Soya shami Kabab

Surprise your family today! 

Give your family nutritionally richer and deliciously different nutritious soya kabab,100% vegetarian protein rich soya granules healthy,fat free ,almost cholesterol free, easy to digest and most of all...economical.Try it and i am sure you'll love this too.

Ingredients

• 2 cups Soya granules
• 1/2 cup Chanadal/split bengal gram 
• 1 /2 cup Coriander leaves
• 11/2 tsp Turmeric powder
• 10 Garlic cloves
• 4 Green chilies,chopped
• 2 Onion,finely chopped
• 1 tsp Ginger,finely chopped
• 1/4 +1/4 cup Corn flour
• 1/2 tsp Chat masala
• 3 tsp Garam masala powder
• 1 tsp Chilly powder

Cooking Directions

1. Wash soya granules well and drain.
2. Pressure cook soya granules and gram dal in enough water for 15 minutes or take 2 whistle and drain till almost dry.
3. Mix soya,gram dal and half of the chopped,onion,ginger,garlic,green chillies and coriander leaves,salt and the dry masalas ( chilly powder,garam masala powder,turmeric powder and chat masala) and grind it to smooth dough.Do not add any water while grinding.
4. Now transfer this mixture to a bowl and add the remaining chopped onion,green chillies, garlic, ginger and coriander leaves and mix it well.check the salt and knead the mixture using little oil to make smooth dough by mixing 1/4 cup of cornflour.
5. Make 20 even sized balls,shape them flattening on the palm.Dust with cornflour and keep aside on a plate.
6. Heat oil in a pan/tawa and shallow fry 4-5 kebabs at a time till golden brown on both sides
7. Place on serving dish with sliced onion ,tomatoes and lemon wedges and serve hot with green chutney.

Tip: Do not discard the boiled dal water.You can use that water for making gravies or rotis or soups.

Red Flash..mocktail

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Beat the summer with this refreshing rose-beetroot lemonade.this drink is  rejuvenating and this rose drink lends a feeling of coolness and saturates one completely even in the intense heat of summers. It is helpful to the body in many ways. With its constant use, the body gets nourished with the essential protein and vitamins.Rose petals are used to treat internal asthma, high blood pressure, bronchitis, slow circulation, diarrhea,cough, fever and fluid retention, indigestion, insomnia, palpitation, stress and urinary tract infections.They are ingested as a tea to provide a comforting effect and diminish body temperatures during high fevers.The tea also effectively cleanses toxins and heat from the body.

They have a diuretic effect and hence, are beneficial in relieving excessive fluids from the urinary bladder.Rose petals help to get rid of the waste and toxic substances in the body, through the kidneys.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup Fresh,pink rose petals
• 1 tsp Grated beetroot
• 2 tbsp mint leaves
• 1/2 cup Sugar
• 2 Lemons
• 2 cups Crushed ice/cubes
• 1tsp Ginger,grated

Cooking Directions

1. Boil rose petals,grated beetroot,ginger,mint leaves and sugar in 1/2 liter of water till sugar dissolves completely ( approx 15 minutes)on low flame.
2. Let it cool completely.
3. Now strain the syrup and refrigerate for an hour before serving.
4. Just before serving add squeeze lemon juice and mix it well.
5. Take 2 tall glasses/goblet, Add crushed ice and then slowly pour the chilled rose syrup.
6. Serve garnished with cherry

Paneer-veg potlis

Making potli is an art,it takes some practice to get that correct potli/pouch shape. WTry small portions first .Now that summer is here, children as well as parents are looking some interesting snack in the evening .Here is some great idear which will help in making the summer holidays a fun filled ....you can indulge your kids to make some shape of their own or teach them to make these potlis and i am sur love it as much as you do :)

Ingredients

• 1 cup Maida/all purpose flour
• 3/4 cup Semolina/kesari rava
• salt as per taste
• 3-tbs Ghee or oil
• 1 tsp Ajwain/carom seeds
• 1/2 cup Paneer/cottage cheese ( crumbled)
• 1 Onion ( finely chopped)
• 10 Garlic cloves(finely chopped)
• 2 tbsp Green capsicum ( finely chopped)
• 1 tbsp carrot ( grated)
• 2tsp Red chilly powder
• 1/4 tsp Turmeric powder
• 1 Green chilly ( finely chopped)
• 1 tsp Ginger (finely chopped)
• salt as per taste
• 1/2 liter Full cream milk
• 1tsp vinegar

Cooking Directions
For making paneer : 

• Boil milk for 5 mins(Simmer it). then add 1 tsp vinegar, keep stirring , Continue heating till it starts curdling, keep stirring until the whey completely separates. At this stage, switch it off.

 Place a fine sieve over a container and strain the paneer, just wash it twice atleast, in cold water to get rid of the vinegar flavour. Allow the water to drip by itself, do not disturb the setup for an hour till all the whey completely drips.

• After an hour its ready to use.

For preparing the dough:

• Knead together maida,semolina,salt and ajwain with warm water to make stiff dough.

• Then heat some oil or ghee and pour it over the dough and knead it again.

• When the dough absorbs all the ghee or oil,keep it covered for 20 minutes.

For the stuffing:

• In the meantime mix all the ingredients for stuffing,lightly with a spoon or fork and keep it aside.

For making Potli

• Divide the dough into 20 -22 balls.Roll the dough balls into small puris ( 3 inch diameter).

• Place a paneer portion in the centre.Apply a little water on the areas a little away from the edges and Slowly start folding the loose portion into pleats to form a potli shape,Seal by pressing them.
• Make a small string out of the dough & wind the potli & fasten it into a knot.

• Once you are done with all the dough balls,heat oil in a kadai or deep pan and deep fry 3-4 potlis at a time in medium hot oil till golden brown.
• Serve hot with chutney or sauce of your preference.

Have you enjoyed this recipe or photos? Do follow this blog, share it with your friends and help this blog grow. This will motivate me to carry on with my passion. Hope you've enjoyed your time here and thank you for visiting me!!!

Gobi-besan ka cheela

Gobi Besan ka cheela or veg-omelet are sure to satisfy your rumbling appetite and demanding taste buds. A simple and easy pancake recipe with gram flour combined with grated cauliflower onions and chillies and then spread on a pan with little oil..Cheela/veg omelet is quick to cook and very healthy as gram flour/besan is the main ingredient. Also known as Mumbai street food and good for office goers as it is quick and easy to make.Everybody has their own recipe of cheela.Actually i love trying it with different veggies.I got this recipe from one of my Facebook food group.

Ingredients:

1. 2 cups-Gram flour/besan
2. 4 green chillies (Chopped,finely)
3. 1/4 cup-Cauliflower/gobi (grated,finely)
4. 1 onion ( chopped)
5. 1/4 cup Coriander leaves (finely chopped)
6. 1/2tsp Turmeric powder/Haldi
7. Salt to taste
8. Oil for frying

Method:

• Mix gram flour and all the ingredients and add 4-5 cups of water to make the smooth batter like dosa consistency .
• Whisk well to ensure there are no lumps.
• Heat a pan,drizzle a few drops of oil,pour a ladle full of batter into the pan and spread it evenly and thinly using the back of the ladle.Cook cheela on both sides,using a little more oil,till golden brown.
• Serve hot with chutney or sauce.

tips:

1. Add some semolina to  the cheela to make it more crispier.
2. You can add some chopped tomatoes to make it more colourful and tasty.

Have you enjoyed this recipe or photos? Do follow this blog, share it with your friends and help this blog grow. This will motivate me to carry on with my passion. Hope you've enjoyed your time here and thank you for visiting me!!!

Red rice puttu and Kadala curry

Today's treat is Puttu made with store-bought red rice flour. A very healthy and delicious breakfast. I prepared this dish for the 1st time after my marriage. I love it so much so that whenever i visit to my hometown makes different types of puttus specially for me using different ingredients ie semolina puttu or white rice puttus or ragi puttu.But never tried this red rice puttu.

During my growing up years my mom typically made puttu from scratch. This dish is quite popular in South-India. I love to have it with coconut, little sugar sprinkled, and banana. DH loves to accompany it with kadala curry. You can find the recipe for kadala curry here. Puttu is a breakfast dish of steamed cylinders of ground rice layered with coconut eaten usually with papadum, plantain, fish curry, jackfruit, mango, chicken curry and kadala curry. It is highly popular in the Indian states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu as well as in many areas of Sri Lanka, where it is also known as pittu. Puttu is made by slowly adding water to ground rice until the correct texture is achieved. It is then spiced, formed and steamed with layers of grated coconut and served hot for breakfast. Puttu is generally cooked in a metal puttu kutti vessel with two sections. The lower section holds water and the upper section holds the puttu � where the rice mixture is inserted with layers of grated coconut. Perforated lids separate the sections to allow the steam to pass between them. The best point to taste puttu is any of the tea shops in the villages of Kerala where it is served hot along with spicy kadala

Ingredients:
For puttu

• 2 cups Red rice puttu flour
• 1/2tsp Salt
• 1/2 cup Freshly grated coconut
• 2tbsp Sugar
• Water as required (approx 2/3 cup)

For kadala curry:

• 1 cup Black Chick Peas/Kadala (soaked overnight in water) -
• 2 large Onion (sliced)
• 4-5 Garlic cloves
• 1 inch Ginger
• 3 Tomatoes
• 11/2 cup Coconut
• 1 tsp Coriander powder
• 1/2 tsp Jeera/cumin powder
• 1 tsp Fennel seed/saunf
• 3 tsp Red chilly powder
• 1/4 tsp Turmeric powder/haldi
• 1 tsp Sambar or garam masala powder
• 3 Green chillies
• 1/2 tsp Mustard seeds
• 2 spring Curry leaves
• Salt as per taste
• 2 tsp Coconut or any veg oil

Cooking Directions

1. Mix shredded coconut with sugar and keep aside.
2. Take red rice flour in a wide bowl, mix it with salt,you can add little more if you want.
3. Sprinkle Hot water little by little on red rice flour and mix it well (do not use spoon for mixing, use your hand to sprinkle water and mixing) gently mix it continuously until the flour becomes moist. It should be a bread crumb consistency and not form a dough. (you can make a ball shape with the mixed flour but when u broke the ball , it should be able to crumble back again..thats the perfect consistency)
4. Once you finished mixing,keep aside at least an hour covered
5. Puttu is generally cooked in a metal puttu kutti vessel with two sections. The lower section holds water and the upper section holds the puttu where the rice mixture is inserted with layers of grated coconut. Perforated lids separate the sections to allow the steam to pass between them.
6. A number of alternative cooking vessels are used, such as traditional vessels where a perforated coconut shell is attached to a section of bamboo, or a chiratta puttu made of a coconut shell or of metal shaped similarly to a coconut shell.
7. But today i am here with one more interesting puttu maker.I have used my chakli maker and one small chembu/pot underneath to hold the water.
8. Fill the pot (the broader vessel) with 11/2 cups of water. Close the top with the given lid that has the nozzle.Start heating it.
9. Now take the cylindrical puttu maker/ puttu kuzhal ,grease it lightly with some coconut oil(to fill the processed rice flour) and Place the round perforated disc with holes inside the puttu mould such that it fits well at the bottom of the mould. Place 2 tbsps of grated coconut at the bottom of the puttu mould. Carefully and slowly pour about 6 tbsps of the puttu powder from a height followed by another layer of 2 tbsps of grated coconut. Again layer with 6 tbsps of puttu powder and finish off with 2 tbps of grated coconut on the top. Place the lid over the puttu mould annd place the mould over the water vessel.If you are using idli maker then spread the moist rice flour in the idli pan and spread some grated coconut.Cover it with a lid and cook until we see steam out of the top of puttu maker or idli steamer.
10. Then continue heating for 5 minutes and switch off.
11. Turn off heat and wait for 2 to 3 mts before removing the puttu from the mould with the help of a wooden ladle or spoon. Hold the puttu mould parallel to the serving plate and with the help of a long ladle gently push the bottom disc such that the puttu slides onto the plate. Serve warm with Kadala curry or banana and pappadam.

Kadala/chickpea curry:

1. Soak Chick Peas overnight in water. Cook it in pressure cooker adding enough water and salt.
2. First Grind half of the onions,ginger and garlic to paste and keep aside.
3. Now Grind coconut and fennel seeds to smooth paste using a cup of water.
4. Heat little oil in a pan and ground onion paste and saute until brown colour.
5. Now add chopped tomatoes into the onion paste and cook till soft and mushy. Add all the spice powder ,half of the curry leaves, half of the sliced onions and sliced green chilies cook for 5 minutes.
6. Add cooked chick peas along with water into the pan. Mix well and allow it to boil for 5 minutes.
7. Add the ground paste into the curry & mix well. Simmer it for 2-3 minutes.
8. Now prepare the tempering by heating 2tsp of coconut /any veg oil in a small pan add mustard,let it splutter,then add curry leaves and switch off the gas and pour this over the curry.
9. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with puttu.

Tip for Kadala curry:

• if you want the nice nutty flavour then Heat little oil in a pan and fry grated coconut till golden brown and then ground it to paste along with fennel seeds.

Tips for Puttu:

1. If you are making puttu using chakli maker then choose exact fitting pot so that the steam doesn't escape from the bottom while boiling or secure it with a thin cloth at the bottom to make sure the steam passes through inside the cylinder/chakli maker. 
2. You can add little of ghee to get softer puttu.
3. The right consistency of puttu powder is achieved when you take the prepared flour in your fist and close it to form shape. Leave aside this prepared rice mixture for an hour or two at room temperature. When the mixture sits, water is absorbed. After sitting time of 1 or 2 hours, if you find that the mixture is slightly dry, add a little more water and mix.
4. Once the puttu is steamed, remove the mould and leave it aside for 3-5 minutes and then gently push the finished puttu onto a plate.
5. Store bought puttu podi/powder can be used right away.
6. If using any other rice flour then you need to roast it on low flame for 5-7 minutes before using it.
7. Rice flour can be prepared at home. Soak rice for 1-2 hours, drain the water and dry the rice on a cloth. Once dry, grind to a powder. Roast this rice flour on low flame for 4-5 minutes or till you get the nice roasted aroma and moisture free and slips off the ladle. Spread this powder on a plate and leave aside for a few minutes before using.Prepare this flour in advance and store it in an airtight container and refrigerate for a month.

Have you enjoyed this recipe or photos? Do follow this blog, share it with your friends and help this blog grow. This will motivate me to carry on with my passion. Hope you've enjoyed your time here and thank you for visiting me!!!

Piyava vodi/ onion sandige

Here comes summer and most of the ladies started making this wonderful sun dried  rice fryums/vodi for rainy season. it also brings memories of my childhood, helping my amma , aunts and neighbors to make these delicious vodi/sandige and pappad . it was so much fun. Now i take my kids help and they too enjoy this a lot.

Ingredients

• 2 cups rice Rice ( 200 ml cup)
• 20 Dried whole red chillies
• 2.6 litters Hot Water
• 3-4 Onion,chopped finely
• 4-5 level tsp salt or as per taste

Cooking Directions

• Soak rice for about 12 hours in 6 cups of water

• Drain water and Grind rice and chilies to smooth paste adding 4-5 cups of water.

• Meanwhile boil 2.6 liters of water and keep aside.

• Take a big kadai or deep vessel or heavy bottomed sauce pan and add rice batter and half of the boiling water and mix it well and cook on medium flame ,keep stirring all the time to avoid any lumps.
• After 5 minutes add some more water to the boiling rice mixture and stir  to make smooth paste. once the paste is slightly thick add the remaining water and Cook it well.
• Keep stirring till it starts bubbling. Once its started bubbling cook further for 5 minutes.The whole procedure takes about 20 minutes.

• The batter should be like idli batter and not too thick as it will become thick once you keep it overnight and so switch off the gas once it comes to desired consistency .

• Now add chopped onions and mix it well.

• Cover and keep it over night.If you are making this same day then let it cool completely

For spreading vodi/sandige :

• Spread one big plastic sheet in the balcony where you get direct sun light till evening or terrace .
• Now start dropping the mixture with a spoon or with the fingers into small lumps as shown in the above picture.

• Dry vodi in the sun for a day,at least 7-8 hours and bring it inside around 6 in the evening.
• Next day turn over all the vodis and dry it again for 2 more days till it becomes completely dry and crisp.
• Store in an air tight container,When required deep fry in hot oil and enjoy.

Note:

1. Tip: 1 Be careful when you are adding salt as it shrinks 1/2 the size when it dries.So add little less salt than normal.
2. 2 its better to make the mixture night itself to save your time and energy so that you can start spreading this as early as possible in the morning.
   
   
   

Tomatoes stuffed with yam and bell peppers

These stuffed tomatoes are simple,fresh and on the table in a flash. You can use stuffing of your choice or can make this stuffing in advance and refrigerate.Just take it out from the fridge and stuff this in tomatoes and microwave for 3 minutes and its done.

Ingredients

For the main dish:

• 6-7 Tomatoes ( should be firm)

For the stuffing:

• 1 cup Yam (peeled & cubed)
• 2tbsp Capsicum ( red and yellow)
• 2-3 Spring onion ( chopped,finely )
• 1tsp Ginger ( chopped)
• 1tsp Garlic (chopped)
• 1/2tsp Red chilly powder
• Salt as per taste
• 3tsp Oil
• 1tbsp Coriander leaves ( chopped)
• 1tsp Lemon juice

For the spice powder:

• 1/2tsp Coriander
• 1/4tsp Fennel seeds/saunf
• 1/4 tsp Jeera/cumin
• a pinch of Asafoetida
• a pinch of haldi
• 1 Bayleaf

Cooking Directions
Spice powder:

• Dry Roast,coriander seeds, fennel seeds, jeera/ cumin seeds and bay leaf till you get nice aroma. Once you are done with the roasting add turmeric and a pinch of asafoetida and grind it to coarse powder.

Yam and capsicum Stuffing:

• Pressured cook yam with salt and a cup of water, till soft and cooked well or take 3 whistle.
• Once the yam is cooked well,cool it and mash it and keep aside.
• Heat oil in pan add ginger garlic chopped and saute for couple of seconds.
• Now add chopped capsicum and spring onion and saute for a minute,till crisp.
• Add mashed yam and roasted spice powder and stir it well.Add little salt and some chopped coriander leaves.
• Squeeze 1/2tsp lemon juice and switch off the gas and our filling is ready

For the main dish:

• Scoop all the pulp from the tomatoes and stuff it with this yam mixture.
• Arrange all the stuffed tomatoes in a microwave safe bowl and microwave medium for 3 minutes.
• Serve hot as an appetizer or as a side dish.

Variation: You can Replace  yam with boiled potatoes and prepare same dish with potato and capsicum stuffing.

Spicy Baby corn stir fry

Spice up your spring/ summer with spicy n tangy corn delight.Its simply irresistible ! This is Tarla dalal's recipe with my simple twist. Its easy and quick to make.

Ingredients:
For the marinade

• 15 baby corn,sliced length wise
• 2 tomatoes chopped
• 4tbsp Corn flour
• 1tbsp Ginger-garlic paste
• 2tsp Red chilly powder
• 2tbsp Sesame oil/sunflower oil
• salt to taste

For the main dish:

• 10 shallots/spring onions (cut into half)
• 2 Capsicum ( cut into square pieces)
• 2tbsp Tomato chilly sauce
• 1tsp Dark soy sauce
• 1/2tsp MSG/ajjinomotto ( optional)
• 1tsp Ginger ( chopped)
• 1tsp garlic cloves , finely chopped
• 1tsp Pepper powder
• 2 Green chilly (slit)
• 1tsp oil

Cooking Directions

• Mix together the sliced baby corn,chopped tomatoes,cornflour,1tbsp ginger-garlic paste,red chilly powder and salt.
• Marinate for 15 minutes.

• Heat 2tbsp oil in a pan and fry marinated baby corn till it cooks or until it changes its colour and well fried.Keep aside.

• Now heat one more pan,add a tsp of oil add onions,chillies,chopped ginger and garlic and the sliced capsicum.
• Stir fry over high heat for a few seconds.
• Add the Tomato chilly sauce,soy sauce,MSG, and salt .
• Then add the fried corn mixture and stir on high flame for 2-3 minutes or until the sauce coats the baby corn evenly.

• Remove from the heat,sprinkle some pepper and serve hot with plain rice or Chinese noodles.

Note: You can replace spring onions/shallots with normal onions.Just make chop inot big chunks and use.
Tip:  when you are making stir fries its better to use Non-stick pans for better result as it requires less oil and makes the dish tasty and healthy too.
 If you like this post then please leave your valuable comments.. or if you have any doubt or query then feel free to ask me.Now  I am posting daily easy to do recipes. So please keep visiting the blog regularly....

Thanks Again on visiting the site.

Phirni

Phirni is a popular dessert eaten among the Muslim community of North India and also in Pakistan, Iran, and Afghanistan. Today, restaurants offer phirni in a wide range of flavours including apricot, mango, fig, walnut,apple and custard apple. This is simple rice pudding made by boiling rice paste with milk and sugar, and flavoured with cardamom, saffron, cashew nuts, pistachios or almonds. It is typically served during a meal or also consumed alone as a dessert.

Prep time: 20-25 mins
Cook time: 15-20 minutes

Ingredients

• 1/2cup Basmati rice
• 1 litre Full fat milk
• 10-12 saffron strands
• 1/2-3/4 cup Sugar or to taste
• 10 to 12 Pistachios(pista) - (finely chopped)
• 3 to 4 Elaichi(cardamon) - (peel and crush finely)
• 10 to 12 Cashew nuts - (cut into small pieces)

Cooking Directions

1. Clean rice, wash and soak in water for 30 minutes. strain rice and grind it to a li thick,coarse paste using little milk.
2. Heat milk remaining milk in a heavy based pan. Once the milk comes to boil put the rice paste in it and cook till this mixture comes to boil again(stir continuously)on a low flame t till Phirni becomes thick and rice gets cooked well.Keep stirring all the time to avoid burning.
3. Add sugar, cashew nut pieces and mix.
4. Cook Phirni till sugar dissolves completely.
5. Phirni is ready,now add saffron strands and turn off the gas.
6. Put Elaichi powder and mix well.
7. Take out Phirni in a bowl and garnish with chopped pistachios or pour Phirni in individual bowls and garnish with chopped pistachios and keep it in the fridge to cool.
8. Serve chilled.