ADRAK(Ginger) KI CHUTNEY

Ginger has a peppery flavour, with a sweet hint of lemon, and the aroma is pungent and sharp. It's also available ground, which is particularly good for pickles and chutneys.This is available all year round.Always choose unblemished and avoid wrinkled roots, as they're likely to be tough and fibrous. If possible, avoid any that are very knobbly, as they'll be hard to peel. Roots should also feel heavy for their size.Next time you are savouring a creamy cup of Indian chai tea, here's something to ponder: The characteristic spicy flavour is also what makes chai outrageously healthy. Masala chai with lots of ginger and should be enjoyed often. What better way than in a delicious, warming brew? 

 Once again i am here with ginger chutney slightly different from my earlier post .I got this recipe from FB food group and it is as good as my Allam pachadi(ginger chutney) Andhra style.

Ingredients :-

• 50 gms fresh ginger ( Chopped).
• 1 tbsp oil.
• 1 small lemon size of tamarind ( soaked in 1/2 cup warm water ).
• 1 tsp jaggery.
• 1 tsp cumin seeds.
• 1/2 tsp garlic (chopped).
• 1 tsp mustard seeds.
• 5 curry leaves.
• 6-7 Whole kashmiri Red Chillies.
• A pinch of asafoetida.
• Salt to taste.

Method :-

1. Fry ginger in hot oil for 3 minutes on low flame and remove from oil. 
2. Soak tamarind in warm water for 10 minutes,then squeeze out tamarind pulp and keep aside.
3. In the same oil, fry cumin and garlic, mustard seeds, curry leaves and red chilly till mustard seeds splutter. Add asafoetida and salt. 
4. First grind fried ginger,jaggery and tamarind pulp to smooth paste.
5. Now add the roasted cumin and other ingredients to the same paste and grind to coarsely and its ready to serve.

Cholar Dal

  

Cholar dal, a popular bengali dish served during the festive season along with luchi ( puri).This is simple dal cooked with some aromatic whole spices till soft and mushy and usually served with fried coconut pieces.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2cups Split Bengal gram /chana dal
• 2tbsp Ghee
• 1tbsp Mustard oil
• 2tbsp Coconut ( small 1/4 inch thin slices)
• 2 Whole dried red chillies
• 1 Bayleaf
• 3 Cloves
• 1/4tsp mustard
• 1 Cinnamon stick
• 2 Green cardamom
• 1/2tsp Cumin/jeera
• 3 Green chillies( finely chopped )
• 1/2tsp Turmeric
• 1tsp Ginger ( crushed)
• 1tsp Red chilly powder
• 2tsp Jaggery

Cooking Directions

1. Soak Bengal gram for 30 minutes.
2. In a pan,heat 1tbsp Ghee for about 1 minute.Add coconut pieces and fry till light brown.Remove and keep aside.
3. Heat oil in a cooker add mustard (optional) red chillies ,bay leaf,cloves,cinnamon,cardamom and cumin seeds.Stir for a few seconds.
4. Add fried coconut pieces and all the other ingredients except water and remaining 1tbsp ghee.
5. Stir and fry for about 2 minutes.Add Water and stir once.Close cooker and cook till done or take 3-4 whistle.
6. Allow the cooker to cool naturally .Open the cooker,pour the remaining 1tbsp ghee evenly over dal. Garnish with coriander leaves .This dal is specially relished with hot Luchi/Maida puries an authentic bengali dish

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Spicy ragi/finger millet puri

Ok! So are you looking for a quick Sunday breakfast or evening snack recipe, this Sunday Morning Hot spicy puri is a great choice to make! A healthy ragi flour and wheat flour with the spicy masala which makes a perfect treat in itself !Give it a try and I bet you will love indulging in!

Ingredients

• 2 cups Ragi /finger millet flour
• 1 cup Wheat flour
• 2tsp Red chilly powder
• 1tsp  Cumin/jeera
• 1tsp Sugar
• 2 Green chillies
• 1 spring Curry leaves

Cooking Directions

1. Grind,green chillies,red chilly powder,cumin,curry leaves,sugar and salt to coarse paste.
2. Take a bowl add both the flour along with ground paste and prepare a soft but firm dough using little water.Knead it well and let it rest for 15 minutes,covered with a damp cloth or cling film.
3. Divide the dough into 20 balls and roll each puri into 3-4 inch big, thick puries.
4. Heat oil in a kadai and fry over a medium flame to a light brown,turning over twice.

Serve hot with pickles or chutneys of your choice or you can have it plain with a hot cup of tea or coffee as a evening snack.

Eggless "ORANGE CAKE" with butter cream icing

I got this recipe from a really really cool Face book friend of mine.The recipe was easy and simple....So i decided to give it a try ....Hope to steal some more of her recipes in the future! and if i do, and they are even half as good as her i'll be sure to share them with you ;)

Ingredients

• 1 and 1/4 cup Maida/all purpose flour
• 1 1/2tsp Baking powder
• 3/4tsp Baking soda
• 100 grams Butter @ room temperature
• 1/2 cup Butter milk
• 6 tbsp Orange squash
• 3/4 cup Sugar,powdered
• 1/2tsp Salt
• 1tbsp Orange zest

Cooking Directions

1. preheat oven 180 degrees.
2. Sieve flour,baking soda,baking power ,salt all together 2 to 3 times.
3. Keep aside.
4. Mix butter and sugar, beat well till light and smooth.
5. Add orange squash,zest to the butter and sugar mixture,beat it well.
6. Now add flour spoon by spoon, mixing into the butter mixture and altenately
7. add butter milk as required if the butter begins to get too stiff. Stir the mixture in one direction only all the while. This will incorporate more air and make the cake lighter.
8. Once all the flour is used up pour into a greased cake tin. Place tin inside the oven and Bake at 180 degrees for 25-30 minutes.
9. Poke with a skewer and check after 20 minutes for the donness .
10. Cool a little then invert on wire rack. Cool completely before doing icing if any. Or serve warm with tea.

Orange Buttercream icing:

• 1/4 cup butter, very soft
• 1 cup icing sugar
• 1/4tsp orange-red food color
• 1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest
• 1/2tsp orange crush

method:

1. Place the butter in a large mixing bowl. Add 1/2 the sugar, then orange colour, crush and the zest. Beat until smooth and creamy.
2. Gradually add the remaining sugar, little at a time, until icing is thick enough to be of good spreading consistency . Use and store at room temperature. (Don't refrigerate and it will last in a covered container for about couple of days.)

Assembling:

• Spread the orange icing all over top and sides( if you wish). Smoothen out with a knife dipped in hot water.
• Decorate as per you choice and chilly for 15-20 minutes before serving.

Healthy salad

Matar Raitha/peas salad
When i was a kid my mom used to make special yoghurt dressing salad with cucumber ,tomato and onion and me and my brothers used to enjoy it a lot.Somehow home made salad dressing just tastes better to me.What i like is the rich creamy tangy yoghurt dressing and the nice flavour of fried garlic with a hint of sweetness which comes from the fresh green peas that i have used as a main ingredient.All together its yummy ,tangy and creamy yoghurt dip which goes well with almost anything....

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup Peas(shelled )
• 1 cup Curd ( thick)
• 5-6 Garlic cloves( sliced)
• 2 Green chillies ( chopped)
• 2tsp Coriander leaves ( roughly chopped)
• 1tsp Pudina/Mint leaves
• 1-2 whole red chillies 
• 1tsp Oil

Cooking Directions

1. Blanch peas in boiling water for 5 minutes and strain.
2. Heat oil in a pan add sliced garlic and sauté for a few seconds,then add peas and both the chillies and saute again for 2 minutes.
3. Add salt to taste and mix it well,
4. Lastly add both chopped pudina /mint leaves and coriander leaves and saute for a second and switch off the gas.
5. Mix peas mixture with curd and some pepper and serve with any type of pulao or parata

Pulikoddel

Pulikoddel is a typical GSB konkani dish served in temples and marriages,its Delicious. All the flavours work perfectly together and  there's a nice hint of jaggery and tamarind and the nuttiness of coconut and sesame is absolutely amazing !

Ingredients

• 1/2 kg / 4-5 cups Ashgourd cubes (11/2 inch)

ashgourd pieces

For the masala paste

malasala ingredients

• 2 cups freshly grated coconut
• 1tbsp Coriander seeds
• 2tsp Black thil/sesame seeds
• 2tsp Chana dal/ split bengal gram
• 7-8 Dreid Whole Guntur chillies/hot chillies
• 6-7 Pepper corns
• 6-7 Methi seeds
• 1tsp Rice
• 1/4tsp Turmeric powder
• 1 Marble sized ball of tamarind
• 2tsp Jaggery
• 1/2tsp Mustard
• 1spring Curry leaves
• 1tbsp Coconut oil

Cooking Directions

1. Pressure cook or boil ashgourd pieces in 2 cups of water till soft but not mushy.
2. Wash rice and thil separably and dry .
3. Now fry all the masala ingredients separately with a little oil to a light brown.
4. Be careful while frying grated coconut as it should be roasted on low flame,stirring all the time to get that nice golden brown colour.
5. Once you are done with your roasting, grind all the roasted ingredients together with tamarind and little water to slightly coarse paste ( not too coarse),do not add too much of water,the paste should be thick.
6. Once the ash gourd pieces are boiled and cooked well,add salt and jaggery and bring it to a boil,then add the ground masala paste and boil again till the gravy thickens.
7. Now prepare the tempering.Heat remaining coconut oil in a small pan,add mustard and let it crackle,followed by curry leaves and pour over the gravy and serve hot with rice.

Variation: You can prepare this pulikoddel with cucumber/Madras cucumber or bottle gourd

Ashgourd curry

Palak Chawal /spinach rice

Prep & Cooking: 40 mts
Serves 4-5 persons
.
Ingredients:

1. 3 cups long grained rice
2. 1 cup Peas (blanch for 5 minutes and strain)
3. 2 large onion, finely sliced
4. 1tbsp oil + 2 tbsp ghee or butter
5. 1tbsp ginger garlic paste
6. whole garam masala (4 cloves, 1″ cinnamon, 4 cardamom, 1 star anise)
7. 1/2 cup curd/yoghurt 
8. salt to taste

For green Masala (do not make a smooth paste should be coarse)

1. 1 1/2 tbsp chopped coriander leaves
2. 1 tbsp  chopped mint/pudina leaves
3. 6-8 green chillies
4. 2 large bunches of spinach, wash thoroughly, blanch for 3 minutes and strain 

Method:

• Coarsely grind the green masala paste ingredients and keep aside.
•  Heat oil+ghee in a cooking vessel, add whole spices and saute for a few seconds. Add the sliced onions saute till light brown.Now add blanched peas and saute for 5 minutes
•  Add the ginger garlic paste and saute further for 5 mts. Add the green masala- spinach paste and cook further for another 8-10 minutes. Add yoghurt and combine and allow to cook for a minute, stirring constantly.
• Add the washed rice and saute for 2 minutes  Add 51/2 cups of hot water and salt and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover with lid and cook till rice is done.

Serve hot with Green Peas salad or any other salad of your choice.

Green peas salad

Orange kesari bhath /orange semolina pudding

My husband and kids just cannot resist eating desserts especially during festive season and our family favourite dessert is semolina pudding /rava kesari/kesari bath/Sheera but this time with an Orangy twist. Kesari bath/sheera is one of the basic Indian desserts, made in every indian home,but the name varies from region to region,in northern india they call it halwa and in south kesari Bhath,rava kesari or sheera. This is a real kid pleaser dessert that they can join in and help make or decorate. I love making kesari bath as I can get as innovative as I can with the flavours. Do try this easy,fool proof recipe this festive season !

Prep time: 5 mins

Cook time: 25 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 cup kesari rava/fine semolina
• 2 cups Fresh Orange juice
• 1 cup Sugar
• 11/4 cup Ghee/clarified butter
• 4-5 Cloves/lavang
• 2 pieces of Cinnamon/dalchini

Cooking Directions

1. Roast kesari rava,cloves and cinnamon with a cup of ghee on slow fire,until the grains are separated and changes to light brown colour.
2. In the meantime boil orange juice in a bowl or sauce pan.
3. Once the roasting is done slowly add the orange juice and keep stirring till the rava absorbs all the juices and cooks well.
4. Add sugar and continuously stir till all the sugar dissolves completely and no lumps are formed
5. Now add the remaining ghee little at a time and keep stirring till the mixture leaves the sides of the pan. Put on a greased plate and cut into desired shape.
6. Garnish with roasted nuts of your choice.

For orange cups:

• Slice top off the navel orange. Run a knife around its interior to hollow it out. Scoop out the orange segments and prepare juice for the pudding. Carve pumpkin face on one side of the orange. Repeat for other oranges. Use a paper towel to gently soak up any remaining juice inside the oranges and its ready..Just fill these cups with the pudding and serve.

Crispy Bitter-gourd salad

bitter gourd is one of the more notable vegetables in Asian cooking  and we GSB konkani's have several recipes from curries to crispy fries,i  just love them all.This salad is easy and quick to make

Ingredients

• 2 medium sized Bitter-gourd
• 2 Onion ( chopped)
• 1 fresh green or red chilly ( finely chopped)
• 1/2tsp Lemon juice

Cooking Directions

1. Finely chop bitter gourd and apply salt and keep for at least 30 minutes.
2. After 30 minutes squeeze all the water from the gourd and deep fry till golden brown or until crisp.
3. Just before serving mix some chopped onion,chillies and salt,mix it lightly with a spoon and squeeze 1/2 tsp lemon juice and garnish with some tomato slices

Variation: Add some freshly grated coconut to give some nutty flavour to this dish.

North Karnataka Style "Godhi huggi"

Godhi huggi is one of the popular dessert of north karnataka. Festivals and marriages are incomplete without this wheat porridge or huggi.This is prepared from special type of  wheat which is  easily available in the local market.This wheat cooks faster than our usual wheat.But you can prepare this with normal wheat also but have to cook more.This dish is a must in sankranti along with some other sweets in Belgaum and some parts of North karnataka region.

Ingredients

• 200 grams Special huggi wheat or plain wheat
• 400 grams Jaggery
• 1/2 cup Dry copra ( sliced)
• 1 heaped table spoon Khus khus/Poppy seed
• 1/2 Nutmeg/jaiphal ( powdered)
• 5-6 Cardamom (powdered)
• 15 Cashew nut ( break into pieces)
• 2tbsp Raisins

Cooking Directions

1. Soak wheat for 3 hours in 6 cups of water.
2. Then cook in pressure cook for 30 minutes along with 1/2 of the Khus khus ,Nutmeg,cinnamon,cardamom and dry copra pieces.Use half of the spices later When the dish is almost done.
3. Once the wheat is cooked, blend it to coarse paste or use hand blender.
4. Now transfer this to a heavy bottomed sauce pan add some water to adjust the consistency.
5. Now add jaggery pieces and keep stirring till the jaggery completely melts and the dish becomes thick and mushy consistency .
6. Now add the all the remaining ingredients and stir it well.Cook for 5 minutes and switch off the fire.
7. Serve hot with ghee and milk.
8. variation: you can use Cracked wheat ( porridge wheat ) which is readily available in stores.Just soak this for 30 minutes and take 2 whistle in the cooker and follow the same procedure .

Gurellu chutney ( niger seeds,hucchellu)

Gurellu or hucchellu is a seed resembles black sesame seed.This is used for making chutneys and used in many north karnataka dishes. Gurellu chutney is very popular in every house hold of North karnataka,which is served with Jowar rotti or sajje rotti as a side dish along with curd. Tomorrow is 'sankranti"festival one of the famous festival of Indian.In north karnataka it is in complete without sajje rotti and this gurellu chutney .This chutney is also used to make some mixed vegetable dish specially on this day.

Ingredients

• 100 grams Niger seeds/Gurellu
• 15 Red chillies
• 10 Garlic cloves ,peeled
• 1 spring Curry leaves
• 1 Marble sized tamarind ball
• 1/4tsp Turmeric powder

Cooking Directions

1. Clean and dry roast Gurellu ,curry leaves and 1/2tsp of salt, on low flame for 3-4 minutes or until crisp.Trasfer this to a plate.
2. Now in the same pan add kashmiri chillies roast using 1/2tsp of oil and 1/2tsp of salt,on low flame till crisp and changes to dark red colour.
3. Let them cool completely before grinding to powder.
4. First grind chillies to fine powder.
5. Then add garlic,roasted gurellu,tamarind and turmeric powder and grind into powder.
6. Check seasoning,if required add salt to taste and grind it again.
7. Let it cool completely ,then store it in an air tight container.
8. Your can keep this for a month,if stored in dry place.

Variation : you can use 1tbsp chilly powder in place of whole red chillies.
This chutney is served along with curd and used in various dishes in north Karnataka region.

Amritsari Murg Makhni

My hubby cooked this yummy dish,recently he developed some sort of addiction for food and he really started cooking some authentic indian dishes.He had learnt  some cooking way back when he was a bachelor ,he had  prepared some dal and rice and so chicken.But in the past few months he decided to learn more about cooking  and now he is an expert at it.As a matter of fact,he has gotten so territorial about the kitchen now,that he says he would rather be in charge of doing most of the cooking :)

Ingredients

• 1 kg Chicken ( cut into medium size pieces)

For the marinade paste

• 1tbsp Garlic paste
• 1tbsp Ginger paste
• 1 /2cup Curd
• 1tbsp Lemon juice
• 3tsp Vinegar
• 1tbsp Roasted Coriander Powder
• 2tsp Roasted cumin powder
• 3 Onion ( chopped)
• 1tbsp Kashmiri red chilly powder

For the gravy

• 7 Tomatoes
• 1tbsp butter
• 1tbsp Kashmiri red chilly powder
• 2tsp Ginger ( finely chopped)
• 5 tbsp Fresh cream
• 2tsp Garam masala powder
• 1tsp Sugar
• Salt to taste
• 2 ( 1") pieces Cinnamon
• 5-6 cloves
• 2 Cardamom
• 2 Green chillies,chopped 

Cooking Directions

• Blend tomatoes to puree.

• Marinate chicken with marinade paste*,for 2-3 hours.

• Heat butter in a pan or tava and add marinated chicken and fry on high flame for 10 minutes.

• Now turn all the pieces and fry on other side until cooked on both the sides

• Now take all the pieces in a bowl and keep aside.

• In a sauce pan heat butter,add cardamom,cinnamon and cloves and saute for a second on low flame

• Now add chilly powder,garam masla powder ginger and chopped green chillies fry for couple of seconds.

• Add tomato puree and mix it well.

• Now add fried chicken, fresh cream and sugar .You can add a cup of water if you want little gravy . Check for seasoning and cover it with a lid and cook on low flame till oil comes on top or at least 20-25 mins on low flame.

Serve hot with dollop of butter.Goes well with roti and naan.