KALAKAND (MILK CAKE)





Kalakand is a very famous Indian sweet dish. On the festive and joyful occasion of Raksha-bandhan, I prepare kalakand at home for my sweet younger brother. This is my favorite and my brother's too. This year Raksha-bandhan is on 28th August and my brother won't be with me at that time. Don't worry..this recipe is for him only :)

Cooking time – 20 min

INGERDIENTS:
  1. Whole milk -1 liter
  2. Home made paneer – 500 gm
  3. Sugar / Splenda sugar free - ½ cup
  4. Chopped nuts - ½ cup ( Almonds, Pistachio )
  5. Cardamom powder – 1 tsp
  6. Butter / ghee for greasing

METHOD:

  1. Turn on the stove and boil milk in a heavy bottomed vessel. Meanwhile, mash paneer with your hand. When milk comes to a boil add mashed paneer and keep stirring. Reduce the heat to medium and stir till liquid evaporates and the mixture thickens.


  2. Add sugar /Splenda sugar free & cardamom powder in this mixture and mix well. Keep stirring till excess liquid evaporates. Now it should look like semi-solid mixture. Remove this mixture from heat.
  3. Take a plate/tray and grease with butter/ghee and spread all chopped nuts. Now spread this hot semi-solid mixture in the greased plate/tray. Let it cool for 2-3 hr. Cut into burfi or desired shape and serve this Kalakand as dessert.




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posted by Rashmi @ 10:55 PM, ,




VEGGIE SOY BURGER


I adapted this recipe from one of my favorite cookery shows. Soy products are very healthy and nutritious. This recipe is made from soy chunks. I also love soy chunk curry & pulav but I never thought about this soy burger. Thanks to the cookery show for this easy, delicious and healthy dish.

Cooking time – 20 min

Serves – 4

INGREDIENTS
  1. Burger buns – 4
  2. Soy chunks – 20-25
  3. Milk - ½ cup
  4. 2 tbsp grated carrot
  5. 2 tbsp green peas
  6. 2 tbsp cut corn
  7. 2 tbsp red onion (chopped)
  8. 1 tsp ginger (chopped)
  9. 2 tbsp all purpose flour
  10. 2-3 green chilies
  11. Olive oil – 2-3 tbsp
  12. Ranch (salad dressing) – 3-4 tbsp
  13. Tomato sauce – 3-4 tbsp
  14. lettuce leaves
  15. 4 slices of tomato
  16. 4 slices of red onion
  17. Salt to taste
METHOD
  1. Soak soy chunks in hot milk for ½ hr. After that take a processor and add soy chunks, carrot, green peas, corn, chopped onion, green chilies, ginger, salt & grind them .Take this mixture in a bowl and add all purpose flour. Make a smooth dough.
  2. Divide this dough in 4 equal portion and make 4 flat patties.

  3. Now heat a flat greased pan and put patties and cook them on medium high heat for 7-8 min or until bottom side gets golden brown. Now turn the other side and cook for another 7-8 min or until this side also gets golden brown.

  4. Now heat the burger buns on a pan. Now take bottom piece of bun and put ranch, prepared patty, tomato slice, onion slice, lettuce, tomato sauce. Cover it with the other half of the bun. Veggie soy burger is ready to serve.

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posted by Rashmi @ 5:43 PM, ,




CHICKPEAS CURRY


Chickpeas are also known as garbanzo beans. It is a good source of cholesterol lowering fiber and protein. Its high fiber content prevents blood sugar level from rising too rapidly after taking meals and hence, a very good diet for diabetic people. Chickpeas is a very popular ingredient in middle eastern and Indian dishes such as hummus, falafel and Chana masala. Chana masala is a very popular dish in north India. You can find this dish in every restaurant's menu. It is very easy cook so lets give it a try.

Cooking time – 20-25 min

Serves – 4

INGREDIENTS
  1. Chickpeas – 2 cups (soaked in water for 5-6 hr) / 2 small cans
  2. Onion – 1 ½ medium size ( finely chopped)
  3. Tomato – 2 medium size (pureed)
  4. Garlic paste – 1 tbsp
  5. Ginger paste – 1 tbsp
  6. Bay leaf – 2
  7. Clove – 2-3
  8. Cardamom – 2
  9. Cinnamon stick – 1
  10. Cumin seeds – 1 tsp
  11. Red chili powder – 1 tsp
  12. Turmeric powder – 1 tsp
  13. Coriander powder – 1 ½ tbsp
  14. Cumin powder - ½ tbsp
  15. Yogurt (beaten) - ½ cup
  16. Kashmiri chili powder / paprika – 1 tsp
  17. Olive oil / vegetable oil – 3 tbsp
  18. Salt to taste
  19. Coriander leaves / cilantro leaves (chopped) – 1 tbsp
METHOD

  1. Soak the chickpeas for 5-6 hr in water. Cook in a pressure cooker till chickpeas get tender (3-4 whistles). Do not discard the water. If you are using chickpea cans then you don't need to soak and cook but discard the liquid.

  2. Now heat a heavy bottomed vessel with oil & add cumin seeds, bay leaves, cloves, cardamom and cinnamon stick. When they crackle, add finely chopped onion, ginger, garlic paste and salt. Fry on medium heat till onions turn translucent. Now add tomato puree and all spices (chili powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder, cumin powder) and keep stirring. Cook this mixture on medium heat for 5-6 min.
  3. Now add yogurt and pressure cooked chickpeas with water or canned chickpeas. Mix them well and cover this vessel .If you are using can then add ½ cup of water. Cook for 10-12 min on medium low heat or until it gets nicely cooked. Turn off the stove. Chana masla is ready to serve. Serve with rice, roti, naan or parantthas.

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posted by Rashmi @ 5:15 PM, ,




ACHARI CHICKEN



Here is a chicken recipe, flavored with garlic, ginger, lime juice, mustard oil, chili and onion seeds. Last year when we were in India, a cooking competition was organized in my husband's office and this dish was appreciated by all. I could not ask for the ingredients which left me guessing all the time. After some googling and a bit reverse engineering, I finally tried it and it turned out pretty well. It is an excellent side dish which you can serve with rice, roti, naan, tortilla etc.

Cooking Time – 30 min

Serves – 4-5

INGREDIENTS:
  1. Boneless chicken – 1 lb (cut into bite size )
  2. Green banana pepper – 2-3
  3. 1 medium sized onion ( cut into thin slices)
  4. 1 large tomato ( chopped )
  5. 1 tbsp garlic paste
  6. 1 tbsp ginger paste
  7. 4 tbsp yogurt
  8. 1 tsp cumin seeds
  9. 1 tsp red chili powder
  10. ½ tsp fenugreek seeds
  11. 1 tsp turmeric powder
  12. 1 tbsp fennel seeds
  13. 1 tbsp mustard seeds
  14. 2-3 tbsp lime juice
  15. ½ onion seeds
  16. ½ ajwain/carom seeds
  17. Salt to taste
  18. Olive oil/ mustard oil – 3-4 tbsp
METHOD:
  1. Heat a deep pan with oil and cumin seeds. When cumin seeds start crackling, add onion slices and fry them till they turn to light brown.
  2. Now add chopped tomato and cook them until they turn into puree. After that add chicken pieces, yogurt, ginger garlic paste, salt, chili powder and mix well. Cover the pan with lid and cook on medium heat till chicken is half done.
  3. On a separate pan, roast mustard seeds,fennel seeds & fenugreek seeds together until they turn to light brown.
  4. Take 1 tbsp of this roasted mixture and keep it aside. Grind rest of mixture. Now add onion seeds and carom seeds in the ground mixture.
  5. Now add turmeric powder & lime juice in ground mixture and make a paste. Stuff this paste in banana pepper and keep it aside. Keep some paste aside.

  6. Add remaining paste and roasted mixture to the chicken and cook for 5 min on medium low heat. After that, place the stuffed banana pepper on chicken and cook another 5-7 min on low heat. Hot, sour and spicy Achari chicken is ready to serve.


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posted by Rashmi @ 12:16 PM, ,




MANGO LASSI



Lassi is on of the traditional north Indian beverages. Last summer, I visited my mother's place in India. We have a mango farm there and in summer we really got bored eating mangoes. My father, who can not survive a single day without lassi in summer, suggested me to make lassi with ripe mango. Mother and me tried this lassi and we loved it.

Servings – 3-4

INGREDIENTS:
  1. Ripe mangoes – 2-3
  2. Non-fat yogurt – 2 cups
  3. 2-3 tbsp sugar
  4. 1 tsp cardamom powder
  5. 3-4 chopped cashew nuts
  6. 3-4 chopped almonds
  7. 1 tbsp rosewater
  8. Crushed ice
METHOD
  1. Peel and cut the mangoes into small pieces. Take a blender and put all cut mangoes, yogurt, sugar, cardamom powder, rose water and blend them well.

  2. Now take a glass filled with some crushed ice and pour blended mango pulp over crushed ice.
  3. Garnish with chopped nuts and serve chilled.

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posted by Rashmi @ 6:50 PM, ,




CHICKEN MUSHROOM SOUP


Here comes a tasty healthy chicken soup.

Cooking time – 25-30min

Serving size – 2

INGREDIENTS:

  1. Button mushroom – 4 (cut in slices)
  2. Chicken pieces – 15 (bite size)
  3. Bay leaf – 1
  4. Cloves – 2
  5. Water – 2 cup
  6. White pepper powder - ½ tsp
  7. Salt to taste
  8. Garlic -2 cloves (chopped)
  9. ¼ medium size onion (roughly chopped)
  10. ½ cup milk
  11. Dry fenugrick leaves – 1 tbsp
  12. Chopped coriander leaves – 1tbsp
  13. Croutons – 8-10 or boondi -4 tbsp (optional)
  14. Olive oil/butter – 1tbsp
  15. Soy sauce – 1 tbsp

METHOD:

  1. Take a microwaveable bowl and put chicken pieces, bay leaf, red chili, cloves and salt. Add 2 cups of water and cook them in microwave for 5-6 min
    or
    take a heavy bottomed vessel and put all the above ingredients with water and cook them on high heat for 7-8 min. Keep it aside and let it cool
  2. Now heat a deep pan with oil/butter. Add chopped garlic and saute it for 1 min. After that add roughly chopped onion. Fry them on medium low heat for 3-4 min. Now add sliced mushroom and saute them for another 5 min.

  3. Pass the cooked chicken with water through a sieve and collect the liquid and chicken separately.
  4. Now pour this liquid in sauteed mushroom in a pan. Bring to boil and reduce the heat to medium heat. Cook for 5-6 min. Turn off the stove and roughly blend this soup with hand blender or blender.
  5. Again heat this blended soup and add the chicken pieces. After that slowly add milk and keep stirring. Add white pepper powder, dry fenugrick leaves and soy sauce & mix it well. Cook them on medium heat for 5 min. Remove the soup from heat and place in a soup bowl. Garnish with coriander leaves and croutons. Add any seasoning salt according to your taste.

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posted by Rashmi @ 4:19 PM, ,




CHEESE MUNG BEAN PANCAKE(CHEELA)



Here is another pancake (cheela). Earlier I have shared Besan cheela (gramflour pancake) with you people. This one is more healthy and tasty. Mung bean (yellow split lentil) is easy to digest and highly nutritious.

Cooking time – 10 min (for each cheela)

INGREDIENT:

  1. Mung daal (yellow split lentil) – 2 cups (soaked in water for 3-4 hr)
  2. Turmeric powder – 1.5 tsp
  3. Chili powder – 1 tsp
  4. Cumin powder – 1 tsp
  5. Pinch of asafoetida
  6. Salt to taste
  7. Paneer - 100 gm (chopped)
  8. Green chilies – 3-4
  9. 1 medium red onion(finely chopped)
  10. ½ cup green peas
  11. Olive oil for greasing
  12. Onion seeds - ½ tbsp

METHOD:

  1. Drain out all the water from soaked daal. Now take a food processor and transfer this daal in it. Add green chilies, salt & 1 ½ cup of water and grind them to make a smooth batter. If required, add more water and make a smooth batter.
  2. Place this batter in a large bowl and add all other ingredients except oil. Mix them well and let it stay for 20 min.
  3. Now heat a greased flat pan. Pour ladleful batter on heated pan and spread it in round shape with diameter of 6-8 inches.
  4. Reduce the heat to medium and cook it for 4-5 min or until bottom side gets cooked. Now turn the other side and cook for 4-5 min on medium high heat or until it turns to golden brown.
  5. Paneer Moong daal cheela/Cheese Mung Bean Pancake is ready to serve. Serve with chutney or salsa.

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posted by Rashmi @ 3:53 PM, ,




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