Aloo Chole for kids,Kadai chole and Bature

Hello,

A lovely Saturday morning. Yesterday itself I have soaked chana/garbanzo beans. 

Aloo Chole for Kids

Chana - 1 cup
dried amla pieces - 3 - 4
tea powder - 1 tsp(tie in a muslin cloth)
Aloo - 2 (cubes)
green chilli - 3
tomato - 1 (cubes)
onion - 1
anar dhana dry - 1/2 tbsp
jeera - 1/2 tsp
ginger garlic paste - 1 tbsp
amchur powder- 1/2 tsp
jeera powder - 1 tsp
garma masala- 1/4 tsp
ghee - 2 tbsp
salt as required

Oil for frying cubed Aloo



Method of Preparation

*Pressure cook chana by adding enough water,  few dried amla pieces ( for the Tangy taste)  Tie a little tea powder in a muslin cloth add that also inside the pressure cooker. Cook in slow fire till two whistles. When you open the cooker the chana will be lovely black brownish colour. Preserve the water. This is a gravy dish we are going to use water in which chana is cooked. 

*In a blender/mixer add onion, chilli, anardana (pomagrnate dry), ginger garlic paste and grind. Keep the paste ready

*In a wok add 2 tbsp ghee add jeera. Add onion tomato paste. Cook well. Add dhaniya, lal mirch, jeera, garam masala, amchur powder and salt. Mix well allow it to further cook for 2 minutes. Now add cooked chana and water. Cook in slow flame for about 15 minutes.

* In another pan heat oil. Put cubed aloo and crispy fry aloo till golden brown. 

*Once kabuli chana is prepared add crispy aloo on top and add chopped tomatoes and mix well. Garnish with coriander leaves. Serve hot with Bature/Puri

Today I will share a recipe for kadai chole.. In fact the process of making kadai chole is time consuming but I will explain a simple recipe.

Kadai Chole (dry)

Ingredients

Kabuli chana - 1 cup (Cook in pressure cooker add few dried amla pieces, tie little tea powder and put that inside pressure cooker)
chole masala - 1 tbsp
dhaniya - 1/2 tbsp
jeera - 1/2 tsp
red chilli - 1/2 tsp
garam masala powder - 1/4 tsp
amchur - 1/2 tsp
salt - as required
ajwain - a pinch
tomato - two (chopped)
ginger - one big piece chop into julian 
green chilli - 3 (slit)
coriander leaves - 1/2 tsp (Chopped)
GHEE - 2 tbsp

Method of Preparation

* Pressure cook chana by adding enough water,  few dried amla pieces ( for the Tangy taste)  Tie a little tea powder in a muslin cloth add that also inside the pressure cooker. Cook in slow fire till two whistles. When you open the cooker the chana will be lovely black brownish colour. Remove only the chana, keep the water away. This is a dry dish.

* In a bowl add all the dry masalas and salt. Mix well. Now keep a wok in the stove, add chana with all the dry masalas. Add tomatoes, ginger and slit green chilli. 

* Keep two woks in the stove. In one pour 4 tbsp ghee. Let it become extremely hot. Add a pinch of ajwain Now transfer the hot ghee on top of the kabuli chana. Mix well, You will notice the masalas are cooked and tomatoes also just cooked. Garnish with coriander leaves.Serve this delicious kadai chole with puri/bature. 

Variation : You can make this chole dry or gravy. If you want gravy add preserved cooked water. 

I have given you the authetic recipe. However today I forgot to add amla pieces an tea! So could not post chana in black brownish tangy colour!!

Bature

Maida - 2 1/2
baking powder - 1/2 tsp
baking soda - a pinch
salt as required
sugar - 2 tsp
curd - 1 cup
oil - 1 tsp

Method of preparation

* Sieve maida. baking powder and baking soda together. So that all mix extremely well. 

* In a large bowl add maida mixture, salt, sugar add curd to it and mix well. Knead well till soft. Now pour oil in your hands and just coat it on top of the soft dough. Use a wet cloth and close it for about half an hour.

*Heat oil in a large wok. 

* Now make soft peda out of the dough. Use your hands to make soft bature or roll it with rolling pin. Dip in hot oil and when the bature starts to push and come up keep pouring hot oil from the wok so that it gets crispy and cooks well. Remove and place it in a kitchen napkin. Allow excess oil to get absorbed. Serve hot with chole and mixed vegetable salad/Onion and green chilli!! 

Note: 

Source http://chemistry.about.com/cs/foodchemistry/f/blbaking.htm

Difference between cooking soda and baking powder

Baking soda is pure sodium bicarbonate.  When baking soda

is combined with moisture and an acidic ingredient like 

curd the resulting chemical reaction produces bubbles of 

carbon dioxide that expand under over temperatures, 

causing baked goods to rise.

Baking powder contains sodium bicarbonate, but it includes

the acidifying agent already (cream od tartar)  and also a

drying agent (usually starch). 




Some interesting information about garbanzo beans. 

Source : http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=58

Mixed vegetable mollaguttal and bhindi pachadi

This is a typical palghat mollaguttal which is made during season when koorkkai is available. Its a delicate and very tasty root vegetable which we get only during October to January. Today I made mollaguttal with four different vegetable. 

Mixed vegetable mollaguttal

Chow chow - 2 (Peeled and chopped)
Avarakkai - a few ( chopped)
Chena - 100 grams (Peeled and chopped)
koorkkai - 10 (Peeled and chopped)
moong dahl - 100 grams

For the coconut paste

coconut - 1/2 cup
red chilly - 1 broken
jeera - 1/2 tsp
water - 2 tbsp

For the tadka

coconut oil - 1 tsp
mustard seed - 1 tsp
red chilly - 1 (broken into half)
curry leaves - a few

Method of Preparation

* In a mixer add grated coconut, red chilly and jeera. Grind to a smooth paste.

*Wash and peel Chow chow, chena, koorkkai. Cut avarakkai into small pieces.

 *Pressure cook chena and koorkkai for two whistles.

* In a kalchatti pour water add chow chow, avarakkai, moong dahl, turmeric powder and salt. Cook till soft and tender. Make sure moong dahl is cooked well. Now add cooked chena and koorkkai. Now add coconut paste and boil mollaguttal. In a small pan pour a little oil add mustard, curry leaves and one red chilly. Allow mustard to crackle pour it on prepared mollaguttal. 

Bhindi Pachadi

Bhindi/ladies finger - 20
green chilli - 2
ginger - a big piece
tamarind pulp - 1 tbsp (Add 1/2 cup hot water)
gingly oil - 1 tsp
mustard - 1 tsp
urad dahl - 1 tsp
chana dahl - 1/2 tsp
red chilly - 1 broken
hing powder - a pinch

Method of Preparation

*Wash and trim the edges of bhindi. Cut into big pieces. Chop green chilli and ginger into small pieces. 

*Extract tamarind pulp. 

*In a heated pan pour gingly oil, mustard, urad dahl chana dahl and red chilly. Allow the mustrad to crackle,  add a little hing powder and chopped green chilli, ginger and bhindi. Mix well.  Cook till tender in high flame. Add tamarind pulp along with hot water. Simmer for about 3 to 4 minutes. Adjust salt and serve with vegetable mollaguttal.  


  

Khaman Dhokla

Hello,

Khaman Dhokla is a snack which can be served as breakfast, lunch dinner! Freshly made Khaman Dhokla. green chutney and hot cup of tea makes best evening snack.

 


Step by step Process in making Khaman Dhokla

Khaman Dhokla

Ingredients

Besan - 1 cup
semolina - 1 1/2 tbsp
sugar - 3 spoon
salt - as required
lemon juice - 1/2 tsp
ginger chilli paste - 1 tsp
water to mix it.- 1 cup
Eno fruit salt - 1 1/2 tsp

For the tadka

Mustard - 1 tsp
hing - a pinch
green chilli slit - 2
coconut - 2 tbsp
coriander leaves - 1 tsp
sesame seeds - 1/2 tsp optional
Oil - 2 tsp

Method of Preparation

* Sieve besan powder

*Grease a plate and keep aside

*In a bowl add besan powder, semolina, sugar, salt, lemon juice, ginger chilli paste. Add just one cup water and mix well. Now add eno fruit salt and mix extremely well. Allow it to ferment within no time you will find the batter is double in quantity. 

*Pour water in pressure cooker. Bring to high flame, allow the water to emit steam.

 * Grease the pressure cooker vessel. Pour the mixture inside cooker vessel. Now carefully keep the vessel filled with dhokla batter.

 *Keep the mixture in pressure cooker and steam for about 7 to 8 minutes in high flame. Make sure you add sufficient water inside the pressure cooker. 

* Remove from stove allow it to cool down. . Add a spoon of water allow it to absorb water. Cut into desired shape.

* In a heated pan pour oil add mustard seeds. Allow it to crackle. Now add green chilli slit and hing. Off the stove.  Pour it on top of the prepared dhokla. Garnish with grated coconut and chopped coriander leaves. Serve with pudina coriander chutney. 

Pudina Coriander Chutney

Pudina - 1/4 cup
Coriander leaves - 1/4 cup
Green chilli - 4
Lemon juice - 1 tsp
Onion - 1/4 piece
Salt as required
Sugar - 1 tsp

Method of Preparation

Wash and remove hard stem from pudina and coriander leaves. Add green chilli, lemon juice, salt, sugar, onion, pudina, coriander leaves in a mixer. Grind by adding a little water.  Adjust salt. Serve with prepared Khaman Dhokla.

Punjabi dum aloo

Flavours from North India

Dum aloo is my favourite. I like Kashmiri dum aloo which is bit spicy and punjabi dum aloo which is tangy. Today I made Punjabi dum aloo. 



Ingredients

Baby potato - 1/2 kg
onion - 1
Tomato - 2
Ginger - one large piece
Green chilli - 2
milk - 1/4 cup
fresh home made cream - 1 tbsp
coriander leaves - 1/2 tsp chopped

For dry roast masala

Saunf - 1 tsp
coriander seeds - 1 tsp
jeera - 1 tsp
Red chilli - 1 broken
elachi /cardamom - 3
cinnamon - a small piece

Method of Preparation

* Wash and cook baby potato in medium flame in pressure cooker till soft. Peel the skin and poke the baby potatoes with a toothpick. In a kadai pour two table spoon of oil/ghee and roast potatoes by adding turmeric and salt till golden brown.

*Roast saunf,coriander,jeera,red chilli, elachi and cinnamon, Make a coarse powder using a mixer or morter and piston.

* In little water add chopped oonion, tomato, ginger and green chilli and keep in slow fire.  Once onion becomes translucent remove from water and grind to a smooth onion and tomato paste. Preserve the cooked water. 

*Pour oil in a large pan Add onion tomato paste, Allow it to further cook by adding roasted masala. You can add preserved water as this stage and keep it in slow flame. Once the gravy becomes thick add roasted potato and mix well. Allow potato to absorb the juicy masala. At this stage add fresh cream and 1/4 cup milk and allow it to mix well with aloo dum. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve with roti, kulcha, naan or rice.

Variation : Instead of milk you can add yogurt/lemon juice. I have not added yougurt today as the tomatoes were ripe and tangy just right for tangy punjabi dum aloo. 

Optional : Soak about 10 to 12 whole cashew nuts and make gravy out of it. Add this gravy once dum aloo absorbs all masala. I have skipped this step as cashew make dum aloo gravy very rich and bit sweet too. I wanted Punjabi aloo dum to be tangy this time. 

Mathan/Yellow Pumpkin ericheri

Mathan is a very tasty vegetable. You can make many different dishes with mathan. In south we use mathan for making mathan poduthuval, mathan ericheri, in aviyal, mathan bajji, mathan chena/yam curry.  The mathan seeds are very delicious when roasted with little salt in micro wave or on top of heated dosa tawa. In olden days we used to get mathan which is ripe and the seeds are ready for roasting. But now a days farmers pluck the mathan fairly young. 

 In European cuisine I have seen quite a number of dishes like Pumpkin pie, Pumpkin pan cake, Pumpkin cake, Pumpkin soup. The list is endless. 

Today I will share with you Mathan ericheri. Its a side dish for rice. 

Ingredients

Mathan/Yellow Pumpkin - 1/2 kg

Tuvar dal - 1/2 cup (pressure cooked)

Grated coconut - 1/2 cup

Coconut Oil - 1 tbsp

Mustard - 1/2 tsp

urad dal - 1/2 tsp

red chilli - 1 (broken)

curry leaves - a few

hing - 1/4 tsp

salt as required

Method of Preparation

* Wash peel, deseed and cut mathan into large cubes. 

* Pressure cook tuvar dal in a cup of water. Keep aside

*In a pan pour coconut oil, mustard seeds, urad dal, broken red chilli, hing and curry leaves Once mustard crackle add grated coconut and roast till golden brown in medium flame.

*In an earthen pot/Kalchatti add water  mathan cubes and salt. Cook till tender. Now add cooked tuvar dal. Garnish with roasted coconut. Serve as a side dish with freshly cooked rice. 

Garlic Naan

Yet another flat bread - Naan. This is also prepared in tadoor. So we will make it on pressure cooker/iron kadai at home. Let me share with you garlic naan recipe.

Ingredients

Maida - 2 cup

Yeast - 1 tsp

Oil - 2 tbsp

Sugar - 1 tsp

salt as required

Ghee/ Oil for greasing and brushing

For the topping 

Garlic crushed - 3 tbsp

Jeera - 2 tsp

Green chillies - 4 finely chopped

Sugar - 2 tsp

Lemon juice - 2 tbsp

* Add all these ingredients and make a coarse 

paste.

* In a small bowl add yeast and sugar mix it with 4 

tablespoon lukewarm water. Allow it to ferment for 

about 8 minutes.

Make a soft dough using rest of the ingredients add

 even the ground paste. Add sufficient water knead it

 till it become soft and smooth and elastic. For about

 10 minutes.

* Cover it with a soft muslin cloth and keep aside till 

the dough doubles its quantity. For about 30 minutes

*Gently press the dough and remove excess air.

* Make a big lemon sized ball and roll out naan. You 

can shape it like roti or like little long restaurant style

naan by gently pulling the sides of the roti to make 

oval shape. 


* Grease a pressure cooker/iron kadai with oil. Keep

 it upside down over open flame. Carefully apply

 little water on each naan and stick the wet side of 

naan around the inside of the cooker/iron kadai.

Place the cooker upside down directly on the flame 

and cook till both side are golden brown. If you are 

using a pressure cooker you can make 2 or 3 naans 

at a time. ( This step need little practice)

Remove naan and apply butter before serving.  Serve

 hot with Kadai vegetables, Dahl Makhani and raitha.



* Variation : Instead of garlic you can use roasted 

pudina leaves. Before serving gently sprinkle coarsely

powdered pudina leaves. 

Kulcha

Today I thought of sharing Kulcha recipe. Its from Punjab. 

Stuff Kulcha with Aloo/ Paneer/Peas Masala.  Its taste great as breakfast or at dinner time. Traditionally Kulchas are made in tandoor.  But at home you can make it on tawa. 

Let me share with you recipe for Plain Kulcha

Ingredients

Maida/ Whole wheat atta - 250 grams
Rice flour - 1 tablespoon
Curd as required
Salt as required
Cooking Soda - 1/4 tsp
Oil - 1 tablespoon

Method of Preparation

* Mix maida/whole wheat atta and rice flour and sieve them together with cooking soda and salt.

*In a bowl add all ingredients and use sufficient curd to make a soft dough. Keep aside for two hours. 

Make small lemon sized balls and roll out roti out of it. On a heated tawa roast both sides. You can apply butter and serve hot with paneer burji ,  Aloo jeera, and Raitha










*

Whole moong dahl/Green gram dahl

Hello,

Indian food is extremely nutritious and we use a lot of combination of different masalas. North Indian masalas are different from South Indian masalas. I will write about different spices used in vegetarian cuisine. Gujrati, Punjabi and Rajastani cuisine is considered to be the most interesting and tasty cuisine. I will write about it soon. 

I think my readers are now familiar with palghat iyer cooking. Let us go for a journey to the North and explore the vibrant cuisine. Yes you guessed it right I do wish to travel to Gujrat, Rajastan and North East India is in my wish list.  

Let me share with you a simple green gram dahl recipe. It taste great with Naan, Roti and Kulcha. With plain rice too!!


Whole moong dahl/Green gram dahl

Ingredients

Green gram - 200 grams
Tomato - 1(finely chopped
Onion - 1 small(finely chopped)
Ginger - a small piece( finely chopped)
Green chilli - 2(finely chopped)
Coriander powder -  1 tsp
Jeera powder - 1 tsp
Garam Masala powder - 1/2 tsp
ghee - 1 tsp
Coriander leaves - 1 tsp(wash and chop finely)


Method of Preparation

*Soak whole green gram for about 3 hours.

* Pressure cook green gram by adding 3 glasses of water for 2 whistles in medium or low flame.

 In a heated pan pour ghee/oil add chopped onion, green chilli and ginger saute for a while. Now add tomato. Let it cook for a while. You will notice now the oil is separated from the onion and onions are turning into golden brown. Its time to add jeera powder, coriander powder and garam masala powder. Mix well add this to the cooked green gram. Adjust salt and garnish with chopped coriander leaves. 

Roasted rice rawa kozhakattai/rice dumpling with coconut chutney

Roasted Raw rice kozhakattai/rice dumpling with coconut chutney

Ingredients

Roasted rice rawa - One cup
Grated coconut - 1/2 cup
Gingly oil - 1 tsp
Hing - one pinch
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
urad dal - 1/2 tsp
Red chilli - 1 broken
Hot water - 2 1/2 cups
salt as required


Method of Preparation


In a heated Kadai pour a table spoon of gingley oil, 1

tsp mustard seed, 1 tsp urad dal and a pinch of hing, one 

red chilly broken. Allow the mustard to crackle. 

Now add roasted rice rawa.salt and 2 1/4 cup boiled water

mix well. Add coconut and allow everything to mix well. Allow

it to cook in low flame. Off the stove. Make small balls. 

Steam it for about 10 minutes. Serve with coconut chutney.


Coconut chutney 

Ingredients

Grated coconut - 1 cup
green chilli - 3 nos.
puffed bengal gram(pottu kadala) - 1 table spoon
ginger - 1 small piece
salt - as required

For the tadka

Oil - 1 2 tsp
mustard seed - 1/4 tsp
red dry chilli - 2 nos.

Method of Preparation 

Add all the ingredients and ground by adding just enough water. Grind coarsely. Remove from mixer and add little more water if required for pouring consistency. In a small pan add oil and add mustard and red chilli. Allow it to splutter. Pour in top of the chutney. Serve with hot kozhakattai/rice dumpling.

Tamarind Chutney and Mint/Pudina Chutney

Time for few chutney. In Indian cuisine chutney play an important role. Especially when we make chats. I will share with you two of the most important chutneys we usually make while serving chats.

Tamarind Chutney

Ingredients

Tamarind extrat - 1cup (from 100 grams tamarind )
Dates - 25
Ginger powder - 1/2 tsp
Red chilli powder - 1 tsp
Kala namak/Black salt - 1 tsp
Jeera powder - 2 tsp
Jaggery - 100 grams
Salt as required

Method of Preparation

*Soak tamarind in hot water for about an hour and exgtract pulp. 

*Soak dates in warm water (just enough water for the dates to soak) for about an hour. In a mixer put the dates and use the same water and make a smooth paste out of it.  

Boil tamarind pulp and jaggery for about 7 minutes. Strain the liquid using a strainer for any impurities. Now add the dates paste to the tamarind and jaggery. Add rest of the dry masalas and boil further for about 3 to 4 minutes. Adjust salt and allow the tamarind chutney to reach room temperature. Store in a small glass jar. Serve it along with dahi vada, dahi pappadi chat, samosa and a number of Indian chats. 

Mint Chutney

Ingredients

Mint leaves - 1 bunch
coriander leaves - 1 bunch
Green chilli - 4
Lemon - 1 (extract juice)
Sugar - 1 tsp
salt as required
Onion - 1 chopped
Garlic - 1 pod crushed

Method of Preparation

Wash and trim the mint leaves and coriander leaves. We are going to use only the leaves. If the coriander leaves stem is soft chop it and use it. 

In a mixer put all the ingredients and grind to a fine paste. If needed add a little water. Adjust salt. This yummy chutney can be served with many starters. Taste great when freshly made. 

Bread Paneer balls

Yet another Paneer dish for evening snack or starter for kids get together.

Ingredients

Paneer - 2 cups
Yogurt/curd - 2 tsp
green chilli - 2 (chopped)
All purpose flour/Maida - 2 tsp
coriander leaves - 1 tsp (chopped)
Salt as required
Pepper powder - 1/2 tsp (crushed)
Bread slice - 4 pieces (cut the edges)
Oil for frying

Method of Preparation

* Soak Paneer in warm water till you use. Drain excess water and crumble paneer 

* Trim the edges of bread and make crumbs out of it. 

* Keep a plate ready. Spread kitchen towel in it.

Crumble bread and paneer using hand. Mix all the other ingredients and make small gooseberry sized balls. In a heated pan pour oil and keep the flame medium. Slowly place each bread paneer balls into oil and deep fry till golden brown. Remove from the pan place it on the kitchen towel/napkin. Allow excess oil to be absorbed.  Serve hot with tamarind chutney/coriander chutney.

Paneer Bhurji for Roti

Paneer Bhurji my all time favourite dish. It takes just a few minutes to prepare this delicious burji. You an use it as filling for sandwich or roti.

Paneer Bhurji

Ingredients

Paneer (Amul) - 200 grams (crumble into small pieces with hands)

Onion - 2 chopped finely

Capsicum - 1 sliced into small pieces

Tomato - 3 tomatoes slice into very small pieces

Ginger - a small piece (chop finely)

Garlic - 1 pod (crush)

Green chilli - 2 nos.(chop into small pieces)

Turmeric - 1/2 tsp

Dhaniya powder - 1 tsp

Red chilli powder - 1/2 tsp

Coriander leaves/curry leaves - 1/2 tsp

salt to taste

Garam masala powder - 1/4 tsp

Oil/Ghee - 1 tsp

Method of Preparation

In a heated pan add oil fry onion, ginger and garlic for a while Add chopped tomatoes saute for about 5 to 6 minutes in medium flame till onion turns into golden brown. Now add all dry masala and capsicum pieces. Keep stirring till the ghee/oil separates from the masala. Now add paneer, salt, coriander/curry leaves and further mix well and cook for about 3 minutes. Serve hot with freshly made rotis use it as a filling for bread and grill.