Ghee Pongal: A dish from Tamilnadu

For my daughter I try to cook something different everyday so that she loves to have food. Like all the other kids she is very choosy about her food. Most of us like to give our kids Rice at least one time of a day like rice dal and curry or some time just a simple rice preparation. My daughter likes rice, so something different with rice is something new to her so she enjoys a lot. One of a very famous Rice preparation of South India especially Tamilnadu is Pongal. A simple rice and dal combo which is flavored with lots of ghee and cashew nuts and served with sambar.  But I love to have pongal alone. PONGAL is Tamilnadu’s harvest festival which is coincided with MAKAR SANKRANTI.

The best part of this dish is the smell of ghee, fried cashew nuts and black pepper which make you hungry. My daughter just loves it so I can say this one is really good for small kids, a very simple and easy recipe for all of you.

Ingredients:
1.Raw Rice: 1 cup.
2.Split Moong Dal: ¼ cup.
3.Water:4 cup.
4.Crushed ginger: ½ tea spoon.
5.Hing or asafetida: a pinch off.
6.Salt and sugar as per taste.
7.Ghee:3 table spoon.

To temper:
1.Cashew nute: 15 to 20 pieces (split).
2.Few curry leaves.
3.Few black pepper corn.
4.Few cumin seeds.

Process:

Dry roast the moong dal first, then wash the dal and rice together.

Now in a cooker add one table spoon of ghee slowly add the crushed ginger and the asafetida and fry for few seconds now add the washed rice and dal.

Now add the water and some salt and sugar and cook in medium flame (around four whistles) and open the cover when all the vapors come out completely.

Now in a small pan add the rest of the ghee, now add the split cashew nuts fry till it become golden, next add the curry leaves, black pepper corn and cumin seeds and fry for some time.

Now add all the temper ingredients along with ghee in the boiled rice and dal and mix well.

The easy and simple PONGAL is ready serve hot with Sambar and enjoY.

Choco Walnut Butter Cookies

It’s winter and it’s time to bake and celebrate the season. I want to celebrate every bit of this winter season. Most of the people from America going to celebrate Thanksgiving tomorrow but here in Canada we celebrate this in October but that time my daughter was not ok so I was not able to make anything special to celebrate this occasion. So I thought to prepare something which can make me feel that it is Thanksgiving here also.

I prepared some simple BUTTER CHOCO WALNUT COOKIES which is a very simple and a perfect treat for us. I don’t know why specially in winter when outside is completely white the baking smell makes the house more perfect. Because of the wind I can’t even open my balcony door. So almost the whole day the house was filled with the smell of the cookies.

Ingredients:
1.All-purpose flour: 1 cup.
2.Butter softened: ½ cup.
3.Grounded sugar: ½ cup.
4.One egg.
5.150 gm choco chip.
6.150 gm chopped walnuts.

Process:

Pre heat the oven in 180C and cover your backing tray with a backing paper.

In a large bowl whisked the butter and sugar first till it become smooth.

Now add the egg and mix nicely.

Now add the flour and mix well.

Now add the chopped walnuts and choco chips and stir to combine.

Now use your hands and make some small balls with the cookies mixture (tablespoonful) .Place the balls in the pre heat tray and make some distance between the cookie balls.

Now bake the cookies in pre heated oven for 15 to 18 mints or till it looks golden.
Now remove the cookies from the tray and place them in a cool rack.

The easy CHOCO WALNUT BUTTER  cookies is ready to celebrate the winter season with a hot cup of coffee or Tea.

Salam-E-Murg

In my house we actually never get bored with chicken preparations so I try to make something different every time. And after every time when I get good feedback from my friends I really feel great because they actually give me feedback after trying my recipe. Yesterday while chopping the boneless chicken pieces I thought to make some kabab’s for evening snacks but then I thought again I have to cook some dinner so better to make some chicken preparation so my tadays dinner task will be done. 

After making it I am really confused what to call the dish then my blogger friend Tanushri suggest a name for the dish which is really uniquea SALAM-E- MURG. The specialty of the dish is i was marinate the onion and green bell peppers and grill them in oven and add it in the chicken gravy the smoky smell of onions and pepper make the dish super yummy. 

Ingredients:
1.Boneless Chicken: 500 gm. (cut them into cube size).
2.One medium onion paste.
3.One large tomato paste.
4.Two table spoon ginger garlic and green chili paste.
5.One table spoon curd.
6.One tea spoon red chili powder, One tea spoon coriander powder, Half tea spoon black pepper powder.
7.salt and sugar as per taste.
8.Sunflower oil for cooking.
To Grill: 
1.One medium red onion cut into big square size.
2.Half green bell pepper cut into big square size.
3.Pinch of salt, black pepper powder, red chili powder.
4. Pinch of Tandoori chicken masala (readymade).
5.One tea spoon curd.
6.Few drop of oil.

Process:

First marinate the onions and bell pepper pieces with all the mentioned grilled ingredients for 30 mints.

Now wash and clean the chicken pieces and marinate them with curd some salt and black pepper powder for 30 mints.

Now make a curry paste with onion paste , ginger garlic green chili paste , tomato paste with all the spices powder.

Now grill the marinated onion pieces and bell pepper pieces in high temperature for 10 to 12 mints. Now take out from the oven and keep it aside.

Now add some oil in a vessel and fry the marinated chicken pieces in high flame till they turn little brownish and keep it aside.

Now add some more oil in the same vessel and add the curry paste and cook till the oil separate from the masala. Now add some salt and sugar and cook for another few seconds.

Now add the fried chicken pieces and the grilled onion and bell pepper pieces and mix well with the gravy.

Now sprinkle some water and cook for another few mints with a lid.

Now remove the lid the super yummy SALAM-E-MURG is ready serve hot with Rice or Roti.

Mixed Veg Dal in Pressure Cooker specially for Kids

Last few days were the worst days because of my daughter’s health, she was having terrible problem in her stomach. She stopped eating and we were literally feeling hopeless. Dr gave her some medicine but still she was not eating. But from today morning she is little ok. So I thought to make something with protein which can help her to regain some energy. 

I prepared some mixed dal with lots of fresh veggies, she really likes the dal and after 36 hours she ate some solid today. I am really feeling relaxed after her lunch. This type of vegetable dal is always perfect for anyone who is not willing to have anything else. And I think this one is good for small babies also.

Ingredients:

1.Moong dal: a handful.

2.Musur Dal: a handful.

3.Squash: 10 to 12 small pieces.(small square size:

4.Radish: few small pices.

5.Beans: 4 to 5 piece cut into small pieces.

6.Pumpkin: Few small pieces.

7.Sweet Potato: Few small pieces.

8.Valor: 5 to 6 cut them into small pieces.
9.A small bitter gourd cut into small pieces.

9.Pinch of roasted ajwain powder.

10.Few cumin seeds.

11.One table spoon of butter or Ghee.

12.Pinch of turmeric powder.

13.Salt and sugar as per taste.

Process:

First wash and clean the veggies, then wash and clean both the dal’s.

Now in a pressure cooker add the ghee or butter let it hot add the cumin seeds and the ajwain powder. Then slowly add all the chopped veggies and sauté for few mints.

Then add the clean dal’s and a pinch of turmeric powder, salt and some sugar and sauté for few seconds.

Then add enough water and cook with 3 to 4 whistle, your veggies dal is ready serve hot with plain rice or roti.

Andhra Style Brinjal Curry or Baby Eggplant Curry

After a long time I purchased some baby eggplants or Brinajl from shop, while buying only I am really excited because eggplant is one of my favorite vegetables. I really didn’t want to cook them in simple way so I tried to cook it in Andhra style. And they turned out too good. The taste of tamarind made this dish so different. I think this one is perfect for Roti or you can have with rice also.

The baby eggplants are really soft so you don’t need to cook for a long time, but the freshness of the brinjals gave this dish a different look also. I added some fresh coconut also to make the gravy thick. A very easy way to feast yourself with this simple EGGPLANT CURRY, and perfect for vegetarian guests too.

Ingredients:

1.Few baby eggplants (4 to 6).

2.One medium sliced onion.

3.One large chopped tomato.

4.Two green chili.

5.One tea spoon ginger paste.

6.One tea spoon garlic paste.

7.Half cup shredded coconut.

8.Half tea spoon red chili powder.

9.Half tea spoon coriander powder.

10.Few mustard seeds, Few meethi/fenugreek seeds, one dry red chili, Few curry leaves.

11.Sunflower oil for cooking.

12.Salt and Sugar as per taste.

13.one table spoon tamarind pulp water.

Process:

Wash the baby eggplants, now cut them on top horizontally and vertically like + but don’t cut it completely.

Now add some oil in a vessel and fry the brinjal pieces with a cover, just fry till the brinjals look soft and keep them aside.

Now in a different vessel and some oil, allow it to hot then add the sliced onions and fry them till the onions are soft. Now add the ginger garlic paste and sauté for some time.

Now add the chopped tomato, red chili powder and coriander powder salt and shredded coconut and cook for 4 to 5 mint in low flame with a cover.

Now allow it to cool and make a fine paste with the masala mix.

Now add some oil In a separate bowl, then add the mustard seeds, meethi seeds, curry leaves and dry red chili then slowly add the masala mix and cook for few mints.

Now add some sugar and the tamarind pulp water and some extra water also and mix well, now cook this with a cover till the oil start floating on top.

Now add the fried baby eggplants and cook for another 3 to 4 mints with cover.

Now switch off the flame you easy BABY EGGPLANT  CURRY or MASALA BRINJAL  is ready to serve.

Moonger Laddu or Moong Dal Laddu: DIWALI SPECIAL

Diwali is a festival when we can’t stop ourselves to eat sweets so I can’t stop myself to make another DIWALI SWEET MUGER LADDU OR MOONG DAL LADDU. A very easy homemade sweet and the ingredients are very less. I remember during my school days a shop near my house where we cousin sisters were used to go to have this MONGER LADDU. I still remember the taste, so while making this I took a round in my childhood days.

This is a very famous DIWALI sweet in North India, the basic ingredients of the dish is MOONG DAL AND GHEE. Wishing all my friends, family and followers a happy and safe Diwali may this Diwali light make your life colorful.

Ingredients:

1.Moong Dal: 1 ½ cup.

2.Milk Powder: 5 table spoon.

3.Sugar: 1 cup and 3 table spoon.

4.Three freshly crushed cardamom.

5.Chopped cashew nuts (7 to 8).

6.Ghee: ½ cup.

Process:

First wash and clean the moong dal, now drain out all the water. Now dry roast the moong dal in medium flame till the aroma comes out from the dal.

Now let the dal become cold, now grind the dal in a mixture like powder.

In a large bowl add the moong dal flour , then add the sugar, milk powder freshly crushed cardamom powder, chopped cashew nuts and mix well.

Now in a vessel heat the ghee, now add the warm ghee into the bowl and mix well with hand nicely.

Now start making the laddu’s with the mixture, if you are not able to round them properly add some more ghee or some water also to make the laddu in proper round shape.

Your easy MOONG DAL LADDU DIWALI LADDU is ready, enjoy the special day with lots of sweet and crackers.

Karachi Halwa or Cornflour Halwa: DIWALI SPECIAL

One more special day for what we actually wait for 365 days because this day is a very special day for us - the festival of light DIWALI. In this special day we light all corner of our house. We decorate our house with lights, Rangoli and buy new dresses for all our family members. And the most important part of our DIWALI is making sweet dishes for our guests. Every year I have guests in my house in DIWALI so before the day I have to prepare some sweet dishes for them.

This year I prepared some KARACHI HALWA which is a famous sweet dish from KARACHI. The main ingredients of this sweet are corn flour so you can call it Cornflour Halwa too, a very easy a quick sweet dish to impress your guests.

Ingredients:

1.Cornflour: ½ cup.

2.Water: 2 ½ cup.

3.Sugar: 1 ½ cup.

4.Few chopped cashew nuts (you can use almonds or pistachios also).

5.Two freshly crushed cardamom.

6.One table spoon ghee.

7.Little ghee for greasing the plate.

8.Little orange food color.

Process:

First grease one plate with little ghee and keep it aside.

Now in a vessel add the ghee and fry the chopped cashew nuts till they turn golden brown and keep it aside.

Now in a separate vessel add one cup of water and sugar allow it to boil  in high flame for 3 to 4 mints, then add the freshly crushed cardamom’s.

On the same time in a bowl add the cornflour and 1 ½ cup of water and mix well no lamp should be there.

Now add the food color and mix well, now add the cornflour mixture into the boiling sugar syrup and reduce the flame in very low and stir continuously.

In between add the fried cashew nuts with the remaining ghee left in the vessel and keep string till it become like a jelly.

Now pour the mixture into the greased plate and smooth the surface and the corner. 

Keep the plate in refrigerator for 30 to 40 mints. And then cut them in square size. Garnish a cashew on top

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.