals or  the minute we returned from somewhere. It was good that the supply of mathri was plentiful and unending! We certainly demolished a good bit while we were there. My daughter even got some packed so she could enjoy some last ones at the airport!

The mathri that we enjoyed so much were made by Rama, a lady who helps out at Padmaja's place. Rama is an ever smiling and gentle person, who is tiny in stature but big of heart.  She used to make the mathri with so much enthusiasm and affection that it is no wonder they tasted so great! I made sure I took the recipe from Rama before leaving. Back home I  used the recipe to make mathri and it came out just as nice. Since then, there has been  a continuous stock of mathri at home.

Crisp and flaky mathri is a popular tea time snack across India. It can easily be made at home without too much effort and stored for couple of weeks.

Ingredients:

1 cup maida ( refined flour)
2 tbsp sooji ( semolina)
2 tbsp ghee ( clarified butter)
1/4 tsp ajwain ( carom seeds)
Salt to taste
Water to knead
Oil to fry

Method:     Sieve flour, add semolina, salt, carom seeds and ghee.  Use your fingertips to  mix in the ghee with the flour till it looks like breadcrumbs. Now gradually sprinkle water little at a time, to prepare a firm dough. Cover with a  damp cloth and keep aside for half an hour

Knead the dough again lightly and divide it into approx 25 equal parts. Place one portion on the rolling board, flatten slightly and then roll out into a  round shape of about 2 inch diameter, using a rolling pin. Make pricks on it with the help of a fork, to prevent it from puffing up. Roll out the others in  the same way.

Heat oil in a heavy bottom pan. When flame is medium hot drop  4 - 5 pieces in it. Lower the flame and let it fry till light golden. Take out and place on an absorbent paper.  Store in  an airtight container when cool.


                                                                     

Here is Rama, whose recipe for Mathri is given above! The nicest person!!

Mutton Curry In A Hurry

                                                                             

I don't cook mutton curry all that often. So, on the rare occasions that I do, it becomes a special event for me and I take it quite seriously. I pore over my recipe books before selecting a recipe to make. I follow all the step wise instructions, do the prep work meticulously- either a few hours or even a day before. Sometimes though, things don't work out as we would like it too.

The last time I made mutton curry I could neither look up any recipe nor do any prep work. It was a  ' get,set and cook' sort of scenario. The rushed effort however turned out so good that I thought it might be worth sharing this recipe of " mutton curry in a hurry".

This recipe is ideal for the young folks out there who appear to be perpetually in a hurry. While it takes considerably less time as compared to other mutton recipes, it is just as  delicious.

Ingredients:

1/2 kg mutton ( goat meat)
2-3 onions ( or 1 cup ), finely sliced
1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
2 tomatoes, chopped
2 tbsp yoghurt
1 tbsp coriander powder
1 tsp red chilly powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
Salt to taste
4 tbsp oil
1 tsp whole spice powder ( garam masala powder)
Whole spices: 4 cloves, 1 inch cinnamon, 1 black cardamom, 1 bay leaf, 1 tsp cumin seeds, 1/2 tsp black pepper corn, 2-3 green cardamom
Fresh coriander leaves to garnish

Method:  In a heavy bottom pan heat oil and add the whole spices. Add the onion and stir for a minute or two. Add the mutton and saute for few minutes till it changes colour. Add the ginger garlic paste, tomatoes, yoghurt and the spice powders - turmeric powder, red chilly powder, coriander powder, whole spice powder and salt. Stir over medium heat till the liquid dries up, oil separates from the mixture and the colour and aroma seem just right.  If, however, the raw smell hasn't gone away, sprinkle little water and stir some more till you get the desired result.Then add  one and  a half cup of warm water and transfer to a pressure cooker. Lower heat after first whistle and let it cook on low heat for about 30 minutes. Once steam releases, open the pressure cooker and check if the mutton is tender. If not done, add little more water and pressure cook for further ten to fifteen minutes. Garnish with plenty of chopped coriander leaves before serving.