Kesar Mango Kulfi

Summers are here and so is the craving for ice creams. Sadly, my daughter has a sensitive throat and tends to go down with a cough or cold whenever she eats one and so we need to avoid eating it as well. However, you cannot do much when you crave for something so dearly and so this weekend I decided to prepare a small batch of kulfis for my guests for dinner. It was a big hit and everyone including my little one enjoyed it and kept asking for more. It takes a little time to prepare this as I did not add any thickening ingredient to the milk and kept reducing it on a low flame till it reached desired consistency. Result was a delicious and rich milky goodness and flavored with my favourite fruit. Only thing that I will do differently next time is use fresh mango pulp instead of canned! Pure deliciousness!!

Ingredients 

1 litre full cream milk (if in India, do not separate the cream/malai once boiled)

1/2-3/4 can condensed milk (I used low fat and little less as my mango pulp was sweetened already)

1/2 tsp cardamom powder 

Few strands of saffron/kesar

1/2-3/4 cup mango pulp (depending on how strong flavor you want)

Chopped pistachios/dry fruits for garnishing (optional)

Direction 

Take the milk in a heavy bottomed pan and bring it to a boil. Now mix the condensed milk and cardamom powder and saffron and stir well. Keep the flame on medium low and let it simmer while stirring in between. You can do this along with other cooking that you may have  so that the job doesn't feel too tiring. You will be amazed to see how easy it is when you finish cooking and reducing the milk at the same time. Keep mixing in the layer of cream that forms on the top into the milk each time you stir. 

Once the milk is reduced to almost one-third the volume, remove it from heat and let it cool. Keep stirring again in between so that the layer of cream is constantly mixed into the milk. Once cooled completely, mix in the mango pulp. Add the pulp little at a time and stop when you are satisfied with the flavor. Pour the mixture into kulfi/popsicle moulds and freeze covered until set. 

To de mould, hold the kulfi moulds in running water for a few seconds and then release using the stick. Enjoy!!!

Seyal Paneer

Once during one of my conversations with a lady in my condominium, she mentioned how much she relished the "Seyal Paneer" she had ordered at a local Indian restaurant over the weekend. I wasn't even sure I heard the name right and on my next trip to that restaurant (intentional) I made sure the dish was ordered. It indeed was very delicious but a little too spicy for my palate. I came back home and tried to search for the recipe and interestingly, there were no recipes at all. All I could find out was that it was a Sindhi dish. Thankfully, I have a few Sindhi friends from Facebook and they helped me out with their mother's recipes and with a little tweaking from my end, the "Seyal Paneer" was finally prepared. I am still not sure if that's the actual name of this dish or just a name given by the restaurant. Whatever it may be, I can assure you that this is the easiest paneer you would ever make and one of the most delicious too. I put everything in a pan, lowered the flame to minimum, covered it, and went for my shower. When I came back after 20 minutes, my masala was ready (without any stirring) and the paneer cubes were ready to go in and ready to eat in 5 minutes!! It is this unbelievably easy. Now go make it!

Ingredients 

300 gms paneer cubes

3 big onions finely chopped 

2 tbsp chopped garlic (green garlic is used traditionally, use it if you can find it)

1 medium tomato 

2 tbsp tomato puree (or 1/2 medium tomato)

1 tsp Kashmiri Chilli powder 

1/2 tsp turmeric powder 

1/2 tsp garam masala powder 

2 tsp coriander powder 

1 tsp cumin powder 

1 tsp cumin seeds 

3 tbsp Fresh coriander leaves chopped 

1-2 green chillies (optional)

Salt

1-2 tbsp ghee 

Direction 

Take a pan and heat the ghee. Add the cumin seeds and let them crackle. Now lower the flame and add the finely chopped onions, garlic, tomatoes, puree (if using), dry spices, coriander, green chillies and salt. Mix them all together. There is no need to make anything soft or fried. Just mix and cover and leave it on the lowest flame for 15-20 minutes. This is how the masala gets it's taste and flavor through undisturbed slow cooking. When you see the oil droplets appear on top and along the sides, give a stir and add the paneer cubes. You can add 1/4-1/2 cup water at this point if you find the masala too dry or you intend to eat it with rice. Once the paneer is added, give a stir, and then cover again and leave again for 5-7 minutes till the paneer is well soaked and the gravy looks good to serve immediately. Serve hot with rice or roti/naan/paratha. 

Langar Waali Daal

I have never had this daal at the Gurudwara (been only once or twice till now) and had never heard of it obviously until I saw Jaspreet Nirula Ji's post some time back on my regular food group. I had forgotten all about it until this last weekend when I didn't have anything special to offer my family for a nice lunch. Quickly searched for the recipe (couldn't find his and then googled and then found his), did some changes here and there and I served the most amazing daal I had made in recent times!! If this daal made by a person who has never tasted it can be so yummy, I wonder how that daal would taste which is made with so much love and positivity and that too in such a huge quantity. Can't wait to make it again!! 

Ingredients 

1 cup whole black urad daal (you can use split black urad daal as well)

1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp chana daal

6 big cloves garlic

1 tsp turmeric powder 

1 tbsp ghee

Salt to taste

For masala

1 1/2 large tomatoes chopped 

1 tsp ginger grated

2 green chillies chopped 

1 tsp Kashmiri Chilli powder 

1 tsp cumin seeds

2 tsp cumin powder

2 tbsp + 1 tbsp ghee

1/2 tsp sugar

1/2 tsp garam masala

Salt to taste

Chopped onions to serve (optional) 

Fresh chopped coriander to garnish 

Direction 

Wash and soak the lentils overnight. If you forget this step or decide to makr it at the nth hour, put the urad daal in the pressure cooker and after 1 whistle, switch off the flame and let it soak in the water for 2-3 hours. Otherwise, a soaking time of 5-6 hours is good enough if you have time but overnight soaking is best. For the channa daal, either soak it overnight or if you forget, one hour soak is good enough. 

Pressure cook the lentils with all the ingredients except for the masala for 5-6 whistles till the lentils are mushy. You can also slow cook the lentils in an earthen pot or deep bottom vessel on a medium flame and covered. 

Now, heat 2 tbsp ghee and crackle the cumin seeds. Add the grated ginger and the chopped chillies followed by the tomatoes. Add the dry spices and stir constantly till the tomatoes are mushy and oil droplets appear along the sides. Now pour the boiled and slightly mashed daal (with a potato masher) and mix well. Add salt as required, garam masala, and sugar. Add a bit of the chopped coriander and stir. Reserve the rest for final garnish. Just before switching off the flame add the remaining ghee and stir. Need not dissolve it completely. Remove from heat, add the remaining chopped coriander and the chopped onions (if using). Serve hot!!

Hara Bhara Kabab

Probably the most popular vegetarian kababs, these are packed with nutrition and yet so easy to make. These are great served hot from the pan to enjoy the crunchy crust and soft inside. Serve these with a sprinkle of chaat masala and a fierry green chutney or sliced onions with a squeeze of lemon. Just yumm!!

Ingredients 

200 gms spinach, stems removed 

1/2 cup green peas

2 large potatoes boiled

1 tbsp ginger garlic paste

2 tbsp gram flour or besan

1 tsp red Chilli powder 

1 tsp cumin powder 

1/2 tsp chat masala or more to taste

Salt to taste 

Oil to fry

Direction

Boil the peas and potatoes till soft. Drain and keep aside. 

Blanch the spinach and squeeze excess water and finely chop. 

In a bowl, mash the potatoes and peas with a potato masher as fine as you can and add the chopped spinach. Add all the dry spices, ginger garlic paste, and besan and mix well. If your spinach wasn't squeezed well and there is still excess moisture, you can add 1 tbsp more besan and mix. Now pinch out small quantity and make a small smooth ball and flatten it with your palm. Arrange on a plate and repeat for the rest of the mixture. 

Now heat a grill pan and fry the kababs, with a little drizzle of oil, till golden on both the sides. Serve hot!!

Simple and Easy Egg Biryani

Biryanis are always meant to be elaborate and royal which undoubtedly calls for a little planning. However, on some days, you just get that Biryani craving and you know you can't sit in peace unless you have satisfied your craving. This is what exactly happened to me this Sunday when we were exploring and discussing different food options for lunch. I had just this tray of eggs and nothing else in the pantry and within 1 hour quick and easy Egg Biryani was ready to be served. I made my own Biryani masala here, but you can use any store bought masala if you have even lesser time to get the biryani done. 

Ingredients 

For the masala 

1 tsp cumin seeds 

1 tsp fennel seeds 

2 tsp coriander seeds 

3-4 Kashmiri whole red chillies 

4 cardamoms 

4 cloves 

1 black cardamom

1 bay leaf

1/2 mace

1/2 tsp nutmeg powder 

1 tsp black peppercorns 

1" cinnamon 

Dry roast all and grind to a fine powder 

For the rice

2 cups basmati rice, soaked for 1/2 hr

1 tbsp ghee

1 tsp shahjeera 

2 pods cardamom, 1" cinnamon 

1 tsp salt 

Rest of the ingredients 

1 large onion sliced finely 

11/2 tbsp ginger garlic paste 

2 large tomatoes chopped 

1 tbsp ghee + 1 tbsp oil

Salt to taste

Freshly chopped coriander and mint leaves 

1 cup warm milk (may require more)

3 hard boiled eggs

3 tbsp cornflour 

1/2 tsp Chilli powder 

1/2 tsp turmeric powder 

1/2 tsp salt

Direction 

Start with preparing the eggs. Peel the hard boiled eggs and cut them into half. Make a thick paste with water, cornflour, Chilli powder, salt and turmeric powder. 

Dip the egg halves one at a time and shallow fry in hot oil until golden. Remove from heat and keep aside. 

Now, heat the oil and ghee in a deep bottomed pan and add the shahjeera. Add the whole spices and the rice (reserve the soaked water) and fry till the rice becomes translucent. Now add warm water till just about covering the rice 1" above. Cover and let the rice cook till about 90%. 

Heat oil and ghee in another pan and fry the sliced onions till golden. Next add the ginger garlic paste and fry till the raw smell disappears. Tip in the tomatoes now and fry till mushy. Now add the freshly ground masala and mix well. Fry the onion masala till oil appears along the sides of the pan. Now add 1 cup milk and stir and bring to a boil. You can also add chopped vegetables to the masala and  fry a bit before adding the milk. Now add the cooked rice and mix well. Add coriander and mint and any birista or fried onions if you have ready. Mix well and drizzle some ghee from the sides and cover and simmer the flame. Let the biryani cook on dum for 10-15 minutes. Remove from heat and serve hot with the fried eggs and onion slices. 

 

Homemade Pure Ghee Motichoor Laddoos

Homemade Motichoor Laddoos!! Someone must be really crazy to attempt it at home. After all, who has the time and patience to go through this fuss. These were my thoughts initially when I saw some people post their pictures and recipes on CaL. However, I did save the recipe and every time there was a post, I would diligently go through each procedure and compare who did what differently. Basically, even though subconsciously I knew I will make it some day, the lazy me would always keep it for some other day! With all the ground research done and critical points understood, it was time I prepared myself for the challenge. On a recent trip to the Indian store I quickly grabbed a small slotted spoon/laddle before I could change my mind and thus my basic preparation was done. 

Motichoor Laddoos are actually quite easy to make and if you have already attempted Jallebis at home, these are a cake walk! Just three basic ingredients, Ghee, gram flour/besan, and sugar, and you can have the most amazing and fresh homemade motichoor laddoos made with lotsa love! With the festive season just round the corner,  you wouldn't mind trying these at home, do you?

                                      

Ingredients

1 cup besan (I used little less than that as my stock was over)

1/2 cup water (you might need a little more, about 3/4 cup, if using an exact 1 cup of besan)

1/4 tsp baking soda

Pinch of orange/red food coloring

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup water

1/2 tsp cardamom powder (optional; I skipped as I did not wish the smell and flavor of ghee to be subdued by any other flavor)

Chopped nuts/melon seeds (optional)

Ghee as required for frying

Direction

Start with preparing the sugar syrup. Mix the sugar and water and bring to a boil. Reduce the flame to minimum and let the syrup simmer for 5 minutes till it gets a little thicker. I did not let it reach the one-string or two-string consistency as the fried boondies need to soak the syrup and so a thicker sugar syrup will result in crusty laddoos. Add a pinch of food coloring and keep aside.

                                    

Now prepare the batter. Take the besan in a bowl and add water little at a time till you get a thick but pouring consistency batter. Add the soda and pinch of food color and mix well. 

                                        

Heat ghee in a pan. Take the slotted spoon and put a tablespoon of the batter and rub it with the back of the spoon while constantly moving the slotted spoon over the hot oil so that the boondis do not remain clumped up at one place. You can do a trial over the bowl of batter before doing it in the hot oil for some practice.

                                     

Now take one tablespoon at a time and while reducing the flame, drop boondies on the hot ghee and keep stirring on a medium flame till golden and crunchy. Drop the fried boondies immediately into the prepared syrup as you move on to fry the next batch.

                                    

                                     

Make sure you keep stirring the boondies in the syrup so that they absorb it uniformly. Repeat the process till all the batter is used up. Add the chopped nuts and cardamom powder and mix well. The syrup will all be absorbed by the boondies by now and you will have a mixture ready for shaping. At this point, I coarsely grinded the mixture with a hand mixture as some of my boondies were rather big. This helps in getting a more fine mixture as well. Pinch out small portions of the mixture and shape them into laddoos and place on mini cupcake liners. Store in airtight containers or consume immediately or gift to your friends and family!

                                    

Simple and Light Stewy Chicken Curry

It has been an extremely busy month and is going to continue as such for the next month as well. Father-in-law in town, hubby's birthday, Balinese Holiday, and every day cooking were some of the things that left me walking on a tight rope all this month. Next month starts with my birthday, my Blog's third anniversary, my first bread baking class, father-in-law's birthday, and half a month of babysitting while hubby leaves for an extensive business trip. Phew! That already makes me feel exhausted. Nevertheless, I couldn't stay away from blogging for long and so posting this extremely simple yet absolutely yummy light and Stewy Chicken Curry which is best eaten with a bowl of steamed rice or hot and fresh puffed chapatis and raw onions. I made this on a Sunday but this is actually an any day curry which will make you feel awesomely good!!

Ingredients 

1 kg chicken on the bone, washed and cleaned 

1 large onion chopped 

3-4 cloves garlic minced 

1" piece ginger minced 

2 medium tomatoes chopped 

2 medium potatoes quartered 

2 each of cardamom, cloves, bay leaves, and 2" cinnamon 

1 tsp Kashmiri chilli  powder 

1/2 tsp turmeric powder 

Salt to taste 

1/2 tsp sugar (optional)

2 tbsp oil (preferably mustard oil)

Ground Spices

1 tsp cumin seeds

2 tsp coriander seeds 

1 tsp fennel seeds 

1 tsp black peppercorns 

Dry roast all the spices and grind to a fine powder 

Direction 

Heat oil in a pan and fry the quartered potatoes. Keep aside. 

In the same oil, splutter the whole garam masala and add the chopped onions, ginger and garlic and saute till golden. Next add the chopped tomatoes and saute till mushy. Now add the ground spices along with the turmeric, salt, and chill powder and fry for 3-5 minutes till the entire masala comes together. Add the washed and cleaned chicken and fry on high heat till the chicken changes color and well coated with the masalas. Add the potatoes and fry for 5 more minutes. By now, the oil would start appearing from the sides. Now add 1 cup water and let the water come to a boil. Mix, reduce the flame to medium low, and cover and cook till the chicken and the potatoes are cooked through. 

Adjust seasoning. Add freshly chopped coriander if you like the flavor. Make sure there is enough gravy to give that stewy effect. Remove from heat and serve hot with steamed rice. 

No Onion No Garlic Paneer Curry

It was my Mother in Law's fifteenth death anniversary today and while she was a very sweet lady and had known her since my childhood, one thing I remember about her, among other things, is she was a big foodie. She loved my Mom's cooking and always used to keep longing for a daughter who would cook and serve her favourite dishes. Today, fifteen years after she left for her heavenly abode, I finally got an opportunity to make some yummy dishes for her and make her soul happy. The priest who had come home for the prayer service was absolutely delighted with the menu and I hope that she feels happy and satisfied seeing someone relish the dishes prepared in her fond remembrance. This no onion no garlic paneer preparation was one of the stars of the menu which everyone enjoyed thoroughly. 

Ingredients 

500 gms paneer cubed

1/4 cup cashew 

3-4 Kashmiri red chilli 

2 tsp ginger paste (fresh)

2 each of cardamom, cloves, bay leaves, and 1" cinnamon 

1 tsp cumin seeds 

1 tsp saunf

1/2 tsp heeng/asafoetida

1 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder 

1/2 tsp turmeric powder 

1 1/2 tsp kitchen king masala (you can substitute it with an equal mix of cumin powder and coriander powder)

1 large tomato 

1-2 tbsp cream (optional)

1 tsp sugar (optional)

1 tbsp roasted and crushed kasuri methi

1 tbsp oil

Direction 

Soak the cashew and whole red chillies for 10 minutes. Grind them to a fine paste along with the tomato. Keep aside. 

In a pan, heat oil and splutter the cumin seeds, saunf, and whole garam masala. Now add the ginger paste and heeng and fry for a few seconds and then add the cashew and tomato paste. Mix well and fry till oil starts appearing from the sides. Now add the dry spices except the sugar and kasuri methi and mix. Add about 1/2 cup water and bring the gravy to a boil. You can add more water as per your requirement but do not make it too watery. The gravy is supposed to be thick. Now add the paneer cubes and cover and cook on a medium low for 5-10 minutes till droplets of oil start appearing on top. Add the sugar and check for the seasoning. Add the cream if using and the crushed kasuri methi. Mix and remove from heat. Serve hot!

Easy Chicken Kabab

Starters are an important part of any meal and they get even more important when you host a dinner/lunch event at your place. Having said that, when you have no helping hand in the kitchen it becomes imperative that you present something quick and easy yet beautifully presented and delicious to eat. These Kababs are just that. Extremely easy to prepare, you can keep these ready one day in advance in the refrigerator and shallow fry just before serving. Serve it with some green chutney and be ready to amaze your guests!!

Ingredients 

500 gms minced chicken 

1 medium onion chopped finely 

1 tbsp ginger garlic paste 

2 tbsp fresh coriander finely chopped 

2 tbsp besan

1 tsp red chilli powder 

1 tsp garam masala powder 

2 tsp coriander powder 

Finely chopped green chillies (optional)

Salt to taste

Oil as required 

Direction 

Wash and drain the chicken mince. Ensure that there is no excess water. Now mix in all the other ingredients except the oil. Make a smooth mixture ensuring that everything is mixed well. You can now either go ahead and make patties out of this mixture or keep it in an airtight container in the refrigerator until ready to use. 

When ready to fry, heat oil in a frying pan or grill pan and make small patties out of the mixture and fry till golden on both sides in a medium heat. I covered the pan on a medium heat for the first five minutes to ensure that the chicken is cooked through. After 5 minutes, remove the cover and fry on a medium high heat till golden on both the sides. Drain the excess oil on a kitchen towel. Sprinkle some chaat masala if you like and serve hot with your favourite chutney. 

Kheer Patishepta

An absolute Bong dessert, the patishepta has many variants when it comes to the stuffing. Most people use a mix of jaggery and grated coconut, some use cottage cheese, and some even use leftover sweets like Sandesh, kaju barfi and similar. However, the yummiest of all is this kheer patishepta made with khowa/mawa mixed with milk and condensed milk. My guests who had never had this before were floored with the yumminess and once again, I was a happy host!

                                    

Ingredients

For the crepes

1 cup plain flour/maida

1/2 cup sooji/rawa

1/3 cup fine sugar

1/3-1/2 cup water

Few tbsp of oil for greasing the pan

For the stuffing

300 ml milk

100 ml condensed milk (you can adjust as per your desired sweetness)

1/2 cup crumbled mawa (you can increase this quantity to make it thicker and quicker)

Direction

Pour the milk in a wide mouthed pan and add the condensed milk. Bring it to a boil and then lower the flame. Keep stirring to avoid sticking at the bottom. Once it reduces a bit, add the crumbled khowa/mawa and continue stirring till it is completely dissolved and incorporated. The mixture will now be thicker than before. Continue stirring on a low flame till you reach a rabadi/custard consistency. Remove from flame and let it cool completely. You can prepare this kheer one day in advance and keep it in the refrigerator until you are ready to prepare the patisheptas. Just take care to cover it well when kept in the refrigerator. 

                                  

In a bowl, mix the flour, sooji, and sugar. Add water very slowly and little at a time till you reach the consistency similar to dosa batter/crepe batter. Basically, it should be of pouring consistency. Let it rest for 15-20 minutes. The flour may absorb some water at this time and so adjust accordingly. 

Heat a little oil in a pan and wipe off the excess oil with the help of a kitchen towel or the head of a brinjal or onion. Lower the flame and pour 2-3 tbsp in the center and spread it out with the back of the spoon into a circle. Increase the flame a little and let the batter cook on top. Now put a spoonful of the kheer towards one end of the crepe and with the help of a spatula, roll it up. Flip the top and let it cook on both sides of the roll. Remove from heat and place it in a plate. Repeat for the rest of the batter. If the pan gets too hot, sprinkle some water and grease again and continue with the process. Enjoy your rich and gooey Bong delicacy!

                                     

 

Quick and Easy Vegetable Biryani

In a Non-Veg household, when it comes to biryani, it ought to be either meat or fish. As a cooking enthusiast, however, how can I not try something which is so popular with Vegetarians. I was running short of time and so chose a quick fix process and my Biryani was ready in less than an hour!! It was delicious and liked by all and now I have an addition to my menu for my vegetarian friends!! 

Ingredients 

For the rice

2 cups Basmati rice

3 cardamoms, 5 cloves, 1" cinnamon, 1 bay leaf 

1 tsp salt

1 tsp oil (optional)

For the veggies 

2 cups mixed veggies chopped  (I used a mix of cauliflower, carrots, peas, corn)

2 medium onions sliced 

1" piece ginger minced

4-5 cloves garlic minced 

2-3 green chillies chopped 

2 tbsp biryani masala 

1 tsp red chilli powder 

1 tsp turmeric powder 

1/2 cup yogurt 

2-3 tbsp cashew and raisins 

1/4 cup milk

1/4 cup cream

1 tsp shahjeera 

3 cardamoms, 5 cloves, 1" cinnamon, 1 star anise, 1/2 mace, 1 black cardamom 

1 tbsp ghee plus 1 tbsp oil

For the assembly 

2 tsp ghee

2 tbsp fried onions (I used store bought)

Fresh coriander chopped 

Fresh mint leaves chopped 

Rose essence or kewra essence for sprinkling 

Direction 

Wash and drain the rice and cook with all the ingredients mentioned for the rice till 90% done. Drain and keep aside. 

In a pan, heat the ghee and oil and splutter the shahjeera. Next add the whole garam masala and fry for another minute. Add the ginger garlic mince and the sliced onions and fry till golden. Now add the veggies and stir. Add salt, nuts, and cover and cook on a medium flame till done. 

Meanwhile, whip the yogurt with milk and biryani masala and red chilli powder.

Once the veggies are done, add the yogurt mix and stir. Now add the cream and check for seasoning. Remove from heat. I have a bit of gravy here as otherwise the veggies and the rice become very dry as opposed to using meat where it releases it own juices. 

Now you can either assemble and make it on dum for 30 minutes or use an ovenproof dish. Whatever way you choose, assemble in the following way. 

Put a layer of rice (pick out the bay leaf) and level it. Next add the veggies and top it with some fried onions, coriander, 1 tsp ghee and kewra essence. 

Top the veggie layer with another layer of rice and finish it off with remaining coriander, fried onions, ghee and kewra essence. 

If baking in the oven, pre-heat to 200 degree celcius and bake covered with aluminium foil for 20 minutes. If doing dum on gas, put the vessel on top of an iron tawa and reduce the flame to minimum and cook on dum for 30 minutes. If using microwave, cover with a clingwrap and microwave for 5-7 minutes. Mix the rice and veggies before serving and enjoy!!

Kesari Malai Rabdi

First attempts are most often the best but the second is always better. My experiment with this delicious Indian dessert today just proved the same. The first time I tried making Rabdi at home, it was an instant hit with my friends and they loved it completely and even licked off the entire bowl. However, I knew I could do better and I did certainly. The Rabdi today turned out simply outstanding and just like I have had it all my life in Mumbai. My Father-in-law has a big weakness for sweets, especially rabdi. He would bring tubs of it from Punjab Sind Dairy (a local and quite prominent dairy sweet shop nearby) and have it after every meal. Today, when I tasted my Rabdi I literally jumped with joy as I knew how much he would have loved to eat this. It is sometimes so exciting to cook what your elders love to eat. This I made today for a very dear friend who is in her 8th month of pregnancy and had asked me for it sometime back. Now how can you not fulfil a pregnant lady's wish.... After all, who doesn't want good wishes!! 😜😜

Ingredients 

1 liter full cream milk

200 ml cream

2-3 tbsp sugar (as per your taste)

Few strands of kesar soaked in warm milk

1 tsp cardamom powder (I forgot but the aroma of saffron completely worked its magic)

Pistachios chopped for garnish 

Direction 

Take a wide mouthed deep pan and pour the milk and cream. Bring to a boil and then reduce the flame to minimum. 

Gently with the help of a spoon, push the layer of cream/malai that is formed on the top to the side as shown in the picture above. Repeat this process every 5-10 minutes and keep collecting the cream on the sides of the pan. Make sure the heat is at the lowest. 

When the milk reduces to almost 1/3, start scraping down the sides and mix into the milk. Now add the sugar and cardamom powder and mix well. Add the saffron milk and stir. 

 

When the milk reaches a creamy consistency, remove from heat. The process although very simple will take around 2-2.5 hrs to complete. Just put it on the stove on one side and carry on with your rest of the work. Garnish with chopped pistachios (you can add some into the milk as well) and let it cool. Chill in the refrigerator. Enjoy with some delicious hot Jalebis or as is!!

Baked Stuffed Capsicum

I always found stuffed veggies very interesting but the idea of getting them done, right from the scraping to filling to cooking deterred me. I had to organise a full vegetarian meal recently for some friends visiting from India, and with not too many options present, I decided to give it a try at last. The filling was super yummy and the sweet and rustic flavor of the capsicum complimented it very well. Very easy to prepare and no mess while cooking as well, I received rave reviews from my guests and family too. This is going to be a keeper now.

Ingredients 

For the filling 

4-5 medium tomatoes boiled and mashed

200 gms paneer crumbled 

2 tbsp cashew nuts finely chopped 

2 tbsp raisins 

1/2 tsp amchoor/dry mango powder 

1 tsp cumin powder 

1 tsp coriander powder 

1 tsp garam masala powder 

1 tsp red chilli powder 

Salt to taste

1 onion chopped 

1" piece ginger chopped 

1-2 green chillies finely chopped (optional)

Fresh coriander leaves chopped 

1 tsp oil

6 capsicums

Direction 

Wash and dry the capsicums with a kitchen towel and keep aside. 

In a bowl, mix the mashed potatoes, crumbled paneer, dry spices, nuts and salt. Heat oil in a pan and fry the chopped onions till soft. Add the ginger and fry for 2 more minutes. Now add the mashed potato mixture and mix well. Add coriander leaves and mix. Remove from heat and let it cool. 

Meanwhile, prepare the capsicums and pre-heat the oven at 200 degree celsius. Cut the top of the capsicums in a way to remove the seeds without spoiling the shape as shown in the picture below. 

Discard the seeds and keep the cap intact. Now carefully slice a bit of the base to make the capsicums stand straight without making any hole in the bottom. 

Now line a baking tray with aluminium foul and start filling the capsicums with the help of a spoon. Fill all the capsicums till the brim and grease the body with a bit of oil. Cover the top with the lid and place in the prepared baking tray. 

Bake in the pre-heated oven for 20-25 minutes till slightly soft from the outside and the body lightly roasted. Serve hot!

Goan Fish Curry

The first beach experience for me was Goa in India and it was a love at first sight. I have been to many other beach destinations thereon but there is no other place which matches the enigma of Goa. Calm, serene, peace, tranquility, hospitality, fun and frolic, there are hardly any adjectives which can be left behind to describe this perfect holiday destination. The best part is that it fits every budget and even a pauper can afford a dream Goan holiday. And no, before you think that this post is sponsored by Goa Tourism Board, this post is about one of my absolute favourite dish from the Goan cuisine. The Goan Fish Curry is a highly irresistible fish curry served with hot steaming rice. The fish generally used is either prawns or pomfret or any other boneless sea fish. I have used here a Boneless white fish fillet, quite similar to the White Snapper. The curry was a perfect balance of all the flavors, the tang from the tamarind, the heat from the chillies, and the creaminess from the coconut. The best part about this gravy is it is absolutely easy to prepare and needs  only a few ingredients. If you love Goa and you love their cuisine, this recipe is a must try!

Ingredients 

450 gms fish (I used boneless white fish fillet; you can also use either pomfret or prawns or any other similar sea fish)

1 medium onion finely sliced

4 cloves garlic chopped 

1 tsp cumin seeds 

1 tbsp coriander seeds

7-8 kashmiri whole red chillies 

1 cup or 200 ml coconut cream (I diluted this with 1/2 cup water; you can directly use 1 1/2 cup coconut milk)

2 tsp tamarind paste (you may need a little more later at the final stage while adjusting the seasoning)

1 tbsp lemon juice

Salt for marinating the fish as well as for gravy

1/4 tsp turmeric powder

2 tsp oil

Direction 

Wash and clean the fish and marinate with salt and lemon juice and keep aside. 

Dry roast the cumin seeds, coriander seeds, and whole red chillies and grind to a fine paste along with the garlic and little water. Now heat oil in a pan and fry the onions till soft and translucent. Add the spice paste and stir well. Add the turmeric powder and mix. Keep stirring continuously until the base mixture is well fried and blended. Take care not to burn it though. Now add the tamarind paste and stir followed by the coconut cream and water mixture or coconut milk. Give a good stir and bring to a boil. Now simmer the flame and add the marinated fish. Do not add the marinade as it might make the gravy too sour. Cover and cook for 10 minutes until the fish is cooked. Add salt as per taste and slit green chillies. You can adjust the tanginess of the curry now by adding more tamarind. It is important not to add the entire paste at one go as the consistency of the tamarind paste can be different and so also the tang. You can also adjust the thickness of the gravy now by adding or reducing the water. This is a very forgiving recipe and you can make adjustments at any point in time. Serve hot with steamed rice and enjoy this Goan delicacy!!

Malai Kofta in Appe Pan

Appe pan is a must-have in the kitchen these days, especially if you want to serve healthy yet yummy treats to your friends and family. I prepared the kofta balls one day in advance and kept them in the refrigerator in an air tight container and put them in the kitchen counter out from the fridge to bring them to room temperature 1 hour prior to making them.  It was quite easy to fry the balls in the lightly greased appe pan and all I had to do to uniformly brown the balls was to keep turning them on all sides. This was quite simple to do and I could do it alongside making the rich and yummy gravy. No deep frying involved and no compromise on taste as well!! If you are still considering buying the pan, then think no more. 

Ingredients 

For the koftas (makes 18-20)

350 gms paneer (I used homemade)

2 medium potatoes boiled and grated

2 tbsp fresh coriander leaves finely chopped 

1 tsp red chilli powder 

1/2 tsp cumin powder 

1/2 tsp coriander powder 

1/4 tsp heeng 

Salt to taste

Oil to grease the appe pan

For the gravy

1 big onion chopped 

1" piece ginger chopped 

3-4 cloves garlic chopped 

2 medium tomatoes blanched (make slight cuts/insertions on the skin and boil for 5 mins. Remove from heat and once cooled, remove the skin and eyes)

8-9 cashews soaked

3-4 kashmiri whole red chillies soaked

1" piece cinnamon, 3 green cardamom, 1 black cardamom, 4 cloves

1 tsp cumin seeds (I did 1/2 tsp cumin seeds and 1/2 tsp shahjeera or caraway seeds)

1/2 tsp red chilli powder 

1/2 tsp cumin powder 

1 tsp coriander powder

1/4 tsp turmeric powder 

1 tbsp roasted and crushed kasuri methi

2 tbsp cream plus more for garnishing 

Direction 

Start with making the koftas. Crumble the paneer with your hands if using homemade or grate them finely if using store bought. Add all other ingredients except the oil and mix well. Taste the koftas for adequate seasoning keeping in mind that the gravy will have salt as well. If you are making the balls in advance, then keep them in an air tight container in the refrigerator until further use. Else, just keep them aside for a while as you prepare for the gravy. 

Heat oil in a pan and add the whole garam masala and let it splutter. Add the chopped onions, ginger and garlic and fry till soft. Remove from heat and let it cool. In a grinder, blend together the blanched tomatoes (skin removed) and the fried onion mix and the soaked cashews and kashmiri whole chillies. Make a smooth paste and keep aside. 

Now grease the appe pan and heat it. Add the balls to each pocket and fry them on a low heat uniformly on all sides by turning them carefully without breaking. 

While making the koftas, start preparing the gravy. Heat oil (just 1 tsp is sufficient) and add cumin seeds and let them crackle. Add the spice paste and saute on medium flame till oil starts appearing from the sides. Add the dry spices and fry for 2-3 minutes. Add 1/2 cup water and bring to a boil. The gravy should not be too thick nor too thin as it will dry up when cooled down. Add the crushed kasuri methi and cream and let it simmer for 5 minutes. Adjust the seasoning as required. I like to add a dash of sugar at the fag end. You may skip this step. Remove from heat and transfer to the serving bowl. Now add the fried koftas to the gravy and let them soak the gravy for at least 30 minutes. Serve hot garnished with some more cream.