Potatoes Galore – Recipe for Tasty Dum Aloo, Potato Chivda & Potato Kachori

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DUM ALOO….

Ingredients:

Medium size boiled and peeled potatoes 250 grams

Curd or yoghurt -250 grams

Oil for frying potatoes

Ghee -2 tablespoons

Red chilli powder -2 teaspoons

Coriander powder -2 teaspoons

Turmeric powder -1 teaspoon

Powdered cloves- ¼ teaspoon

Cinnamon powder -¼ teaspoon

A pinch of cardamom powder

Black pepper powder -¼ teaspoon

Coarsely powdered fennel seeds- 1 teaspoon

2 bay leaves

Water

Salt to taste

Method:

Fry potatoes in oil. Pour two tablespoons of oil and ghee into a deep pan. When heated, add chilli powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder and bay leaves. Stir for few seconds. Pour potatoes and curd. Stir for five minutes. Add water to the mixture and cover the pan and cook for 10 minutes on low fire. Before removing the pan from fire, stir in the other ground spices and salt. Serve hot dum aloo with chapatties or parathas. Continue reading →

How to Make Murabbas from Mango, Apple, Gooseberry & Carrot

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MURABBAS

  1. The syrup must cover the Murabba.
  2. Within one of preparation, boil the Murabba three to four times.
  3. Cool and again put it in an airtight jar.
  4. The jar should be narrow so that the syrup will cover the Murabba completely.
  5. Murabba can be taken with any meal except with tea.
  6. It is also served as dessert with plain cream.
  7. Put cut apples, pears and raw mangoes in salted water as this prevents them from discolouring.

MANGO MURABBA…

Ingredients:

1 kg firm and under-ripe mangoes (peeled and de-seeded)

750 grams sugar

3 cups water

¼ teaspoon citric acid

A pinch of saffron

3 big cardamoms

Method:

Cut mangoes into big even pieces. Put them in a muslin cloth and dip the in boiling water for 10 minutes till they are soft. Put them in a basket to drain water completely. Prick the pieces with a fork. Make syrup of sugar, water and citric acid. Cook the mango slices in the syrup until the syrup is 3 or 4 threads when it is drawn between the two fingers. Remove from the fire. Cool the mango murabba and pour in a sterilised jar. Continue reading →

Chatpata Chaat – A Starter for Some, A Full Meal for Many

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CHAAT….

Chaats are conglomerates of crispy and luscious ingredients with a generous dash of peppy chutneys, flavourful condiments and attractive toppings. Spicy, piquant, sweet and sour, chatpata chaats are all-time favourite, which can be a starter for some, a full meal for many. You can serve them at parties and picnics, as tea-time accompaniments or side dishes during meals. Whenever and wherever you choose to serve them, they tend a special flavour and are delectable and exciting to savour.

DAHI BATATA PURI…

Ingredients:

10 large puris (golgappas)

1 ½ cups thick curd

1 teaspoon sugar

4 medium potatoes (boiled)

2 teaspoon chaat masala

Salt to taste

Sweet and spicy chutney

For garnishing: thin sev, fresh coriander leaves (chopped)

Method:

Peel and mash potatoes. Add salt and chaat masala. Mix well, and keep aside.  Beat curd and add sugar and a pinch of salt. Add water to get the desired pouring consistency. Arrange puris on a serving plate. Make a hole in the centre of each puri and fill it with mashed potato and curd. Top it with sweet and spicy chutneys. Garnish with sev and coriander leaves and serve immediately. Continue reading →

Homemade Pickles, The Magic Recipes

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PICKLES AND CHUTNEYS…PART 2

TIPS FOR PICKLES:

Oil, salt and vinegar preserve the pickle.

Oil should cover the pickle, otherwise it will be spoiled.

Do not keep the pickle in a damp place.

Always try to keep the pickle in a narrow jar as it takes less oil.

TURNIP PICKLE….

Ingredients:

½ kg turnips

1 cup mustard oil

15 cloves garlic

1 cup vinegar

1 cup sugar

15 dry dates

6 teaspoons seedless golden raisins

1 teaspoon peppercorn

2 teaspoons chilli powder

1 teaspoon onion seeds

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

2 tablespoons salt

Method:

Grind the spices and sugar together. Grind dates and vinegar with a little vinegar. Peel and cut the turnips into thick round slices and rub salt on them. Keep for 8 hours. Grind garlic. Heat oil and fry the ground garlic till golden. In it, fry turnips till dry. Add vinegar, ground spices and sugar and ground dates and onions. Put in a jar and keep in the sun for 6 days. Continue reading →

Raita – An Inevitable Delicacy for a Complete Indian Meal

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RAITA…

Normally fruits and vegetables- grated, chopped or sliced immersed in beaten and seasoned yoghurt make a Raita. They form an attractive way of eating yoghurt as well as the fruits and vegetables, retaining their natural flavour completely. Raitas are prepared with a distinctive flavour- achieved by using spices, lemon or sugar. In some Raitas, a particular flavour is used to complement the other. The result is unique and absolutely delicious. Thus raita is an inevitable delicacy for a complete Indian meal.

BANANA RAITA

2 ripe Bananas, peeled and cut into thin rings/ 2 cups beaten curds/ ½  teaspoon mustard seeds/ a few mint leaves/ handful of coriander leaves/ ½ piece ginger minced/ a pinch of asafoetida/ 1 teaspoon sugar/ salt and chilli powder to taste.

Grind the mustard to a fine powder. Mix together all the ingredients with the exception of coriander and mint. Garnish with coriander and mint leaves and serve preferably chilled.

MIXED VEGETABLE RAITA.

2 cups beaten curds/ 1 small firm tomato/ 1 small onion/ 1 small tender carrot/ 1 small cucumber/ 2 teaspoons peeled and shredded beetroot/ 1 green chilli minced/ handful of coriander leaves/ ¼ teaspoon dry ginger powder/ ½ teaspoon roasted and ground cumin seeds/ 1 teaspoon sugar/ salt and chilli powder to taste.

Cut all the vegetables finely and mix into curds along with the other ingredients except the beetroot. Garnish with beetroot and serve. Continue reading →

Pickles and Chutneys – Mint Chutney, Mango Chutney, Guava Chutney, Lemon Chutney, Tomato Chutney

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PICKLES AND CHUTNEYS……….PART 1

No Indian meal is complete without pickles and chutneys. These are very good appetizers which, apart from adding taste to the food, stimulate the digestive system. They contain varying amounts of nutrients depending on the raw material used as a base, such as fresh tomatoes, cucumbers or onions. Fresh and natural ingredients in preparation of pickles and chutneys preserve the taste and aroma for long and need to avoid the usage of preservatives. The real aroma/fragrance and taste of freshly and carefully made/packed chutneys are as good as home made.

Ingredients:

2 handfuls of fresh mint leaves

1 medium onion

2 or 3 green chillies

Salt to taste

2 teaspoons dry pomegranate seeds

Method:

Remove the stems and wash the leaves. Squeeze out the water. Grind mint leaves with all the above ingredients finely. Serve with fried dishes. Continue reading →

Pepper – The King of Spices, Black Pepper, White Pepper, Green Peppercorns

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PEPPER

The king of spices, this spice is one of the oldest and the most popular flavourings in the world, used both in cooking and as a condiment. It was the search for the source of pepper more than any other spice that led early sailors eastward. At one time, peppercorns were more valuable than gold. By the Middle Ages, pepper was considered as a desirable currency: dowries, taxes, rents and even ransoms were frequently paid in peppercorns. This gave rise to the rather quaint term peppercorn rent, which indicated payment in full. Today, the term means a nominal sum.

The name pepper comes from the Sanskrit word pippali, meaning berry. The plant, Piper nigrum, is native to Java and India, but grows in any tropical or sub-tropical area, and is cultivated throughout the Far East, Africa, the South Sea Islands and Brazil. The term pepper is also used loosely to describe a number of unrelated spices, including cayenne. Continue reading →

Spices to Cook Indian Dishes, Chinese, Thai Food, Mexican Food & European Dishes

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Spices in the kitchen…….

Throughout the world, the cooking of every country is distinguished by the way in which spices are used to give it a unique character. With so many spices now readily available, cooking can be a great adventure that will transport you to any part of the world that takes your fancy.

Imagine the smoky scent of grilled potatoes infused with cumin and garlic or the fragrance of coriander and garlic from a gently simmering curry. Even before you taste the food the evocative aroma of spices stimulates the appetite and heightens the anticipation of what is to come. Indian cooking, though not necessarily hot, is distinctively spicy and is characterized by the use of a greater range of dried spices than any other cuisine in the world. Up to 15 spices may be blended to flavour one dish. India is a vast country and the style of cooking varies enormously from region to region, but the spices most often used include coriander, cumin, turmeric, black pepper, mustard seeds, fennel seeds, cardamom, cloves, garlic and ginger. Chillies are valued for both fire and flavour, some Indian dishes extremely hot, but in others spices are used with rare subtlety. Continue reading →

Chilli – A Leading Spice of India

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CHILLIES….

Chilli is the most popular spice and throughout history, wherever it was used it transformed the previously bland cuisine. Latin American, Asian, African, Caribbean and certain regional Oriental cuisines make extensive use of this spice. The name chilli is believed to be derived from an ancient Indian word txile. Chillies are native to Mexico. Evidence of chilli peppers is known from burial sites in pre-Colombian sites in Peru.

Chilli or red pepper is a leading spice of India. Among the spices consumed per head in India, dried chilli contributes the major share. Chilli is said to be a native of South America and its cultivation was known to the people of Peru since prehistoric times. The introduction of chillies into India is said to be due to the Portuguese. Red pepper or chillies are said to be cultivated mainly in the tropical and the sub-tropical countries, notably Africa, India, Japan, Mexico, the USA etc. Andhra Pradesh is the leading state in area and production. Karnataka is second in area and Maharashtra is second in production and the third leading state in area. The other states growing chillies commercially are Orissa, Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar etc. however, chillies are grown practically all over India. Continue reading →

Bhale Padharya – Gujarati Dish Khaman Dhokla, Methi na Thepla

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BHALE PADHARYA – WELCOMEPART 3

KHAMAN DHOKLA:

Makes about 30 pieces; Preparation time-30 minutes; Cooking time-25 minutes

Ingredients:

2 teacups split Bengal gram                      ½” piece ginger

½ teaspoon soda bicarbonate                   5 tablespoon oil

A pinch of asafoetida                                salt to taste

4 green chillies

For Tempering:

¼ teaspoon mustard seeds                         8 curry leaves

For Garnishing:

½ cup chopped coriander leaves                ½ cup grated coconut Continue reading →