Rooh Afza and Khus cool drinks - Holi special

Happy Holi to foodies all over the world ! 

Healthy cool drink

Chilled sprite – 1 ltr

Khus syrup – 1 cup

Fruits like apple. musumbi and pineapple chopped into thin slices. – few slices

Fresh cherries – 1 handful

Mint leaves – a few

Method of Preparation

Pour Khus syrup in four thin glasses, add sprite equal parts. Decorate with sliced fruit slices and fresh cherries, just before serving garnish with mint leaves. Serve chilled. The best drink on a hot summer holi day! Have fun.

This is orginal recipe shared by Rooh Afza 

Ingredients

• 3.5 cups of water – chilled 
• rooh afza syrup as required
• ½ tbsp sabja seeds/basil seeds
• sugar as per your taste – optional
• ice cubes (optional)

Instructions

1. soak the sabja/basil seeds in ¾ cup of water for half an hour.
2. in a glass jar or a bowl add 3.5 cups water.
3. add rooh afza syrup in the water as required.
4. also add the soaked sabja seeds.
5. add the sugar as per your taste.
6. add ice cubes, if you want to serve it cold.
7. stir everything well.
8. you can have the drink immediately or store the drink in refrigerator and have it after few hours.

Notes: 

For varioation you can use rooh afza is a sweet rose scented syrup that is made with fruits, vegetables, herbs and roots.

it is a unani medicine and was developed to reduce body heat. the dark rose colored syrup is thick and very sweet. so the syrup has to be dissolved in water or milk. the aromatic and herbal flavors of this drink is something that you have to try.

you can add rooh afza to milk shakes, sherbets, lassi, , kulfi, ice cream, phirni, kheer and pudding. it is sweet in taste and adds a rich, aromatic and cooling flavor to your drinks or desserts. you can have it with cold water mixed with sugar too.

women's day special snack - Idli and coconut chutney

Wishing all my woman readers a happy women's day. 

Here is a beautiful pink rose from my terrace garden for being the most beautiful woman! Beautiful Indian bangles for your lovely hands.

 

So what special dish you made today to celebrate your womanhood? Something really healthy. 

I am going to celebrate women's day with the most beautiful woman, my mother. I prepared a simple dish for her today. Soft and spongy idli. A healthy and tasty Indian snack. 

Soft, spongy Idli

Ingredients

Urad dal - 1 cup

Idli rice (Ponni boiled rice/Doppi rice) - 3 cups.

Salt - 1 1/4 tsp

Method of Preparation

Soak urad dal and rice in separate vessels for about 4 to 5 hours. Grind urad dal first for about 35 minutes in wet grinder by adding just enough water. When the batter is ready to be removed off the grinder and look for bubbles in the urad dal paste. If you see big bubbles coming and bursting  that means your urad dal is ready to be removed. The quantity will be 3 times of urad dal you added. Remove from grinder keep aside. Now add idli rice allow it to grind for about 12 minutes, now add prepared urad dal. Allow both the batter to grind together for about 10 minutes, Add salt. Carefully remove the batter in a large vessel. The batter will be double the quantity you grind when fermented. So make sure your vessel is big enough. We are going to allow the batter to ferment overnight for about 8 hours. 

Morning prepare soft idli in  idli maker.Use a little oil to moist the idli tray. Pour just one big 
laddle full of batter. Allow the batter to cook for about 10 minutes in medium flame. Remove from the idli tray using a clean ladle. Careful you may break the idli as its very soft and fluffy!
Your spongy idli's are ready to be served. 

For coconut chutney 

Ingredients

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

For the tadka

Oil - 1 2 tsp
mustard seed - 1/4 tsp
red dry chilly - 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 chilly. Allow it to splutter. Pour in top of the chutney. Serve with fluffy, spongy idli.

Papaya Jam

I like ripe and juicy papaya. I like to make salad and curry out of raw papaya. Papaya is a very nutritious and tasty fruit and at the same time its a good vegetable too, when its raw.  Today I am sharing with my readers ripe and half ripened papaya jam. Sounds interesting!

This recipe is originally shared by my friend Reeja Shanty. These papaya's are garden fresh and recipe and photographs shared by Reeja for my readers. Thank you Reeja.

Papaya Jam

Ingredients - 3 papaya
sugar/powder jaggery - 4 tsp
lime juice - 3 to 4 table spoon

For better flavour (Optional)
Roast and coarsely powdered 
cinnamon, clove and elachi  - 1/2 tsp

Select three papayas one fully ripe and two half ripe. Wash, peel and deseed. Cut into big cubes. 

 1

 2

3


Use a blender to finely chop. 

  4

Now add four teaspoon sugar and keep in low flame without adding water. Allow the papaya to cook in its own juice.Cook for 20 to 30 minutes keep stirring the fruit and smash it in between for even cooking.

  5

Once the papaya is cooked allow the jam to cool down. Add juice from three juicy lemon. About 3 to 4 table spoon. This is the only preservative used in this jam.

  6

Chef's tip:

1. Instead of sugar you can use powdered jaggery.
2. If you like you can add little spices like roasted and coarsely powdered cinnamon, clove and one elachi for better flavour. Keep in air tight jars. Use it as a side dish with poori, roti or bread. 

KHANDVI

KHANDVI 

I enjoy Khandvi as an evening snack. Today I tried to make Khandavi for breakfast. Equally taste good! 

Ingredients

1 cup besan(sieved) 

  

1 cup   dahi/ curd, I used dahi from collected malai for butter. 

2 cups  water, room temperature 

1 tsp ginger paste/grated ginger

1tsp green chilli paste/ thinly sliced

1 tsp red chilli powder

1/2  tsp salt

1/2 tsp heeng

1 tsp turmeric  powder

For tempering:

1 tsp oil

1/2 mustard seeds

  

1 thinly sliced green chilli 

4-5 curry leaves                      

Finely chopped coriander leaves – 1 tsp

2 tbsp   grated coconut

Method

*Place flour in a large, deep, heavy based pan  

*Add grated  ginger chopped chilli /ginger chilli paste, chilli powder, salt, heeng and turmeric and mix.

* Now add the  curd a little at a time, stir well so as to form a smooth paste, without any lumps, and then add the water.I used the hand blender. 

*Place the pan over high heat, and bring to a boil, stirring all the time. You should continously stir the batter, that assure smooth batter. 

*Keep cooking and stirring till you reach a paste like consistency. The batter will leave the sides of the pan. 

*You can test the consistency of the batter,  spread a small quantity of the batter on to an ungreased surface, cool, it should come off clean, that means the consistency is perfect. 

*Grease a few plates spread the mixture and gradually but with steady hands spread as thin a layer as possible. Allow the batter to completely cool. Score using a knife. 

*Cut this layer into strips roll up each strip like a scroll, as firmly as you can, without breaking them.  

*Arrange them into a serving dish.

*For the tadka( the most delicious part of khandvi!)

*Heat the oil in a small pan and add the mustard seeds, curry leaves and red chilly. Stir a few times and then spread over the layer. 

*Now gently spread grated coconut, chopped  coriander leaves a dash of heeng powder.

*Taste great with coriander chutney  and imly chutney.

The idli steamer can also be used for making khandvi, which I tried.

The ratio of buttermilk and besan is 2:1, please remember that so that you will get perfectly steamed khandvi.

Place the prepared batter in a large bowl in the idli steamer. I placed a grid in the steamer and added water at the bottom.

Steam the batter for about 15 minutes. Open and check whether it's done.

Once the batter is completely cooled down, cut into desired shapes. I have not rolled it, instead made into squares and did a quick tadka.

Agra wali - adrak chai

Agra wali ginger chai! It was the best chai we had. The chai was so tasty on a chilly winter morning. The tasty tea brought us back to the dabba in the evening! After seeing TAJ, walking and revisiting the love story of a great ruler and his beloved wife.

We have visited Agra in 2014 on chilly winter after attending a wedding at Delhi. Kids were at Canada and we two me and Ravi had a few days break from our schedule. 

I still remember the photo session we both underwent with our guide in Agra! 

Let me share with you the secret recipe. 

For tea masala. 

Ingredients


2 elachi 

3 clove

1 inch ginger piece(peeled and crushed)

2 teaspoon sugar

Method

*Dry roast one elachi and clove. 

*Crush a small piece of ginger add elachi and clove and ground further. Add this masala to your chai. 

*I use tata gold tea leaves/wagh bakri tea( I get it specially ordered, as most of the shops here don't have this brand)

*For best results allow your chai pathi (leaves) and ground masala to slowly cook in milk and water. 

*Add sugar and strain your yummy Agra wali chai.

The dabbawala was in all smiles when he shared his recipe. 

Restaurant Style Paneer Tikka Masala

Restaurant Style  Paneer Tikka Masala

Pretty interesting! I tried this recipe after watching a TV show! In fact they were showing how to make paneer tkka in tandoor. Then I thought why not use that and make a simple gravy. 

2 cups of paneer  cubes (amul is best)

1 large onion, thinly sliced
2 tomatoes, pureed 
1 1/2 tsp of coriander powder 
1 tsp of jeera / cumin seeds 
1/2 tsp of turmeric powder 
1 tsp  red chilli powder 
2 tsp ginger julienne

1/4 tsp of crushed garlic 

1 tbsp dried fenugreek leaves (kasuri methi)
1/2 cup of cream 
Salt to taste
1/2 tsp Coriander leaves  
1 1/2 tsp tandoori masala
1 tbsp of oil /ghee

Method of Preparation

To make Paneer tikka

Marinate paneer pieces using tandoori 

masala,salt and lemon juice. Keep aside for 20 

minutes. In a non stick tawa you can slowly 

cook this paneer pieces till very light golden 

brown. Keep aside. (If tandoor oven is available 

make paneer tikka using it.)

For the gravy

 Heat oil in a pan and add the cumin seeds, allow it to release aromatic flavour, add the onion slices. When the onions begin to turn a dark brown, add the ginger and garlic. Saute for a while. Now  add  red chilli powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder, salt. Fry  until the mixture is absorbed by onion. Keep the flame low. Add pureed tomatoes along with a cup water. Mix well and cook on low flame until the mixture thickens. Add the kasuri methi and the cream. Mix well, keep cooking in low flame. Avoid boiling.

Its time to add the paneer tikka pieces and tandoori masala, coriander leaves adjust salt and mix well. Allow the gravy to evenly coat on paneer tikka. Serve with freshly made roti/naan or rice.

Garnish with ginger slivers before serving.

Watermelon Juice

Watermelon juice

Summer slowly setting in India. Days are becoming hotter. Its the time to buy fresh juicy watermelon. When you buy watermelon ask the seller to cut it and show you the red juicy melon. The texture of the fruit should be fresh. Make sure you use the watermelon within a day or two. 

Ingredients

Freshly cut and deseeded watermelon piece - 2 glass full
Ruhafza - 1 tbsp
ginger - a small piece
crushed pepper - a pinch

Method of Preparation

In a blender or mixie juicer add watermelon pieces, ruhafza and ginger. Blend to a smooth juice. Pour into tall glass. Now add crushed pepper. This is a real treat for children after school! 

For those who love to eat watermelon try this one

Cut the fruit into small/big cubes. Add crushed pepper/chat masala and a little salt. Enjoy your crunchy fruit.