Recipe: Carrot halwa

It has been our practice for long to prepare carrot halwa, especially during the winter as we get the red variety of carrot (which is known as delhi carrot in Bangalore) then. Otherwise, what we get is the orange variety. So during my Bangalore visit, we bought the red carrot and prepared the halwa. The most difficult part of carrot halwa is grating the carrot, which our handsome and charming younger son happily did. I started part of the preparation immediately (read at 10 pm) and completed the process early next morning, so that when my good friend Veena came to say “hello” to me at 7 am the carrot halwa was ready and she was surprised that I had finished the preparation so early in the morning, whereas she had just woken up and come to wish me.

I used full cream milk and the halwa turned out creamy and rich and of course, yummy. Here is the recipe then.

Ingredients:

Grated carrot: 4 cups
Full cream milk: 3 cup
Sugar: 2 cups
Ghee 4 tbsp.
Cashew nuts: 1 tbsp.
Kismiss(raisins): 1 tbsp.
Slivered almonds : 1 tbsp.
Cardamom powder: 1 tsp.
Saffron : few strands

Method:

Boil the milk in the pressure cooker and add the grated carrots. Close the pressure cooker and reduce the heat to the minimum . When there is a steady stream of steam through the weight valve, place the weight and cook for one whistle or 15 mnts in reduced heat. Turn off the heat. (This is the first stage of preparation ). Open the cooker after ½ hour. Meanwhile, soak the saffron strands in 2 tbsp. of milk. Add the saffron to the cooked carrot. Boil the carrot once again on full heat. Add the sugar and stir constantly until all the milk evaporates. Add spoonsful of ghee in between whenever the halwa starts sticking to the vessel. When all the ghee (Reserve 1 tbsp of ghee for frying the dry fruits) has been added and all the moisture evaporated, the halwa should leave the sides of the vessel. Turn off heat. Add cardamom powder. Heat the reserved ghee in a small kadai, add the cashew nuts and kismiss. When the cashew nuts turn pink in color and kismiss swells add to the halwa as garnish. Decorate with slivered almonds.
The full cream milk gives that extra richness and taste to the halwa (you get the twin taste of halwa and thirattupal).

NJOY!

Recipe: Dhokla

If you are a bit more adventurous, you can try making
dhoklas.

1 cup besan
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 cup butter milk
1 tsp rava
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp coconut(optional)
Salt to taste
Soda bi carb a pinch

Mix all the ingredients except lemon juice and butter milk thoroughly. Add the lemon juice. Add butter milk little at a time stirring the mixture constantly. Add enough butter milk to get a dosa batter consistency.

Grease a plate and pour the mixture and steam for 7 minutes. Heat 1 tsp of oil, add hing, mustard, 1 tsp green chillies 1 tsp of ginger. Before pouring it onto the dokla, add 1 tbsp of water and pour on dhokla. Cut the dhokla into squares

Enjoy

Recipe: Bondas

Continuing with the besan theme, once you've made the batter for the bonda you need to make:
The stuffing for bondas:

Bondas can be made with only mashed potatoes or mixed vegetables. Mashed tapioca can also be used. For mixed vegetable:

Potato 1
Carrot 1
Beans 4
Capsicum 1 small piece
Peas 1 tsp

Chopped Green chillies 1 tsp
Chopped Ginger tsp.
Salt
Oil 1tsp
Mustard ½ tsp
Turmeric powder ½ tsp
Lemon juice 1 tsp(optional)
Coriander leaves

Any or all of the above vegetables may be used. Cook the vegetables and mash them thoroughly. Heat 1 tsp oil, add mustard seed. When they splutter, add the green chillies, ginger and mashed vegetables, salt and turmeric powder. Mix well. Remove from stove. Add coriander leaves and lemon juice(this gives an extra tingling taste) Make small balls of the mixture, dip in the besan paste and deep fry.

If using only potatoes, mash boiled potatoes and follow the same method.

Recipe: What to do with Besan (continued)

Basically you can make bajjis and bondas with besan. You need a little cornflour or riceflour to get an extra crispiness. A little soda bi-carbonate(cooking soda) is also needed.This is available as a big pack in the US. See if you can get a 100gm pack in Indian stores. Or you can borrow 4 tbsp from a friend who cooks more regularly(this quantity will be good for ½ kg besan).

The besan paste for dipping bajjis and bondas is same, except that for bondas you make it a bit more thicker than bajjis.

Bajjis can be made with any vegetable, like, chillies, red pumpkin, vazhakkai (plantain), karela (bitter gourd), brinjal, Bangalore kathrikkai, potatoes, onions(slice onions in rounds) and capsicum (green peppers).

The Paste:

For 4 - 8 bajjis:

Besan : 3 tbsp.
Rice flour or cornflour : 2 tsp.
Soda bi carb a pinch
Salt to taste
Chilli powder 1 tsp(do not add chilli powder if you are making chilli bajjis :))

Mix all the dry ingredients well. Make a paste by adding water little at a time and stirring the mixture constantly. You will get a smooth paste. For bajjis it can be a little thicker than dosa batter. For bondas you make it as thick as idli batter. Slice the vegetables into thin rounds or long pieces, dip them in the paste and deep fry in very hot oil.

Recipe: Cauliflower Fried Rice

I prepared cauliflower fried rice, slightly different from the usual method I have been cooking all these years. And the result, it was much more tastier and easier to prepare.Before I forget, how I prepared it today, let me publish it here.

Ingredients:

cauliflower 1 small
small onion 1 handful(about 100gm) (pearl onion) (sambar onion)
Rice 150gms(¼ cup)
ghee 1 tsp.
cinnamon ½" stick
cloves 2 nos.
big cardomom 1/8 of a pod
turmeric powder 1 tsp
salt to taste
oil 1 tbsp.
shahjeera ½ tsp.
coriander leaves to garnish

to grind:

coriander seeds 1 tbsp.
jeera 1 tsp.
poppy seeds(khus khus) 11/2 tsp
ginger 1 " piece
green chillies 3 nos.
kasoori methi 1 tsp.
pudina 1 sprig
black pepper 1/2 tsp
tomatoes 150gms

Method:

Grind all the spices except tomatoes to a fine paste. Add tomatoes and grind well. Keep it aside.

Wash and soak rice in double quantity of water for 15 minutes. Heat ghee in a pan and add cinnamon, cloves and cardomom. When they start spluttering add the drained rice(reserve the water in which the rice was soaked) and fry until rice starts spluttering. Remove and cook in the soaked water in a pressure cooker.

Cut the cauliflower into florets and wash in warm water in which 1/2 tsp of salt has been dissolved.clean and cut the pearl onions into two.Heat oil in a pan and add the shahjeera.

When it splutters add the pearl onions and fry till transparent. Add the ground mixture and fry till all the moisture evaporates and oil starts separating. Add the cauliflower florets and fry for 2 mnts. add trumeric powder and salt and cook closed, until cauliflower is cooked crisp.

Remove the cooked rice and add to cauliflower mixture and mix well. Serve, garnished with coriander leaves.

This rice can be served with raita or thayir pachadi or papad or chips.

ENJOY!

Recipe: Capsicum (Bell Pepper) Masala fry

This is a very tasty fry, very easy to make in a very short time.

2 servings
Ingredients
Capsicum 200gms
Onion 50 gms
jeera 1 tsp.
cardamom 1
cloves 2
cinnamon ¼" piece
turmeric powder ½ tsp.
garam masala powder ½ tsp.
dhania jeera powder 2tsps.
Dosai molagai podi 2 tsp.(see recipe below)
salt to taste
oil 1 tbsp

Cut the capsicum in 1"square pieces. Slice the onions fine. Heat oil in a non-stick pan, add jeera,cardomom, cloves and cinnamon. When jeera starts spluttering add the sliced onions and fry until they start changing color. Add the capsicum pieces and fry for 5 mnts.Add the turmeric powder and dhania jeera powder. Fry for another 5 mnts. Add salt and fry for another 3 mnts. Finally add the dosai molagai podi and fry for another 5 mnt. Your tasty capsicum masala fry is ready. This is very good with chapatis.

The dosa molagai podi gives the dish a cripsy texture.

Alternatively, a powder made with 1tsp sesame seeds and 1tsp groundnuts can be used.

Recipe - Microwave Aloo Gobi Masala

Recipe

Though,many housewives in India today, own microwave ovens, more often than not, they are used only to heat up left over food, so much so the other day some one was mentioning to me that she had bought a new oven to heat up left over food.

Having used a microwave oven to cook many traditional Indian dishes, I wish to give some recipes, which I have tried successfully.



Aloo Gobi Masala


Ingredients:


Potato 250 gms.
Cauliflower 250 gms(1 small head)
Onion 100gms
Green chillies 2
ginger garlic paste 1 tbsp.
dhania powder 2 tsp.
jeera powder 2 tsp.
chilli powder 1tsp.
turmeric powder 1/2 tsp.
garam masala 1 tsp.
salt to tast
oil 1tbsp.
coriander leaves 1 sprig


Method:

Scrub and wash and cut potato into 1" cubes. Wash and cut cauliflower into medium sized flowerlets. slice onion.

Fill a micorwave proof dish with potato cubes and cauliflower and 1/4 cup of water and cover with clingwrap. Prick the wrap with a fork at two or three places. Microwave high for 3 mnts.Remove mix well and microwave at 70% for 5 mnts.Keep aside. Put one tabsp. oil in a glass dish and add the onion and microwave high for 2 mnts. Remove, add the ginger garlic paste, mix well and microwave high for 1 mnt. Remove add the cooked potato and cauliflower and all the other spices, except garam masala, mix well and microwave at 70% for 5 mnts, stirring once in between.Sprinkle the garam masala and microwave at 70% for 1 mnt more. Remove, mix well and garnish with finely cut coriander leaves.

Recipe: Balushahi, Rava Ladoo, Mohantal, Jahangir

I just could not come back to my blog for some time. I had been wanting to add so many things, i just couldnt sit down for it.

so, for Diwali in America, I made the following: Balushahi, ravaladoo, Jaahangir and Mohan tal and a little quantity of pokoda and baked maddur vadai.

Balushahi

preparation time - 30mnts.

cooking time-30mnts

prooving time-2 hrs.

Ingredients:4 cups flour, 1 cup butter(I used margarine),(refrigerated)11/2 cups sugar, 4 tbsp curds,(refrigerated) 1tsp baking soda, 1/2tsp salt. Oil for frying

Makes30 balushahis

Method

Mix the flour and salt. As I had bought a electric hand mixer recently, I mixed the flour and salt for 2 mnts with the dough kneader blade.The flour and salt can also be seived twiceAdd the butter or margarined(refrigerated) and mix well so that the dough resembles bread crumbs. Mix the baking soda and curds and beat with a spoon a couple of times. Add this mixture to the flour mixture and knead well adding cold water if necessary ,to make a soft and pliable dough.( Now this is where one has to be very careful. The kneading has to be done well(you need great strength in your palms for this). I had the hand mixer this time, so the kneading was done to the right consistency.) Rest the dough in a cool place for 2 hrs.(it can be kept in the refrigerator also. The preparation can be done to this stage the previous day and dough can be kept in the fridge.)

Take sugar and 11/2 cup of water in a pan and boil to a one string consistency. Keep the syrup warm.

I used canola oil(Any veg. oil could be used).Meanwhile, heat the oil(I used canola oil any veg. oil could be used) in a flat shallow bottomed pan(I used the pressure pan). Do not allow the oil to smoke. Make small pedas of the dough. Roll in the palms to a ball and flatten. Make a small depression in the centre.Put into the hot oil one by one. remove the pan from the stove (you can reduce the heat to the minmum, if it can go to a very low temperature). The balushahis will turn on its own when one side is cooked. Bring the pan back to the stove and cook the other side also.When they are golden brown in color and well cooked remove from the oil, drain off the oil and dip in the sugar syrup. Let them soak in the sugar syrup till the next batch is fried. Remove from the sugar syrup and keep it aside. Fry all the balushahis this way and dip in the sugar syrup.

Boil the remaining sugar syrup to two string consistency and pour over the prepared balushahis. Decorate with colored coconut gratings.

Rava Ladoo

This is a Karnataka version of rava ladoo, a little different from the traditional tambram method. Many poeple liked this variation, when I had made it at home. So I tried it again with fantastic results.

Preparation time: 20mnts.

cooking time: 1 to 2 hrs.

Ingredients: 3 cups fine sooji, 3 cups grated copra, 3 cups sugar, 1/2 cup ghee, 1 tbsp. cashewnuts (broken), 1 tbsp. raisins, 1 tsp, cardomom pow., 1/2 cup warm milk, few strands saffron(optional)

30 ladoos.

Method.

Heat 1 tbsp. ghee in a kadai and fry the cashew nuts to a golden brown, remove and keep aside. Fry the raisins in the same ghee and remove and keep aside.

Add the remaining ghee and fry the sooji in a medium temp. until the raw smell disappears and u get a good fragrance.Switch off the heat.. Add the the copra and sugar and keep stirring for 5 mor mnts.Add the cardomom and fried cashews and raisin and saffron dissolved in milk and mix well.Make a small well in the centre and add little warm milk and make into ladoos.(It will be hot to touch , yet the ladoos have to be made when the mixture is hot)


Mohantal

Preparation time:5 mnts.

Cooking time: 45 mnts.

Ingredients: 1cup Besan, 1 cup Ghee, 1/2 cup milk powder(khoya can also be used),1 tbs. cashew nuts broken, 2 cups sugar, cardomom pow. 1 tsp.

Take a thick bottomed kadai(again, I used the pressure cooker) and add the ghee. When the ghee is hot add the cashew pieces. When the cashew turn to golden brown add the besan and fry until the raw smell disappears. Remove from the stove and keep aside.Add the khoya or milk powder and mix well until they are well blended.

Make a two string consistency sugar syrup and add the cardomom pow., and remove from the stove.( The remaining procedure to be done away from the stove). Pour the above mixture into the sugar syrup amd keep stirring until the mixture thickens to the cake consistency. Pour into a greased thali and cut into desired shape..

Jahangir

Preparation time: 1 hr.

Cooking time: 1/2 hr.

Ingredients: 1 cup whole urad dal,1 tbs. raw rice 2 cups sugar,1tbsp. raw rice, food color

makes 30 jahangirs

Method

Soad urad dal and rice for 1/2 hr. Grind adding very little water at a time, just to keep the blades moving(in a wet grinder it is very easy and grinds to perfection).When the urad dal is ground to a very smooth and fluffy and light paste, remove.

Meanwhile make a one string syrup of sugar and water . Add the food color and keep the syrup warm.

Heat oil in a flat bottomed shallow pan and squeeze te urad dal bater thru a jahangir maaker . Fry on both sides and dip in the sugar syrup. Keep the jahangir in the syrup until the next batch is ready.Drain and keep on a plate to cool.