Recipes by Rashmi

HOW TO MAKE PANEER/INDIAN CHEESE IN YOUR KITCHEN
Wednesday, May 30, 2007

Anything fresh is always preferred for health as well as taste. Although you can buy frozen Paneer from an Indian grocery store, but why to put so much effort if you can prepare fresh paneer in your kitchen. It is very easy to prepare and you don't need any expertise to make it.

Total preparation time: 2-3 hr

INGREDIENTS:

1. Whole milk-4 cup
2. White vinegar-3-4 tbsp
3. Cotton cloth or muslin

1. Heat the milk in a heavy bottomed vessel on medium heat and keep stirring, otherwise milk will stick to the bottom. When milk starts to boil, reduce the heat and add vinegar slowly and keep stirring. In next 1-2 min, you can see small curds floating on top. Wait till these curds get bigger. Wait for 3-4 min and turn off the heat & let it stand there for 20 min.
   
   
   
2. After that take a colander which is wrapped with cotton cloth or muslin. Pour all curdled milk in this wrapped colander over your kitchen sink. Collect the curds and discard the whey.
   
   
   
3. Keep the curds in a cotton cloth, tie a knot and hang it over the sink. Let the whey drip for 1-2 hr. Now open the knot. If any extra whey is there, squeeze it out. Paneer is ready.
   
   
   
4. Now, knead this paneer into soft dough. Spread it over a cellophane paper. Cover it with another cellophane paper Give it a flat shape by pressing it with a flat heavy container (Keep it a bit thick, say about 1/2 inch). Leave the container over paneer for 1 hour. After that, remove the container and cellophane papers. Cut into desired shapes.
   
   
   

Technorati Tags:paneer, indian cheese, milk, vegetarian, cottage cheese, recipe

Labels: Traditional Indian, Vegetarian

posted by Rashmi @ 6:34 PM, ,

MUSHROOM & PEAS CURRY ( MUSHROOM MATAR)
Monday, May 28, 2007

Servings: 3

Cooking time: 30 minutes

INGREDIENTS:

1. White button mushrooms – 5-6
2. Green peas – 1 cup (frozen or fresh)
   
3. Onion Paste ( 1 medium sized onion)
   
4. 3 tbsp butter/olive oil
5. Cashew nut paste-2 tbsp
6. ½ tsp garam masala
7. Garlic paste – 1 tbsp
8. Ginger paste – 1 tbsp
9. Coriander powder – 1 tbsp
10. Cumin powder – 1 tsp
11. Bay leaf – 1
12. ½ cup milk
13. Salt to taste
14. Sour cream – 2-3 tbsp
15. ½ tsp turmeric powder (optional)
16. Mint leaves (for garnishing)
    

1. Wash all mushrooms under running water. Wipe them softly and cut into slices. Now heat a greased pan and saute the mushroom slices till they turn light brown.
   
   
   
2. Now again heat a deep pan with butter/olive oil. Add cumin seeds & bay leaf to heated oil. When they crackle, add onion, ginger, garlic paste & salt and fry on medium heat for 5-6 min.
   
   
   
3. Now add cashew paste and all spices (cumin, coriander,garam masala powder). Keep stirring otherwise cashew paste would stick to the bottom and get burnt. Cook them on medium low heat for 4-5 min.
   
4. Add green peas and fry for another 2-3 min on medium high heat. After that add sauteed mushroom slices in this mixture and mix well. Keep stirring it and slowly add milk. Reduce the heat to medium and cover the pan. Cook them for 4-5 min on medium heat. If gravy becomes thick then you can add little water to make it thinner.
   
   
   
5. Remove the pan from heat. Place mushroom peas curry in serving bowl and garnish with sour cream and mint leaves. Serve it with fried rice, roti, naan or parantha.
   
   
   

Technorati Tags:recipe, recipes, indian cuisine, mushroom, peas, mushroom matar, side dish

Labels: Healthy Recipes, Side Dish, Vegetarian

posted by Rashmi @ 8:39 PM, ,

KATHAL BIRYANI (JACKFRUIT FRIED RICE)
Saturday, May 26, 2007

Ask me please… was it tasty or was it tasty!!! Actually, it was great!!

Serving: 4

Cooking time: 50-60 minutes

INGREDIENTS:

1. 1 can green jackfruit (drained weight 250 gm) - cut in to bite size
2. 1 cup non-fat yogurt (curd)
3. Garlic paste-1 tbsp
4. Ginger paste-1 tbsp
5. Cloves-4
6. Green cardamom-4
7. Cinnamon stick-1 (1 inch)
8. Bay leaf-1
9. Cumin seeds-1 tsp
10. Coriander powder-1 ½ tbsp
11. Cumin powder-1 tsp
12. Turmeric powder-1 tsp
13. A pinch of Saffron (soaked in water)
14. Red chili powder-1 tbsp
15. Garam masala-1 tsp
16. Chopped coriander leaves-1 tbsp
17. 1 large onion (roughly chopped)
18. 1 medium tomato (chopped)
19. 1 medium size red onion (cut in to slices)
20. 4 tbsp butter/ghee/olive oil
21. 4-5 tbsp olive oil/vegetable oil
22. 8-10-cashew nuts
23. 8-10- dry grapes
24. 8-10-almonds
25. 1 ½ cups white basmati rice (soaked in water for 1 hr)
26. Salt to taste

METHOD:

1. Drain water from soaked rice in a colander and let it be in it for 20 minutes. Now place the rice in a heavy bottomed vessel with 2 ½ cups of water, 1/2 tbsp of salt and few drops of oil. Cover it and bring to boil over high heat. Uncover it and cook without stirring on medium heat for about 7-8 min or until rice becomes just tender (take a few grains and chew them. Are they cooked??). Remember, rice should not be overcooked otherwise rice grains won’t remain separated from each other. Turn off the stove and cover it.
2. Now heat a pan with 2 tbsp oil. Add jackfruit pieces and sauté them for 10 min on medium heat. (Traditionally, we should deep fry the jackfruit pieces, but I prefer to sauté them for health reasons.) Turn off the stove.
   
3. Take a bowl and place sautéed jackfruit, yogurt, cumin powder, bay leaf, garam masala powder, 2 cardamom pods, 2 cloves and garlic-ginger paste in it. Mix them well and keep this bowl in refrigerator for 1-2 hr for marinating jackfruit.
   
   
   
4. After that, heat a pan with 3 tbsp of olive oil. Add cumin seeds, 2 cardamom pods, 2 cloves and cinnamon stick. When they crackle, add coarsely chopped onion and salt. Fry on medium heat until onions turn translucent. Now add chopped tomato and fry for another 2-3 min on medium heat. After that, add marinated jackfruit, turmeric powder, red chili powder, coriander powder and mix well. Fry them for 4-5 min on medium high heat and stir occasionally. Add 1 cup of water and cook till jackfruit pieces get cooked and become tender. Turn off the stove.
   
   
   
5. Again heat a pan with butter/ghee/oil. Add cashews, dry grapes & almonds and fry them for 1 min on medium heat. Now add red onion slices and sauté them till they turn to golden brown. Remove this pan from heat.
   
   
   
6. After that, take a heavy bottomed pot. Spread a layer of nuts and onion mixture (1/3 of the mixture prepared in the previous step) in it. Now, spread a layer of cooked rice (1/3 of total rice) over it and sprinkle saffron water. After that, spread 1/3 of jackfruit mixture prepared in 4^th step. Repeat this procedure for rest of the nuts & onion mixture, rice, saffron water and jackfruit mixture.
7. Cover the pot with lid and cook on low heat for 25-30 min or until steam starts coming out of the lid. Turn off the stove.
8. Place it in serving dish or bowl. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve with raita.
   
   

Technorati Tags:biryani, mughlai, kathal, jackfruit, kathal biryani, indian, cuisine, recipes, recipe, vegetarian biryani

Labels: Mughlai, Traditional Indian, Vegetarian

posted by Rashmi @ 9:36 AM, ,

QUICK CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP
Wednesday, May 23, 2007

This is the simplest recipe of chicken noodle soup which I could think of. I have simplified a few things but haven’t compromised with the taste. For people novice in cooking, this can be very helpful. My husband just loves it; even he loves to prepare it as he can make it real fast. So, here is my recipe for you.

INGREDIENTS:

1. 1 can chicken broth
2. ½ cup boiled egg noodles
3. ½ cup 2% fat milk
4. ½ cup water
5. 8-10 small pieces of chicken (½ inch)
6. 1 tsp black pepper
7. 1 tbsp soy sauce
8. 1 tbsp corn starch
9. 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
10. 1 tbsp garlic paste
11. 1 tbsp olive oil
12. Grated Anejo or Feta cheese (for garnishing)
13. Salt to taste (if required as chicken broth already has some salt)

Servings: 2

Cooking time: 15 – 20 minutes

METHOD:

1. Heat oil in a heavy bottomed pan. Add garlic paste, soy sauce and chicken pieces & sauté for 2-3 minutes on medium heat.
2. Add chicken broth and chopped parsley to the pan. Mix 1 tbsp corn starch to ½ cup water in a bowl and add to the pan. Keep stirring it otherwise the mixture will start sticking at the bottom. Bring it to a boil and then cook on medium heat for 4-5 minutes.
3. Slowly add milk and cook for another 4-5 minutes on medium heat.
4. Add boiled egg noodles and cook for 2 minutes on medium heat.
5. Remove from heat and add black pepper. Mix it well. Place it in soup bowls. Garnish it with grated cheese and croutons.
   
   
   

Technorati Tags:chicken, noodles, soup, non veg, soups, stews, recipe, recipes, chicken noodle soup

Labels: Chicken, Soups

posted by Rashmi @ 8:22 PM, ,

BAINGAN BHARTA (Mashed Eggplant/Brinjal Curry)
Monday, May 21, 2007

Rashmi never liked Eggplant, but I (Maneesha) always loved it. My favorite eggplant dish is Baingan Bharta (Mashed Eggplant/Brinjal). It is a very delicious north Indian curry. There are many ways to prepare it, but I am writing the one which is easy to make without compromising with the original taste.
Brinjal or eggplant is very nutritious. It is low in calories and contains vitamin D. It also controls LDL cholesterol.

Cooking time: 45 min

Serve: 2-3

1. 1 large sized eggplant (brinjal)
2. 1 – medium sized onion (finely chopped)
3. 2 – medium sized tomatoes
4. 2 - Green chilies (coarsely chopped)
5. ¼ cup – green peas
6. 8-9 cloves of garlic finely chopped
7. 1 tsp - Ginger paste
8. 1 tsp - Lime juice
9. 2 tbsp - Oil (Preferably Mustard)
10. ¼ tsp – Asafoetida ( Heeng powder)
11. ½ tsp - Turmeric Powder
12. 1 tsp Coriander Powder
13. ½ tsp Cumin Powder
14. 1 tsp ghee (optional)
15. ½ tsp Garam Masala
16. ½ tsp Red Chili powder
17. Chopped fresh coriander/cilantro leaves
18. Salt to taste

Method:

1. Wash the eggplant (brinjal) and 1 tomato. Wipe them properly. Apply 2-3 drops of mustard oil on their surface. Make a vertical cut in the eggplant and poke it with a knife at 7-8 places to avoid bursts while roasting. Don’t cut the tomato.
   
   
   
2. Preheat your oven to 400 - 450 F and bake the eggplant and tomato for 30 min or until their skin starts to peel off easily. They will become soft and wrinkles will be visible due to burnt skin.
   I personally prefer roasting eggplant and tomato on a stove at medium low heat, but it is a bit inconvenient for some people. But, I bet it is worth as the taste improves considerably. Keep rotating the eggplant and tomato regularly so that they cooked uniformly. Roast them until the skin becomes soft and you can peel them easily with your hands. Be careful; don’t get your hands burnt.
   
   
   

3. Remove both eggplant and tomato from heat. Keep them in a bowl of cold water and let them cool for 10 min.
4. Peel off their skin and remove the stem of eggplant.
   
   
   
5. Mash them with your hand or a potato masher so that there does not remain a lump.
6. Heat the oil in a pan and add chopped green chili, garlic, ginger paste and asafoetida powder. Fry it over medium heat for 30-40 sec. Add chopped onion and sauté till they turn translucent. Add 1 chopped tomato, green peas, turmeric powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, garam masala, red chili powder and fry at medium heat for 3-4 min or until oil starts separating from the mixture.
   
   
   
7. Add mashed eggplant and tomato to this mixture. Add salt and mix it well. Cook it for 8-10 minutes on low heat.
8. Remove it from heat. Sprinkle lime juice over it. Add a teaspoon of ghee if you want to make it rich. Garnish it with chopped green coriander leaves. Serve it hot with rice or chapattis (made of 50% wheat flour + 50% gram flour) or litti.
   
   
   

Useful Tips:

• Mustard oil is a key ingredient. Although it is ok to use any other oil, but traditionally mustard oil is preferred.
• Try to remove as many seeds as possible. Remove the portion of the pulp which is a bit lumpy and does not get mashed properly.

Technorati Tags:baingan, brinjal, eggplant, begun, baigan, bharta, recipe, recipes, indian cuisine, mashed eggplant, puree

Labels: Side Dish, Traditional Indian, Vegetarian

posted by Maneesha @ 10:04 PM, ,

BAINGAN BHAJA (Eggplant/Brinjal Fries)
Sunday, May 20, 2007

Preparation Time: 40 min.

Cooking Time: 20 min.

Serves: 4

INGREDIENTS:

1. Large eggplant(baingan/brinjal)-1
2. Garlic paste-1 tbsp
3. Ginger paste-1 tbsp
4. Red chili powder/ Paprika-1 tsp
5. Turmeric powder-1 tsp
6. Mustard powder-1 tbsp
7. Coriander powder-1 tbsp
8. Corn flour-1 tbsp
9. Roasted gram flour - 2 tbsp
10. Salt to taste
11. Oil for frying-1 ½ cup
12. Chat masala-1 tsp
13. Vinegar - 1 tbsp
14. Tomato slices - 4-5
15. Dried mango powder - 1 tsp
16. Mint leaves - 2-3
17. Ranch or white sauce -1 tsp

METHOD

1. Wash the eggplant and cut it in thick slices.
   
   
   
   
2. Now take a big bowl and put garlic - ginger paste, turmeric, chili, coriander powder, corn flour, roasted gram flour, salt, vinegar, dried mango powder and 2 tbsp of water. Make a smooth paste and rub it on each eggplant slice. Keep it aside for 30-40 min to marinate.
   
   
   
   
   
3. Heat a frying pan with oil. Place 4-5 slices in heated oil. Fry them each side till they turn to golden brown.
   If you are calorie conscious, want to avoid oil/fat, and/or do not want to eat fried dish then you can skip the frying step. Instead of frying, heat a flat pan and grease it with 1 tbsp oil. Place 4-5 slices in pan. Cook them on medium heat for 7-8 min each side or until they turn to golden brown.
   
   
   
   
   
4. Keep fried eggplant slices on kitchen paper towel to absorb excess oil.
5. Place them in a serving plate. Sprinkle chat masala over fried slices, garnish with tomato slices, ranch and mint leaves. Serve it as a side dish.
   

Technorati Tags:baingan, begun, indian cuisine, recipe, recipes, baingan bhaja, begun bhaja, side dish, egg plant, brinjal

Labels: Side Dish, Traditional Indian, Vegetarian

posted by Rashmi @ 11:50 AM, ,

PALAK PANEER (Indian Cheese with Spinach Curry)
Saturday, May 19, 2007

Spinach or Palak (in Hindi) is one of the healthiest foods which we can add to our diet. It is low in calories and high in vitamins and minerals like iron, calcium. Spinach is naturally very bland and usually people are not very fond of it. But, there are some very popular traditional Indian dishes like spinach pakora and 'Palak paneer'(Indian Cheese with Spinach Curry) which you will relish. Palak paneer is one of my favorite indian curries. It is very easy to cook and tastes very good.

Also see 'How to make paneer/Indian Cheese'.

Serves: 3-4

Cooking time: 25 minutes

INGREDIENTS:

1. Spinach- 1 lb
2. Paneer/ Indian Cheese- 10-15 cubes (softened)
3. Medium size onion- 1 (chopped)
4. Garlic paste- 1 tbsp
5. Ginger paste- 1 tbsp
6. Large tomato- 1 (pureed)
7. Olive oil/Ghee- 2-3 tbsp
8. Cumin seeds- 2 tsp
9. Green chilies- 3-4
10. Chili powder- 1-2 tsp
11. Cumin powder – 2 tsp
12. Coriander powder-1 ½ tbsp
13. Garam masala powder-1 tsp
14. Roasted cashew- 8-10
15. Roasted almonds- 5-6

METHOD:

1. Chop the spinach and boil it for 6-7 minutes or until it become very soft in ½ cup of water.
2. Remove the boiled spinach from water and let it cool for a while. Grind it with 2-3 green chilies to make a smooth puree.
   
   
   
3. Heat cooking oil in a heavy bottomed vessel. (Traditionally ghee or butter is used for this dish, but I prefer using olive oil for health reasons.) Add cumin seeds and 2 chopped green chilies. Fry them for 1 minute.
4. Add chopped onion, garlic and ginger paste. Fry it till onion gets transparent and very soft. Now add pureed tomato, salt, and all spices (coriander, chili, cumin, garam masala powder). Sauté this mixture for 4-5 minutes on medium heat.
   
   
   
5. Now add powdered roasted cashew, almonds and spinach puree. Mix it well and cover the pan. Add little water if required (gravy should not be very dilute). Cook it on medium heat for 5 minutes.
6. Add paneer cubes to the pan and cook for 3-4 minutes on medium low heat. Many people like to fry paneer cubes in oil or ghee for a while before adding to spinach puree. But, if you have soft and fresh paneer cubes, I would recommend adding it directly.
   
   
   
7. Remove from heat. Add a little bit of Ghee/ Butter for taste if you have used oil for cooking. If you want you can garnish it with shredded paneer, chopped coriander leaves. Palak paneer/ Indian Cheese with Spinach Curry is ready to be served. Serve it with rice, roti, naan, parantha, chapatti, tortilla, bread etc.
   
   
   

Technorati Tags:palak, spinach, side dish, indian cuisine, recipe, recipes, saag, paneer, indian cheese, cheese dishes, curry

Labels: Healthy Recipes, Side Dish, Traditional Indian, Vegetarian

posted by Rashmi @ 12:10 AM, ,

PAV BHAJI (BUNS with SPICY MIXED VEGETABLES)
Thursday, May 17, 2007

Serves - 4

Cooking time - 40 - 45 min

INGREDIENTS:

1. Buns(pav)-8
   
2. ½ onion (chopped)
   
3. 2 green chilies (chopped)
   
4. 1 tbsp spoon garlic-ginger paste
   
5. 2 tbsp spoon olive oil
   
6. 1 tsp of mustard seeds
   
7. 4 tbsp butter
   
8. 1 tsp turmeric
   
9. 1 tsp garam masala
   
10. 1 tbsp coriander powder
    
11. 2 spoon lime juice
    
12. salt to taste
    
13. ¼ cup chopped cauliflower
    
14. ¼ cup chopped capsicum
    
15. ¼ cup chopped carrot
    
16. ¼ cup green peas
    
17. ¼ cup green bean
    
18. ¼ cup cabbage
    
19. ½ bunch coriander/cilantro leaves (chopped)
    
20. 1 chopped tomato
    
21. 3 medium size potatoes boiled and peeled
    
22. onion rings
    

METHOD:

1. First we are going to make 'bhaji' for this dish. Steam all the vegetables (chopped cauliflower, capsicum, carrot, green peas, green beans, cabbage) for 7-8 minutes or until they become very tender.
   
   
   
   
2. Heat a heavy bottomed vessel with oil. Add mustard seeds and chopped chilies. When they crackle, add chopped onion & salt and saute it for 2-3 min or until onions turn to transparent.
   
   
   
   
3. Add chopped tomato or pureed tomato and all spices (ginger garlic paste, turmeric, coriander powder, garam masala). Fry them for another 5-6 min on medium low heat or until oil starts to separate from the mixture. Meanwhile, mash the boiled and peeled potatoes along with all steamed vegetables in a bowl.
   
   
   
   
4. Add the potato and vegetables mixture to the pan and cook on medium low heat for another 7-8 min. Keep stirring the mixture and add little bit of water if it starts sticking at the bottom. Add 1 cup water and cook on high heat for another 5 min or until it gets cooked properly and the gravy looks consistent.
5. Remove pan from heat. Sprinkle chopped coriander leaves on 'bhaji' and add 2 tbsp butter to it. Hot and spicy bhaji is ready.
6. Again, heat a pan for roasting buns. Grease it with butter or oil and fry/roast the buns each side.
   
   
   
   
7. Serve these buns with bhaji and onion rings. You can add more butter to 'bhaji' while serving it.
   
   
   

Technorati Tags:indian cuisine, recipe, recipes, pav bhaji, vegetarian, bombay pav bhaji, snacks, brunch, breakfast

Labels: Breakfast and Brunch, Snacks, Traditional Indian, Vegetarian

posted by Rashmi @ 5:47 PM, ,

SHAMI KEBAB
Tuesday, May 15, 2007

INGREDIENTS:

1. 1 lb ground chicken
2. 2 eggs (beaten)
3. 2 tbsp roasted gram flour
4. 1 tbsp lime juice
5. 1 tbsp vinegar
6. ½ tsp black pepper
7. ½ medium size onion (chopped)
8. 3-4 spring onions (chopped)
9. 1 spoon garlic paste
10. 1 spoon ginger paste
11. 2-3 green chilis (chopped)
12. 1 tsp paprika
13. 1 spoon corn flour
14. 1 tsp garam masala
15. Salt to taste
16. 2-3 spoon olive oil
17. 2 cups of oil for deep fry (optional)
18. Red onion rings (soaked in vinegar & salt)

SERVES: 2 – 3

COOKING TIME: 30 – 40 minutes

METHOD:

1. Take all ingredients except onion rings & oil in a bowl. Mix them well and keep this dough in refrigerator for 4-5 hr to marinate.
   
   
   
   
2. Now make balls of ¾ inch diameter from this marinated dough.
3. Grease your palms with oil. Take one ball on your palm and press it with your other palm to make flat round shape. Repeat this procedure for rest of the balls.
4. Preheat your oven to 375 degree F. Take a baking tray and wrap it with greased foil paper. Keep all kebabs in this tray and place it in the upper rack of oven. Broil the kebabs for 10-12 min each side or until they turn to golden brown. Remove the tray from oven.

If you do not have an oven, you can deep fry these kebabs. Heat a deep frying pan with 2 cups of oil. Place 4-5 kebabs in heated oil. Fry on medium heat for 10 min each side or until kebabs look golden brown.

5. Shami kebab is ready to serve. Serve it with onion rings, tomatoes and cilantro/coriander sauce (dhania chutney).
   
   
   
   

Technorati Tags:recipe, recipes, indian, indian cuisine, kebab, kabab, chicken, snack, appetizer

Labels: Appetizer, Chicken, Snacks

posted by Rashmi @ 12:53 PM, ,

Dalia (Broken Wheat) Moong Khichdi
Sunday, May 13, 2007

Cooking time: 20 min

INGREDIENTS:

1. Dalia ( Broken Wheat ) - ½ cup
2. Washed split moong dal ( yellow mung beans) - ½ cup
3. Green Peas – 2 tbsp
4. Chopped French Bean – 1 tbsp
5. Chopped Capsicum – 1 tbsp
6. Chopped Carrot – 1 tbsp
7. Onion – 2 tbsp
8. Chopped Green chili – ½ tsp
9. Water – 2 cups
10. Oil or Pure Ghee– 1 tbsp
11. Red Whole Chili – 1
12. Heeng powder (asafoetida) – ½ pinch
13. Cumin seeds – 1 tsp
14. Salt to taste

1. Wash mung dal and dalia 2 times and leave in a colander for 5 min. Heat ½ tsp of ghee in a pan and add dalia and moong dal mixture. Fry it till it turns light brown. Remove the mixture from heat and set aside.

2. Again heat the pan with remaining ghee or oil. Add cumin seeds and Red whole chili. When they crackle, add the chopped onions, heeng powder and fry till light golden brown. Add the rest of vegetables chopped beans, capsicum, carrot, green chili and green peas. Mix well and keep stirring for 3-4 min on medium heat. Add dalia and moong dal mixture to it. Mix it well.

3. Add 2 cups of water and salt according to taste. Mix it and put a lid. Let it cook for about 8-10 min at low heat. Garnish with anything which you like in salad. Khichdi is ready.

Technorati Tags:khichdi, dalia, moong dal, healthy dish, indian cuisine, recipe, recipes, broken wheat,

Labels: Breakfast and Brunch, Healthy Recipes, Traditional Indian, Vegetarian

posted by Rashmi @ 9:39 PM, ,

SALTED GRAM FLOUR PANCAKE (BESAN CHEELA)
Friday, May 11, 2007

My husband calls this dish ‘Jhatpat(quick) Breakfast’. This recipe is so easy and simple to prepare that we can make it within 10 min. That’s why it is one of my favorite breakfasts. Easy to cook and good to taste. My son has already hit his terrible 2 and keeps me busy whenever he is awake, especially in the morning it is very difficult for me to cook for myself. So, whenever I get late for breakfast, I make this cheela or pancake in "JHATPAT"(quickly) and eat it with chutney & hot ginger tea. My mother makes this pancake in traditional way. She mixes chopped onion, chili, salt, turmeric, and mustard oil, but I prefer to mix some more items to make it more tasty and healthy like chopped spinach, tomato etc. So, here is my favorite besan cheela/pancake:

Cooking time: 10 min

Serves 2 - 3

INGREDIENTS:

1. Gram flour (besan)-1 cup
2. Olive oil 1-2 spoon
3. Salt to taste
4. Onion seeds ( kalaunji, mangraila) -½ teaspoon
5. Turmeric-½ teaspoon
6. Chopped green chili – 1 teaspoon (or according to taste)
7. Green peas -2 spoon
8. Chopped onion - 2 spoon
9. Chopped coriander leaves - 1 spoon
10. Baking powder- ½ teaspoon
11. Water – ½ cup

METHOD:

1. Mix all the ingredients in a bowl and make a smooth batter for pancake. The batter should be homogenous so that there are no lumps in it.
   
   
   
2. Now heat a flat pan and grease it with oil or Pam spray. Now pour some batter on the pan and spread it in a round shape with a diameter of 6 inches.
   
   
   
3. Reduce the heat and cook it for 2-3 min or until one side gets cooked. Then turn the other side and cook it for 4-5 min on medium heat or until its color turns to brown.
   
   
4. Salted pancake is ready to serve. Serve it with any kind of dip ,dhaniya chutney and hot ginger tea.

Technorati Tags:pancake, breakfast, besan, gram flour, indian, recipe, recipes, cheela

Labels: Breakfast and Brunch, Snacks, Traditional Indian, Vegetarian

posted by Rashmi @ 9:49 PM, ,