Paneer penne pasta with tomato gravy

This is Indian version of whole wheat pasta. I have added a few cubes of Paneer.

Ingredients

Penne pasta 250 grams
Ripe tomatoes 2
Garlic a few pods
Onion one small
Long bean a few.
French beans a few
Basil a pinch
Oregano a pinch
Red chilli powder a little
Salt as per taste
Cheese slices two
Paneer 100 grams
Pepper corns few  crushed

Method of preparation

Boil water in a large pan and cook penne pasta till soft, drain excess water.

In a small pot cook tomato till its outer skin comes out, remove skin and make a puree out of it.

Chop long bean, french beans, onion, garlic.

In a heated pan add chopped garlic and onion, let it cook and turn into golden brown, add beans and long bean. Saute till it cooks into tender and crunchy.

 Add tomato puree.

 Allow it to cook further for 5 minutes. 

Now add oregano, Basil, red chilli powder, salt and pepper and mix well. 

Reduce heat and add cooked penne pasta. Add sliced paneer and finally cheese slices.

 Mix gently adjust salt and serve hot.

Turai and green moong dhal in tomato gravy.

      

Turai is a very delicate and soft vegetable with a rough outer skin. You have to scrap the peel. The recipe is bit tedious and takes time.

Ingredients

Turai - 4 large
Onion one
Tomato four
Ginger a small piece
Chilli two
Coriander and jeera a tsp each
Red chilli two
Coriander leaves a little( chopped)
Green moong dhal cooked(soaked overnight) half a cup
Turmeric a pinch
Red chilli powder a little for colour
Salt as required

Method of preparation

*Wash and peel turai cut into small pieces.

*Chop onion, ginger, green chilies.

*Slit tomatoes and boil in a cup of water. Once done peel off the skin. Keep the water.

* Dry roast dhaniya, jeera and red chili and add a little Ghee and add chopped onion, ginger and green chilli. Once onion becomes translucent add cooked tomato to it and smash it. Off the stove. Once it reach room temperature grind to a coarse paste.

*soak and cook 1/2 cup green moong dhal till soft. Keep aside. I prefer to soak green moong dhal the previous night. So it cooks fast.

In a heated pressure pan pour ghee or oil add onion tomato paste, let it cook for a while now add chopped turai. Mix gently. Add turmeric, salt and little red chill powder. Cook for two whistles. Off the stove and add cooked green gram dhal. Mix well adjust salt and garnish with chopped coriander. Enjoy the healthy and tasty turai gravy with phulkas.

Mango Shrikhand

Mango Shrikhand

I have made it with thick curd, fresh cream, badam, pistachio, elachi and organic brown colour sugar. The process is very simple. Cut three sweet alphonso mango, add sugar, elachi and blend it to puree. In a mixing bowl, add fresh cream, curd, mango puree, badam milk powder, crushed almonds and blend it using a hand blender. Set it in freezer for delicious home made mango Shrikhand.  

Ingredients   
                                                                   

Ripe alphonso mango (3)                   

Thick curd (one litre)                             fresh cream 250 ml,
Badam milk powder 250 grams.            organic brown sugar (1 cup)            badam a handful, pistachio a few,   

elachi (5)

Method of preparation 

*wash, cut and peel mango, make a puree out of it by adding sugar and crushed elachi.

* soak badam in hit water for 1/2 an hour, remove skin and Grind badam  to a coarse powder. 

*crush elachi and pistachio. 

In a large mixing bowl add mango puree, badam milk powder, crushed almonds and pistachio, curd, cream and blend it using a hand blender till smooth and creamy. Pour in setting moulds or use ice cream container. Set it in refrigerator for four to five hours for creamy delicious Shrikhand. Enjoy mango Shrikhand with hot poori.

Mixed vegetable curry with coconut milk

All you need is few vegetables and a little effort to make this delicious curry.

Mixed vegetable curry with coconut milk 

Ingredients

Beetroot one
Carrot two
Onion one
Cauliflower a little
Tomato one
Beans a few
Green chili two
Ginger a small piece
Coriander leaves a few
Garam masala a pinch
Jeera powder a pinch
Turmeric powder a pinch
Red chilli powder 1/2 tsp
Coconut milk 1cup
Saunf dry roasted

Method of preparation

* wash peel and chop beans, carrot, beetroot and Cauliflower.  Steam in the cooker by adding a little water and turmeric powder.

* Grind ginger, green chilies, tomato and onion to a coarse paste.

*wash and chop coriander leaves.

In a heated kadai pour ghee/peanut oil add Jeera powder and coarsely ground onion tomato paste. Cook it in high flame for about five minutes and then lower the flame. Allow it to release ghee. Add red chilli powder, garam masala and steamed vegetables. Mix well. Add coconut milk and adjust salt. Finally garnish with chopped coriander leaves and roasted saunf(you can also use dill leaves if it's freshly available )  Serve with phulka or poori. 

Garma garam chai aur pakodi

First summer shower and pakodi made with garden fresh onion shoots, ajwain, red amaranthus, curry leaves.

Ingredients

Besan - 1 cup
Rice powder one tsp
Ginger grated -  a small piece
Green chilies two
Kalonji (black jeera) a pinch
Salt as per taste
Red chilly powder - 1 tsp
Chat masala 1 tsp
Onion one
Potato one
Basale keerai one stem
Onion shoots a few
Curry leaves a few
Ajwain leaves a few
Oil for frying - prefer peanut oil

Method of preparation

In a large bowl add Besan, rice powder, chat masala, salt, red chilly powder, grated ginger, chopped green chilies, chopped greens and vegetables. Mix well adding a little water.  Heat oil in a kadai when medium hot use a spoon or hand to drop pakodi and fry till golden brown. Remove it in a kitchen towel and serve hot with ketchup or dhaniya chutney and pipping hot coffee or tea.

Aam ka panna(summer cooler)

Raw mango is used for making Aam ka panna. Select good mango which can be made into Aam ka panna. I have selected medium raw mango for this purpose.

Ingredients

Raw mango - 4
Cold water - 1 1/2 liter
Salt as required
Jeera powder - 1 tsp
Chat masala - 1/2 tsp
grated jaggery - 2 tbsp
Ice cubes a few
Pudina leaves for garnishing.

Method of preparation

Wash mango,  add water in pressure cooker and cook mango for two whistle. Once it reaches room temperature open the cooker and remove only mango from it. In another bowl add water and dip all cooked mangoes and remove the skin and pulp from the seed. Discard seeds and peel. With hand blender mash the pulp, add salt, jaggery, chat masala, Jeera powder and blend to a fine smoothie. Strain the Aam ka panna and serve chilled by adding ice cubes. Garnish with Pudina leaves and serve as a cooler to beat the heat of summer.

Sambharam (buttermilk)

A traditional buttermilk which is highly beneficial to beat the summer heat. With easily available ingredients the buttermilk or sambharam can be prepared. I have used home grown ginger and curry leaves.                             

Ingredients                                                           

Home made curd - 1 cup, water from earthen pot - 3 cups, rock salt as required, ginger a small piece, hang a pinch green chilies a few.      

                             

Method of preparation       

                                 

In a bowl add curd and water, churn it with a wooden hand blender(mathu) In mixer add ginger, green chilies , rock salt and curry leaves. Grind it to a coarse paste. Add ginger paste to prepared buttermilk. Add a pinch of hing to it again churn. Serve to your guests and family as a summer cooler.  This traditional style home made sambharam is an essential part of lunch menu.