Lauki ke kofte

Hi Friends,

Most of us don't like the name of  lauki (Bottle gourd)- forget eating it but now some fitness freaks have started having lauki ka juice for it's weight losing properties.

With little innovation you can cook tasty dishes from this healthy vegetable and today I am going to discuss the recipe of Lauki ke kofte.

LAUKI KE KOFTE:

INGREDIENTS:

Lauki (Bottle gourd)

Pyaz (Onion)

Lehsun (Garlic)

Adrak (Ginger)

Tamatar (Tomato)

Hara Dhania (Coriander leaves)

Haldi (Turmeric) powder

Lal Mirchi (Red chili) powder

Dhania (Coriander) powder

Garam Masala

Namak (Salt)

Besan (Bengal Gram flour)

Oil

METHOD:

Wash, peel and grate lauki. Make a paste of pyaz, lehsun and adrak. Finely chop tamatar and hara dhania.

Add a little salt to grated lauki and put it aside for 10 minutes. Now squeeze out all the water from the grated lauki - the water can be used in gravy.

In squeezed lauki add some besan, haldi powder, lal mirch powder, garam masala and salt to taste- remember that you had added salt in lauki.Make small balls (kofte) of this mixture and fry in oil till golden brown.

In another pan take some oil and fry the onion, garlic and ginger paste in it.Add dhania powder, haldi powder, lal mirch powder, chopped tomatoes and a little salt- here again you need to remember that kofte already have salt in them and you are going to use  salted water from squeezed lauki for gravy. Better taste before you add any salt.

Fry this masala well till it starts leaving oil. Add water in it and give it 2-3 boils. Now add kofte and let it simmer till the gravy gets a little thick.

Transfer into serving dish and garnish with hara dhania.

TRICK: 

1.To have soft kofte, do not add too much besan into it.

2. At the time of adding kofte, the gravy has to be thin else it will not get absorbed into kofte.

Vegetable Pulao

Hi Friends,

It's festive season and we like to cook some special dishes, without counting calories, for our dear ones. Here is a special vegetable pulao recipe for you..

VEGETABLE PULAO:

INGREDIENTS:

Basmati rice

Hari matar (Green peas)

Paneer (Cottage cheese)

Phool gobhi(Cauliflower)

Hara dhania (Coriander leaves)

Salt

Kaju (Cashew nuts)

Badam (Almonds)

Kishmish ( Raisins)

Tejpatta (Bay leaf)

Laung ( Clove)

Kali Mirch ( Pepper corns)

Choti Elaichi ( Green cardamom)

Javitri (Mace)

Dalchini ( Cinnamon)

Desi ghee

METHOD:

Wash and soak the rice for atleat half an hour. Chop phool gobhi into small florets. Dice paneer in 1/2" cubes.

In a thick bottomed pan put some desi ghee on medium heat. Fry phool gobhi florets and paneer cubes till golden brown.

In remaining ghee add tejpatta, dalchini, javitri, laung, kali mirch choti elaichi, kaju, kishmish and badam and fry a little. Add rice, salt, peas, fried paneer and phool gobhi and add enough water to cook the pulao. 

Garnish with hara dhania and serve hot.

Chawal ki kheer (Rice pudding)

Hi Friends,

Let me share the most common dessert recipe of North India...it's chawal ki kheer ( rice pudding). I am sure lots of you must already be knowing this recipe but then there are few tricks which are important to know to make it delicious and so I will share the recipe here.

CHAWAL KI KHEER:

INGREDIENTS:

Chawal (Rice)

Sugar

Kishmish (Raisins)

Badam (Almonds)

Choti Elaichi (Green Cardamom)

Kesar (Saffron)

Desi ghee

METHOD:

Wash chawal thoroughly. Put a little desi ghee in a thick bottomed pan on low heat. Add choti elaichi powder in ghee and add washed chawal - fry for 2 minutes and then add milk and let it cook on slow flame. You need to keep the milk adding and stirring the kheer else it will start burning at the bottom.For a thick creamy kheer I use a litre of milk with 75-100 gms of rice.Add kishmish and chopped badam.

Cook till the texture of kheer is thick and creamy as shown in the picture and rice grain are  properly cooked. Now add sugar as per your taste and some saffron strands.

Serve it hot or after properly cooling it in fridge...I like both ways.

TRICK: To get rich creamy taste of kheer, cook the rice in milk and then reduce- some people reduce the milk first and then add cooked rice which spoils the taste of kheer. 

Baigan ka bharta Punjabi style.

Hi Friends,

Baigan ka bhurta is one dish which is savored by every North Indian with parathas as well as  with regular meals. Here is the recipe..

BAIGAN KA BHARTA:

INGREDIENTS:

Baigan (Brinjal or Egg plant)- Big round ones

Pyaz(Onion)

Tamatar (Tomato)

Hari matar (Green peas)

Hari Mirch (Green chilies)

Hara Dhania (Coriander leaves)

Haldi (Turmeric) powder

Lal mirch (Red chili) powder

Salt

Oil

METHOD:

Roast the baigan-peel and mash.

Finely chop onion, tomatoes and hara dhania.

In hot oil add chopped onions in good quantity..fry till they get transparent and pink. Add chopped tomatoes, haldi powder, lal mirch powder and salt and fry till tomatoes get tender.Add hari matar and cook further till peas get cooked. Now add mashed baigan and chopped (big pieces) green chilies and fry for about 5 minutes till everything is mixed properly and extra water is evaporated.

Add chopped hara dhania and serve hot.

TRICK: Adding chopped green chilies at last stage is for the color and flavor of green chilies. In case you don't like too hot, you can use Jalapenos instead of normal green chilies.

I often use Jalapenos to get the flavour of green chilies without adding up to hotness of the dish.

Cheese burst cutlets.

Hi Friends,

On my daughter's demand today I am sharing a mouth watering recipe but you will have to forget about calories. It's Christmas time so you too can indulge..work outs can always be started from January ;). 

Come, let's try this easy recipe...

CHEESE BURST CUTLETS:

INGREDIENTS:

Potatoes

Processed cheese

Bread crumbs

Salt 

Oil

Mint leaves

METHOD:

Boil, peel and mash potatoes. Mix salt into potatoes.

Cut 2" long and 1/2" thick fingers of processed cheese.

Finely chop few leaves of mint.

Take a ball of mashed salted potato and flatten it on your palm. Sprinkle some chopped mint leaves on it and put a cheese finger.Cover the cheese finger with potato and roll it on bread crumbs so that each cutlet is nicely coated with bread crumbs.

Deep fry these cutlets till golden brown.

Serve with green chutney and tomato ketchup.

TIP: For a quick snacking you can store raw cutlets in refrigerator and fry them as per need.. that way these cheesy bursts can be served within 10 minutes.

Instead of mint you can use Oregano or any other flavor of your taste.

Gobhi Musallam

Hi Friends,

The name of today's recipe must be reminding you of Murg Mussallam- yes you can expect something on those lines but it's a vegetarian dish made with phool gobhi (cauliflower). Let's start collecting the ingredients...

GOBHI MUSALLAM:

INGREDIENTS:

Phool gobhi (Cauliflower)

Onion

Garlic

Ginger

Tomatoes

Dhania( Coriander) Powder

Mirchi (Red chili) powder

Haldi (Turmeric)

Namak (Salt)

Garam Masala

Oil

Hara Dhania (Coriander leaf)

METHOD:

Wash and steam the whole cauliflower in salted water till it's half done.Add a little turmeric powder in the water to give that golden glow to cauliflower.

In a pan heat the oil and add onion, garlic and ginger paste and fry for 3 minutes. Now add dhania powder, haldi powder, lal mirch powder and salt- add finely chopped tomatoes and further fry the masala till it starts leaving the oil- this is the indication that masala it properly done.Now add a little bit of garam masala in it and let it cool a little.

Shake off excess water from steamed cauliflower and rub the ready masala generously on it and bake it till done.

Garnish with hara dhania and serve hot.

TIP: In case you don't want to use an oven, you can do the remaining cooking on a thick bottomed covered pan on a low heat- it will give you same results.

TRICK: To ensure that powdered masala gives good aroma and taste, always add some water into masala powders before adding it into hot oil or onion garlic paste which is being fried.

Chatpati papdi

Hi Friends,

On my blog I have not yet shared any recipe for finger food which we often make to serve with drinks and also as starters. Today I am sharing a recipe which you can make in jiffy and is convenient to serve too.

CHATPATI PAPDI:

INGREDIENTS:

Ready made papdis ( you can easily buy at any Indian store in snacks section.)

Potatoes

Fine sev or Bhujia

Khatti meethi khajoor chutney

Green chutney

Bhuna jeera (Roasted cumin) powder

Lal Mirchi (Red chili) powder

Kala Namak (Clack Salt)

Hara dhaniya (Coriander leaf)

METHOD:

Boil and peel potatoes and dice them in small pieces.

Arrange papdis on a serving dish. Put some boiled peeled and diced potatoes on every papdi. Add a dollop of khatti meethi chutney, a smaller dollop of green chutney.Sprinkle some fine sev or bhujiya on top.  Sprinkle with bhuna jeera powder, lal mirchi powder and kala namak and finally garnish with some hara dhaniya.

Your chatpati papdis are ready to serve- all you need to worry about is how to handle the compliments :)

North Indian Aaloo ki tikki.

Hi Friends,
It has been a long vacation for me...some social obligations and some cute moments with my dear ones...anyway, now I am back and we will start with another chaat recipe...yes...the most popular Aaloo ki tikki. Here goes the recipe...

AALOO KI TIKKI (POTATO CHOPS):

INGREDIENTS:
Aaloo (Potatoes)
Ghee/Oil
Khatti meethi khajoor ki chutney
Green chutney
Dahi (Curd)
Cheeni (Sugar)
Bhuna jeera (Roasted cumin) powder
Lal Mirchi (Red Chili) powder
Kala Namak (Black salt)
Salt
Hara dhaniya (Coriander leaves)
Adrak Ginger) Juliennes
Hara mircha (Green chilies)

METHOD:
Boil and mash potatoes and make the chops of about 3" diameter and 1/2" thickness. Shallow fry these chops on a thick bottomed pan on a slow heat preferably with ghee.
Once the chops are golden brown and crisp, take them out on a tissue paper.
To serve arrange these chops on a plate and pour sweet curd for that you mix thick curd with sugar and pass it  through a muslin cloth to give smooth texture.
Add khatti meethi khajoor ki chutney ( recipe I have discussed in my earlier posts) and some green chutney (again the recipe has been discussed so many times in my earlier posts).
Sprinkle bhuna jeera powder, lal mirch powder, kala namak and namak (plain salt). Garnish with chopped hara dhaniya, hari mirch and ginger juliennes.

TIP: If you have taste for desi ghee, use it..your tikki will be more tasty and crispy.