Shankarpali/ Sweet tukdi

 

 Diwali festival in Maharashtra and some parts of karnataka is incomplete without crunchy chakli, karanji and cute diamond shaped Shankarpali. shankarpali is a very addictive snack that is made during Diwali.You forget everything when these crunchy and crispy cute diamond shaped deep fried biscuits melts in your mouth.I makes this usually 2-3 days before Diwali,specially on my kids demand. It's a simple snack made using Maida, rava, and powdered sugar.

Ingredients:

1. 2 cups maida
2. 1/2 cup Rava/semolina
3. 1/4 cup Ghee,melted
4. 1/2 cup Sugar,powdered
5. 1tsp Salt
6. 1/2 cup milk 
7. Oil for frying

Method:

• Mix ghee and sugar in a wide plate or bowl with the hands. nicely rub it with the hand till the sugar completely melts with the ghee.
• Now add maida and rava and salt, nicely mix it, add little milk at a time and knead thefirm dough. If the consistency is too wet add little more maida. Then cover it with a wet cloth for about an hour.

 

• After the resting time, divide the dough into equal parts of six. Take one part and roll into a circular shape of 7 to 8 centimeter, similar to a chappati.
•  Using a knife or serrated cutting wheel or pizza cutter, cut the rolled out dough into strips and then again cut diagonally into strips to get square or diamond shapes.

 

• I gave it a diamond shape. Separate the cut pieces spread them on a paper, roll out few more rounds and cut them in similar fashion. 

 

• Heat oil in a frying pan and when the oil is hot enough for frying, fry the shankarpali pieces in batches. To test - you may drop a small bit of dough into the oil, if it rises up immediately to the surface, then the oil is ready for frying. Fry over low heat so that your shankarpali cook without burning.
• Fry evenly until they turn brown and crisp and the oil stops sizzling.
• Remove with slotted, long-handled spoon, draining the oil as you do. Put them into absorbent kitchen napkins. Prepare more shankarpali with the remaining dough. Store in a steel boxes or any air-tight jars. Stays fresh up to a month. Actually you can enjoy the shankarpalis any time of year, instead of waiting to prepare these only during Diwali.
  
  

Boondi laddu/ ladoo

 

This festive season, try your hands at the very popular Indian sweet "Boondi ladoo" and bring a variety in your sweet-meat list.  I am sure your guests too will love this homemade ladoos.

So, how do you go about making the ladoos? It is not wrong to say that the method is a bit tricky and requires some level of expertise in cooking.However, with a little bit of practice, you will definitely get it. After all, practice does make one perfect.

Let us get the ingredients together and then move on to the method. The ingredients listed here are measured in cups and spoons to help you alter the amount as per your preference. Take a look.

Ingredients:

1. 2 cups Besan (gram flour) 
2. 2 Green cardamom (choti elaichi) , powdered 
3. 3/4 cup water for the syrup
4. 3 tbsp Cashew nuts (kaju),chopped 
5. 2 tbsp Raisins (kishmish) -
6. 1/2 tsp Nutmeg powder
7. 2cups Sugar
8. yellow food colour or turmeric powder
9. a big pinch of kesar
10. Oil for deep frying
11. 2 Tbsp of Ghee

Method

To Prepare The Boondi:

1. Put oil to heat in a frying pan, while the oil heats up prepare the batter.
2 In a deep bowl, add besan and turmeric powder, whisk together. Now pour water bit by bit and mix.
3. The batter should be of pouring consistency but not very runny. You can pour a drop in the oil and check.
4. When the batter is ready, place one perforated ladle over the oil and pour some batter through the ladle. Drops of the batter will fall in the oil and form boondis.

5. Fry just enough to cook the batter. Remove from oil and place in a separate plate.

If the boondis are too big or out of shape then take some boondis at a time and  coarsely grind in a mixer,then add this to the sugar syrup. 

 To Prepare Sugar Syrup:

1. Take sugar in a deep and heavy bottom saucepan, add 3/4th cup water and bring to a boil. Add in kesar.

2. Stir at regular intervals, when the syrup comes to a boil, lower the flame and allow to boil for another 2 to 3 minutes.

3. Take a teaspoon of syrup and allow to cool. To check the consistency, press between one finger and the thumb. When pulled apart, one thread of the syrup should form.

4. If the thread does not form, boil some more and check again. Take care that the syrup does not get too thick. Once prepared, set aside.

  To Prepare laddus:
 

• Add all the boondis to the hot sugar syrup and keep aside for an hour. In this one hour, the sugar syrup will be well absorbed by the boondi.
• Add the dry fruits, nutmeg powder,crushed cardamom and Ghee to the boondi.
• Mix all the ingredients well and begin with making balls.
• Laddus are ready to be served. Have a sweet festival time!

Note: 

• Mixture should be slightly warm to allow the formation of balls.
• Don't make the boondi crispy or golden as it becomes hard and cannot absorb the syrup well
• Give your laddus any size you wish and sit back and admire your skills!

Grape Squash

This easy to make Grape squash beats the socks off commercial grape juices.So this Diwali welcome your guests with some home made grape squash without any preservatives.You just need to add some sugar and a good blender. And off course little lemon juice will lift the taste to make it even more “grape-y.” Although you can use any seedless grapes for this, but here i have used black grapes with seeds which will not only makes a much prettier looking drink but also cost effective for making this squash. 

Ingredients :

1. 1 kg black grapes with seeds
2. 1 kg Sugar
3. 1 liter water
4. 2tbsp Lemon juice

Method:

• Choose well ripen black grapes. Remove stems and wash them thoroughly.
• Fill a large pot 2/3 full with grapes.
• Add water to barely cover the grapes.
• When the water comes to a boil, start mashing the grapes in the pot with a potato masher. Cook 10 minutes. Mash again with potato masher to release juices.
• Let it cool a bit then blend the grapes in a blender until liquefied.
•   Set a fine mesh strainer over a large  bowl, and pour the blended grapes through. Press on the solids until no juice remains.
• Stir in Lemon juice and add sugar and boil again for about 10 minutes till all the sugar dissolves completely. 
• Switch off the flame and allow this squash to come to room temperature.
• Now pour the squash into a sterilized bottle and store in refrigerator :)

To serve:

•  Fill 1/4 of serving glass with the grape squash and remaining by water. Mix up well and serve chill topped with ice cubes. :)

 Tips:

•  To get a pulpy texture to your grape juice, use a large holed sieve to strain the grape extract. I do this since I like my juice to have a pulpy sediment exactly like store brought but without preservative:)

SAGOO,COCONUT AND DATES LADDU

 

  

Sagoo pearls/Sabudana is a very popular Navratri fast especially in the Western part of the country. It is a food you can eat safely when you are fasting for religious purposes. The best part about Sabudana  is that it is very easy to digest and light on your stomach. That is what makes it a perfect recipe for Navratri fasting.

This navrathri i tried this easy and quick to make recipe of sagoo-coconut laddu using jaggery and dates, which is not only healthy but If you have a sweet tooth that gives you craving for that elusive 'something sweet' when you are on a your ritual Navratri fast then this will be your saving grace.

 

Ingredients:

1. 1 cup sagoo/sabudana/tapioca pearls
2. 1 cup grated fresh coconut
3. 1 cup Jaggery
4. 10-12 Dates,seedless
5. 1/4 tsp Cardamom powder 
6. 2tbsp Ghee

Method:

• In a nonstick pan add sagoo and dry roast on low flame till it turns to light brown colour.It will take about 10-12 minutes.
• Heat 1 tbs of ghee in another pan and add grated coconut and saute it for 5 mins on slow flame until the moisture evaporates.
• Now powder the sagoo pearls in mixer grinder to fine powder. Take it out and in the same jar coarsely powder coconut and then coarsely powder dates and keep it aside.
• In a kadai or pan add jaggery, little water and boil it,till it dissolves completely.
• Add the sagoo- coconut powder and cardamom powder to the jaggery syrup and mix well and cook it until the mixture becomes thick.
• Now switch off the flame and transfer it into a plate divide it into a small Dumplings.Apply ghee to hands and give round shape to the dumpling and make laddu.The mixture would be warm when preparing the laddus.On cooling they become firm.
• Now the yummy sagoo,coconut and dates laddus are ready to serve.

Ragi Rotti and Mangalorean style chicken curry/kori gasi/ ghashi

Healthy Ragi rotti with a delectable mangalorean kori gasi/ ghashi .This dish is spiced up with a unique and aromatic roasted spices, the coconut milk  gives a slight sweetness and the slow cooked chicken that just melts in your mouth, is out of this world.  Trust me when I say you will hum in joy once you make and taste this chicken curry.

 

Ingredients For kori gasi/ chicken curry

For the masala paste:

1. 1 tsp coconut oil
2. 3 tsp coriander
3.  6-7 fenugreek seeds
4. 1/2 tsp fennel seeds
5. 8 pieces of pepper corn
6. 1 tsp mustard seeds
7. 2 tsp cumin seeds
8. 10 red chillies
9. 2 cups grated coconut
10. 2 sliced onions
11. 10 cloves of garlic,crushed 
12. 1/2 tsp Turmeric powder

 

For the main dish:

1. 2 Tbsp coconut oil
2. 2 sliced onions
3. 1-2 spring curry leaves
4. 2 chopped tomatoes
5. 800 gm curry-cut chicken
6. Salt to taste
7. 1 marble sized ball of tamarind,soaked in warm water. 
8. 1 cup coconut milk

1.  
   
   
   Method

•  Heat oil in pan. Add coriander seeds, fenugreek seeds, fennel seeds, pepper corn, mustard seeds, cumin seeds and red chillies and dry roast them.
• Now add grated coconut, turmeric powder, onions and garlic.Saute till the onion turn light brown.
• Then add water and grind them together to smooth paste. The masala is ready.
• Heat oil in pan. Add sliced onions, curry leaves and saute the onions till it turns light pink or translucent.
• Then add chopped tomatoes, curry cut chicken, prepared masala paste, salt, tamarind paste and coconut milk. Mix it well.
• Cover the pan and cook for about 20 minutes.Kori ghashi/gasi is ready to eat.

Goan inspired Minced Meat Ball Curry

 

Goan food falls into the rich tradition of the Konkan coast, happily complicated and enriched over the years by two very different invasions: first the colonial Portuguese and then the hippies. For all that, it’s not one blended cuisine: Konkan Hindu and Goan Catholic have their distinct dishes, the former typified by the heavy use of coconut and fish, the latter by vinegar, pork and beef
Today i am here with a special goan style meat ball curry which i learnt from my friend Leena Fernandis who is from goa itself a passionate cook and a lovely human being ...<3

Try this juicy meat balls cooked in a coconut milk based Goan curry and let the magic of Goan food take over...

Ingredients:

For the Meatballs:

1. 1/2 kg Minced meat (mutton or beef or pork)
2. ½ Teaspoon Pepper
3. 2 tsp red chilly paste or powder 
4. 1 Teaspoon Garam masala
5. ½ Teaspoon Turmeric powder
6.  2 Green chillies chopped
7. 1 Teaspoon Ginger Garlic paste
8. ½ Teaspoon/ goan coconut vinegar or white wine Vinegar
9.  3 slices of Bread
10. 1 tablespoon maida
11. 1 egg white

For the Curry paste

1. 5-6 kashmiri red chillies 
2. 1 onion
3.  2 Tomato
4. 1 Tablespoon Ginger Garlic paste
5. ½ Teaspoon Turmeric powder 
6. 1 Teaspoon Coriander seed
7. 1 Teaspoon Cumin
8.  2 sticks  cinnamon
9. 5-6 cloves
10. 5-6 black pepper

for the main curry:

• 1 medium Onion
• 1 fresh green Chilly
• 2 cups Coconut milk
• Pinch Salt
• Fresh Coriander leaves or mint for garnish (optional)

 

Method:

For the minced  meatballs,:

•  Combine all meatball ingredients listed. Use only  egg white because otherwise the texture of the mass turns very wet and that amount is more than enough to make it stick together. Mix the whole content to a smooth paste in a blender. Keep aside and let rest for some time.

 For the masala paste:

• Heat the oil in a pan and add in cinnamon,cloves onion and stir fry until soft and translucent.Then add the diced Tomatoes and stir fry for another 2 minutes until soft, then add the red chilli , ginger garlic paste, turmeric powder, coriander seeds,pepper and cumin. Stir fry for a minute,cool and grind to smooth paste.

For the main curry:

• Heat oil in a pan add onions and fry for couple of minutes till translucent.
• and then add the ground paste and season with Salt. Mix and let simmer covered for 5-7 minutes. 
•  Now add coconut milk,the Curry will have changed into a gorgeous bright orange. Now form your meatballs by pressing and turning them into round balls and place them into the curry. Let cook for 10 minutes and turn the meatballs in the curry so that they get equally cooked. Cover with a lid and simmer for another 3 minutes before removing the curry from the heat.
• Garnish with freshly chopped Coriander (which I left out this time on the pictures).

Shahi Methi-Matar

 

This is a wonderful recipe to impress your guests at a dinner, but that does not mean that you cannot include it in your normal weekend meals.Every region you go has their own interpretation of a popular recipe. Take methi matar malai, for example – depending on where you go, you’ll find several versions, ranging from simple onion or  cashew -based gravy to a rich and exotic Mughlai-style curry made with cashew and cream.

 

 Ingredients

1. 2 cups fresh Green peas
2. 1/2 bunch or 2 cups of fresh fenugreek/ methi leaves washed and drained and chopped finely.
3. 1/4 tsp turmeric (Haldi)
4. 2 tsp kasoori methi (dried fenugreek leaves)
5. 1 tsp Garam Masala
6. 1tsp white pepper powder
7. 1 tsp cumin seeds
8. 1/2 cup fresh cream (malai)
9. 1tsp sugar
10. 1 cup full fat milk
11. Cooking Oil
12. Salt

For the paste:

1. 10 cashewnuts
2. 1 large or 2 small onions – chopped fine
3. 1″ long piece ginger
4. 4 – 5 cloves garlic
5. 4 green cardamom
6. 4 green chilies
7. 2 tsp poppy seeds

Instructions

1. Mix some salt in chopped Fenugreek leaves and keep them aside for 10 minutes.
2. Boil green peas in 4 cups of water till soft and drain.
3. Take onions, green chilies, ginger, garlic, cashewnuts, poppy seeds and green cardamom, grind them all into a fine paste using little water. Consistency of masala should be fine.
4. After 10 minutes, squeeze the excess water out from fenugreek leaves. This helps to reduce the bitterness of fenugreek.
5. Heat 2tsp of ghee in a pan. Add fenugreek leaves and fry for a few minutes.
6. Keep the cooked fenugreek leaves aside. 
7. Same pan add 2 tbsp oil to it. Add cumin seeds, let it splutter. when cumin seeds gets roasted, add white paste, turmeric (Haldi) and salt, cook for 2 minute.
8. After White Masala gets roasted add garam masala, dried fenugreek leaves, sugar, green peas, cooked fenugreek leaves , cream, milk and salt.
9. Mix all the ingredients well and cook them for 6-7minutes.
10. Methi Matar Malai is ready to be served
11. Enjoy this delicious preparation with pooris or rotis.