Idly Dhokla : Breakfast from GUJRAT

In most of the weekends a must breakfast in my house is ‘LUCHI’ but this weekend I was not in a mood to eat LUCHI so I made some easy IDLI DHOKLA with some chutney. My weekend became super perfect, I never prepared DHOKLA at home but DHOKLA is one of my favorite. While preparing I was really nervous but they became so soft and tasty. This DHOKLA is different than other because of the shape but other than the taste is like normal DHOKLA only. I made it in my IDLY STAND so you can call it IDLY DHOKLA.

DHOKLA is a very famous dish of GUJRAT. The basic ingredient is gram flour or besan. Within few minutes you can prepare this for your family. I am really satisfied after my first attempt.

Ingredients:
For Batter:
1.Besan or Gram Flour: 1 ½ cup
2.Half table spoon salt.
3.Three table spoon sugar.
4.Water : ½ cup.
5.Baking Soda: ½ tea spoon.
6.Pinch of turmeric powder.
7.Yogurt: ½ cup.
8.Lemon juice: 1 table spoon.
9.One table spoon oil.
10.ENO fruit salt: 1 tea spoon

For Tempering:
1.Few curry leaves.
2.Few mustard seeds.
3.Two table spoon shredded coconut.
4.Few green chilies.
5.Few coriander leaves.
6.Little oil.

Process:

In a bowl mix the curd and water nicely, now add the gram flour and mix well (no lump should be there), the batter should be thick but not too thick. You can use more water if needed.

Now add the baking soda and mix well, keep it aside for 1 hour and let it rise.
After one hour add the turmeric powder, salt, ENO, sugar, lime juice and mix well.

Now in each idli stand tray spread some oil and add one table spoon of DHOKLA batter on each idly cone.

Now cook this for 10 to 12 mint in medium flame.

In a vessel add some oil, after it become hot add the mustard seeds, curry leaves and green chilies and sauté for 2 mints.

Now take out the DHOKALS from the stand. Garnish the dhokals with the fried curry leaves green chilies and mustard and also sprinkle the shredded coconut and coriander leaves before serve.

Enjoy hot IDLY DHOKLA  with some coriander coconut chutney.

Lagan-Ka-Murg

In daily busy life we always want some easy recipes to cook fast and they need to be tasty also. Sometime for guests we don’t get any early notice but any how we want to cook the best dishes form them. In my place most of my guests want chicken in main course. Some chicken dishes need to be marinated for long. So I always want some easy recipe where we don't need to marinate the chicken pieces but the dish need to be very tasty also. Last night dinner I prepared one very easy chicken curry and you can cook this very fast. The name of this dish is LAGAN-KA-MURG, I learnt the recipe from a cookery show.

The specialty of this dish is just making a mixture of all the ingredients and slow cook the chicken pieces on them. The gravy is creamy and the taste is really royal. Perfect for your guests, and I am sure after having the dish they will plan to visit your place again.

Ingredients:

1.Chicken: 600 gm.

2.One large sliced fried onion.

3.One small tomato paste.

4.Three green chili paste.

5.One tea spoon ginger and garlic paste.

6.Poppy seeds: One 2 tea spoon.

7.Cashew nuts: 6 to 8 pieces.

8.Dry coconut: 1 table spoon.

9.Red chili powder: 1 tea spoon.

10.Kashmiri red chili powder: 1 tea spoon.

11.Garama Masala Powder: ½ tea spoon. One small cinnamon stick.

12.Curd: 2 table spoon.

13.Chopped coriander leaves: a hands full.

14.Chopped mint leaves: around 10 to 12 leaves.

15.Ghee or Sunflower oil : 2 table spoon.

16.Salt and sugar as per taste.

Process:

Wash and clean the chicken pieces, and some salt and keep it aside.

Now dry roast the poppy seeds, cashew nuts and dry coconuts and make a paste with some water.

Now in a large bowl add the cashew coconut poppy seeds paste then add all the ingredients from no 2 to 16 just add one table spoon of ghee or sunflower oil on it. Mix all nicely.

Now rest of the ghee or oil add in a heavy bottomed vessel after it become hot add the cinnamon stick now slowly add the mixture with some water. After it starts boiling add the chicken pieces and cook this in low flame with a lid for 8 to 10 mints.

Now remove the lid and cook for another 10 to 12 mints.

The easy LAGAN-KA-MURG is ready serve hot with NAAN or Plain Roti or any Rice.

Amritti or Imarti

End of Durga Puja and Navaratri is on 10^th day and we celebrate the day as DASHAMI or DASHERA. And this is the day when we all pray to Maa Durga for blessings and a prosperous year till  Maa Durga comes next year. We touch our elder’s feet for seeking blessings. Wish all my friends and followers happy Bijoya Dashami and Dashera.

In this special day we used to make some sweet dishes for Misti mukh and for that I made some AMRITTI or IMARTI though the shapes are not that good but the taste is really good. Hope you all like my recipe.

Ingredients:

1. Split black gram skinless or Biulir Dal : 1 small cup.

2.Any unscented Rice: ¼ cup.

3.Orrange food color: Few drops.

4.Sugar: 3 cup.

5.Water 2 cup.

6.Few saffron strands.

7.Few green cardamom.

8.Few pistachios.

9.Few drop of ghee.

10.Sunflower oil for frying.

Process:

In a heavy bottomed vessel add the sugar water cardamom and make thick sugar syrup when it starts boiling add the saffron strands. The sugar syrup needs to be thick but not make it too thick. Keep the sugar syrup warm.

Now in a bowl soak the rice and dal for 1 hour, now in a blender make a smooth batter with the soaked dal and rice with one cup of water.

Now add the food color and grind it once again. Now pour the batter in a bowl and add the ghee and mix well.

Pour enough oil in a heavy bottomed vessel in very low flame.

Pour the batter in a cup cake designer container as I use or you can use a zip lock bag also and cut a small hole in one corner.

Now press the bag or the container and make one circle first on the oil then make some small small round shape circle on top of that or you can make your Amritt’s as u want.

Fry both the sides in very low flame till it become cruncy, now soak them into the sugar syrup for 4 to 5 mints, and then remove from sugar syrup and garnish the pistachios.

Enjoy your Hot Amritti’s on the specila day with all your friends and family.

Kheerer Naru or Narkel NAru or Coconut Laddu

মহালয়া/MOHALOYA is a very special and auspicious day for all Bengalis and from today NAVARATRI also started so this is a festive season for all of us. In the morning of Mohaloya all men used to go to the ghats of Ganges for praying to their ancestor and after that Debi Pokkho starts. Durga puja is the main festival of Bengal and at the same time central and north India celebrating NAVARATRI which starts right after MOHALOYA and end on the 10^th day which we call DASHAMI or DASHERA.

Sitting far away from home but still I feel like to have all the essence of Durga puja, so I made some authentic KHEERER NARU or MALAI COCONUT LADDU.

Ingredients:

1.One coconut (shredded).

2.Sugar: 5 table spoon.

3.Heavy Milk: one small cup.

4.Condensed Milk: 2 table spoon.

5.Cardamom: 2 freshly crushed.

6.A pinch of Kuppur or Camphor.

Process:

In a heavy bottomed vessel add the shredded coconut and the sugar mixes them in medium flame.

When the sugar melt completely and become little sticky add the crushed cardamom, milk and condensed milk and cook in medium flame for 15 mint and stir continuously

Now add the Kuppur or Camphor and mix well and stir continuously till the mixture become very dry.

Now turn off the flame, rub some water in your palm and strat making Naru or LADDU before it become cold.

Your easy KHEER NARU OR MALAI COCONUT LADDU is ready enjoy you special day with all your family members. Wishing you all a VERY HAPPY AND PROSPEROUS DURGA PUJA.