Malai Kofta Curry

I really did not know that doing a job for the whole day and then cooking at the end of the day is really tiresome.... earlier when I used to work never felt like this...but now I have a child who goes to the childcare for the whole day.... so when I come back really don feel like doing anything..just play with her and spend all my time with her only... today saturday.. after half days work managed to prepare this... after a long time had a nice dinner....
so here goes the recipe for the tasty Malai Kofta Curry
Ingredients
For the Koftas
4-5 medium size Potatoes
100 gms Cottage cheese
2 green chillies
¼ cup cornflour
Salt as per taste
¼ cup raisins
oil for deep frying
For gravy
3 medium sized onions
3 tbsp oil
1tbsp Ginger paste
1tbsp garlic paste
2 green chillies
1tsp coriander powder
1 tsp turmeric
salt as per taste
½ cup tomato puree
1 tsp red chilli powder
For the Gravy
½ cup mawa (khoya)
½ cup fresh cream
1 tsp garam masala powder
Method
1. Boil the potatoes, cool, peel and grate them. Grate paneer. Wash all green chillies, deseed and chop them fine.
2. Peel onions cut them into halves and boil with a cup of water for ten minutes. Drain excess water, cool onions and grind into a smooth paste.
3. Mix mashed potatoes, paneer, two chopped green chillies, cornflour and salt. Mix well. Divide into sixteen equal balls. Stuff raisins into them. Deep fry in hot oil until slightly coloured. Drain and keep aside.
4. Heat oil in a kadhai. Add boiled onion paste and cook for five minutes. Add ginger paste, garlic paste, chopped green chillies, coriander powder, turmeric powder and salt. Cook for a minute.
5. Add tomato puree and red chilli powder and cook on a medium flame for eight to ten minutes or till oil separates from the masala.
6. Mix mawa in two cups of water and add to the gravy. Bring it to boil and simmer for ten minutes on a slow flame. Stir occasionally. Stir in fresh cream and garam masala powder.
7. Place warm koftas in a serving dish and pour hot gravy on top and serve.

Tip: Fry one kofta and check for binding, if it breaks add a little more cornflour. Deep fry in hot oil.

Read more!

Dry fenugreek vege (sukhi methi subzi)

Ingredients
1 bunch fenugreek leaves
2-3 cloves of garlic (mashed roughly)
1tsp mustard seeds
1tsp oil
salt as per taste
Method
1. Wash the fenugreek leaves under water properly.
2. Heat oil in a vessel. Add mustard seeds. when they crackle add the mashed garlic cloves.
3. When they turn slightly brown add fenugreek leaves and salt.
4. Mix nicely and cover it for 5 minutes.
5. Serve hot or cold with chapati...
Read more!

Amras

Ingredients
2 mangoes
1/4 cup milk
a pinch salt
jaggery according to the sweetness of the mangoes
Method
1. Peel and take out the pulp of the mangoes.
2. Dip the seed of the mango in the milk and wash it in the milk.
3. Add the milk to the pulp. Then mix salt and jaggery.
4. Add cardamom powder if desired.....
5. Serve with puri..
Read more!

Patrado (Alu vadi/ Pathra/arvi leaf rolls)

Patrado or colocassia leaf multilayered with spices, steamed.

Ingredients

9-10 Colocassia leaves (arbi ke patte)
1 cup Split pigeon pea (toor dal/arhar dal)
1/2 cup Rice
4 tbsp Coconut, scraped
10 Whole dry red chillies, roasted
Lemon sized ball Tamarind
1/4 tsp Asafoetida
Salt to taste
Jaggery (gur) to taste
Method
1. Soak dal and rice for four to six hours. Drain and grind to a coarse paste along with coconut,
whole red chillies, tamarind and asafoetida.
2. Add salt, jaggery and mix well. Leave the batter overnight to ferment.
3. Wash the colocassia leaves (arbi ke patte), remove the stalk and slice off the center stem of the leaves carefully so that the leaves do not tear. Place a leaf on a flat surface and apply a layer of the paste.
4. Place another leaf on top and repeat the procedure until three leaves are used for each roll. Fold the sides of the leaves inwards and roll the leaves together tightly to form a medium sized roll.
5. Tie each roll securely from all sides with a piece of string. Heat sufficient water in a cooker and place the rolls in a shallow vessel. Steam cook them until the patrado is well cooked.
6. Allow the rolls to cool. Remove the strings and cut rolls into thick round slices. Serve drizzled with ghee.
7. They can be served deep-fried too.

My entry for the SWC Karnataka hoted by me....
Read more!

Gouri Oota

Every year at my mom house we celebrate Gouri Ganpati with lot of preparations... Last year as my inlaws were here we did so many things and had such a nice time preparing all the festive cuisines... This year its me, hubby and our daughter only... but still I wanted to make all the things as we did last year... so last friday I prepared all these and had invited my friends for lunch.. we call it 'mutyadi' (married woman).... in our customs it is very auspicious to call a married woman for lunch on the shravan masa fridays.... so I had prepared hurnad holige (puran poli/ chickpea +jaggery paratha), tavi anna (varan bhat), chittranna (lemon rice), buttianna (curd rice), shenga chatni (groundnut chatni), kosambri (raita), potato & cumin leaf bhajji, batati palya (potato vege), katad amti (katachi amti), kurdayi, kadhi & mentehit....
Had a wonderful time preparing all this... so one more for SWC Karnataka Event hosted by me...

Read more!

Badnekayi palya (eggplant curry)

A very simple and fast to make recipe..

Ingredients
5-6 medium sized eggplants (brinjals)
1 onion (sliced long)
1tsp oil
1tsp mustard seeds
1tsp turmeric (haldi)
a pinch of asafoetida (hing)
1tsp red chilli powder or to taste
1tsp garam masala
1tsp jaggery
Salt as per taste
water
1/2 cup roasted peanut powder


Method
1. Wash, clean and remove the stems of the brinjals and cut them in long but thick slices. Put them in salt water.
2. Cut onions long. Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds. When they crackle add onions and saute till the onions turn a little brown.
3. Then add turmeric, asafoetida and mix.
4. Add the brinjals, mix and then add garam masala, jaggery, red chilli powder and salt. Mix and add enough water for the brinjals to get cooked.
5. When the brinjals are cooked add the peanut powder and boil for two more minutes. Serve hot with plain rice/roti/chapati/paratha.

Note:
Use boiled potato if you have less number of brinjals.

My entry for the SWC Karnataka Event.




Read more!

Narali Bhat

This is an authentic recipe prepared in our house for every rakhi. Actually we have one more festival called Narali Pournima mostly on the same day of Rakhi. So this sweet rice is prepared for both the festival together.

Ingredients

2 cups rice (basmati rice tastes good)

1cup grated jaggery (or according to desired sweetness)

1cup grated fresh coconut

2-3 cloves

1tsp green cardamom powder

1tbsp claryfied butter (ghee)

Method

1. Wash and keep rice aside for half an hour. Heat ghee in a thick bottomed pan and add cloves to it. Once the cloves change colour add the washed rice and saute for a minute.

2. Then add 3cups of warm water to it and cook the rice.

3. In another bowl mix jaggery, coconut and cardamom powder.

4. Once the rice is cooked add the jaggery mixture to it and mix nicely.

5. Serve hot or cold...

So this is my contri to the festive food event hosted by Priti & Purva...

Read more!

Mango Soufle

I love to make soufles... this is one of my very very lovely recipes... it tastes great and a very quick dessert for any occassion...

Ingredients
1 Mango
1 cup milk
2tbsp condensed milk (or adjust according to taste)
2 cups cream
1tbsp gelatin
a few gems chocolate for garnish.
Method
1. Peel, and cut half mango into pieces and make the pulp of half.
2. In a blender mix milk, condensed milk, cream and pulp of half mango and blend nicely.
3. In a bowl take 4 tbsp hot water add gelatin and stirr till dissolved. Pass it through a strainer into the blended mixture.
4. In a bowl or glasses in which you want to set the soufle, put the pieces of half mango and pour the blended mixture over it. Place in the refrigerator to set.
5. Garnish with gem chocolate and serve chilled.

My entry for Srilekha's event of Ice creams and milk shakes.

Read more!

Custard Apple Soufle

Today I am really tired, was out for the whole day and wanted to freshen my self. So there could be nothing other than to try something new and freshen up... So usually I make mango soufle... had custard apple at home and thought of trying custard apple soufle.. ah it really tastes great... feeling good after a successful experiment..hehehe.. so one more entry for Srilekha's event of Ice creams and milk shakes.

Ingredients

1 custard apple

1 cup milk

2tbsp condensed milk (or adjust according to taste)

2 cups cream

1tbsp gelatin

a few strands of saffron and a few pieces of pistachios for garnish.

Method

1. Peel, dessed the custard apple.

2. In a blender mix milk, condensed milk, cream and custard apple pulp and blend nicely.

3. In a bowl take 4 tbsp hot water add gelatin and stirr till dissolved. Pass it through a strainer into the blended mixture.

4. Pour into bowl or glasses in which you want to set the soufle. Place in the refrigerator to set.

5. Sprinkle a few strands of saffron and pieces of pistachios and served chilled.

Fast and easy dessert...

Read more!

Custard Apple Milkshake

Ingredients

1 custard apple

1tbsp condensed milk

1 cup chilled milk

a few saffron strands for garnish

Method

1. Peel, deseed the custard apple.

2. In a blender add the pulp of the custard apple, chilled milk, condensed milk and blend.

3. Serve immediately garnished with saffron strands.

My entry for Srilekha's event of Ice creams and milk shakes.

Read more!

Tamarind Rice

A tangy rice and can be prepared easily... My entry for the SWC-Karnataka Ingredients
3 tbsp Tamarind concentrate
2tsp sugar
salt as per taste
2tbsp peanuts roasted
1tbsp desicated coconut
2tbsp jaggery
1tsp black pepper powder
few curry leaves
1tsp sesame seeds
1tsp fenugreek powder
1tsp turmeric powder
2tsp chick peas
1tsp blackgram
1tsp mustard seeds
2tsp oil
1tsp asafoetida
1tsp cumin powder
2cups rice

Method
1. Wash and cook rice in a cooker. Keep aside.
2. Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds. Once they crackle add blackgram, chick peas, peanuts, turmeric powder & asafoetida.
3. Fry all this for about a few minutes. (till the nuts start to change colour)
4. Then add desiccated coconut, coriander powder, red chilli powder, curry leaves, seasame seeds, jaggery, black pepper powder, fenugreek powder & cumin powder. Mix and fry for another minute.
5. Then add cooked rice, sugar, salt and tamarind concentrate. Mix all and serve hot.



Read more!

Maledi Undi

We prepare these Laddus on one of the Shravani Somwar (Mondays that come in the Shravan month according to Hindu calendar)... those who are basically from Karnataka might know this variety of Laddu... so this recipe goes for the SWC-Karnataka event and the Sweet Series Chikki and laddu event of TOI.

Ingredients

2 cups atta

grated jaggery according the sweetness

1tsp green cardamom powder

2tsp poppy seeds (khus khus)

1tbsp roasted chickpeas

1tbsp grated dry coconut

2tbsp ghee

Method

1. Make a dough from the atta using enough water and make chappatis (roti) from the dough.

2. Once the chappatis are a bit cool, grind them in a food processor or just mash them with hand.( do not grind to powder)

3. Heat ghee in a thick bottomed pan and add the grated jaggery to it and just melt the jaggery into it.

4. Remove from gas and add poppy seeds, cardamom powder, grated dry coconut, roasted chickpea and mix.

5. Then add the mashed chappatis. Make big size ladoos from it.

Read more!

Beetroot Tikki an Award & Meme

A mixture of beetroot and potatoes shaped into tikkis and shallow fried with its wonderful colour is a very tasty and mouthwatering tea time snacks on rainy days....

Ingredients

1cup beetroot boiled and mashed

3 medium potatoes boiled and mashed

1tbsp oil + for shallow fry

1 medium onion chopped finely

salt to taste

1/2 tbsp red chilli powder

1 tbsp lemon juice

Method

1. Heat 1tbsp oil in a pan add onion and fry till light golden brown. Add beetroot, salt and fry till moisture evaporates. Add red chilli powder and mix.

2. Add lemon juice and mix.

3. Add beetroot mixture to potatoes & mix. Cool and chill in the refrigerator for half and hour.

4. Heat oil on a tawa. Grease your hands with a little water and make tikkis from the beetroot mixture. Shallow fry on both sides on the tawa till cooked.

5. Serve hot with any chutney or ketchup.

This is my entry for the sunshinemom event of Food in Colour event

Now the Award... thanks a lot dear Sowmya... I feel honoured with this award...

Now I would like to pass this to Vidya, Neha, Sunshinemom & Purva

Happy blogging friends
And now coming to Meme
Priti has passed me this cute The Booky Meme.

The rules of the tag are as follows:* Pick up the nearest book* Open to page 123* Find the 5th sentence* Post the next three sentences* Tag 5 people and acknowledge the person who tagged you

Ok here it goes.. the nearest book is 'How to Maximize your child's learning ability' and on page 123, 5th Sentence is "Christopher enjoys the role of observer."

1. He is fascinated by the interactions and play of other children.
2. But remains on the sidelines as though unsure of how to join in their games.
3.Christopher's gross motor skills are about average for his age.

And I'm passing it to

Priyanka, Sukanya, Srilekha, Pooja & Rashmi
Read more!

Garlic Bread

A wonderful side dish with soup...Ingredients
1 french loaf
butter enough to spread on the loaf
1tsp oregano leaves crushed
1tbsp garlic paste

Method
1. Cut the french into slant slices.
2. Mix butter, oregano and garlic paste together. Spread it evenly on both sides of the slices and toast for 2-3 min in an oven at about 100degree celcius. Or can just roast it on the tawa or hot griddle till crisp.
Read more!

Casari

A rich semolina and milk sweet, cut into squares and generously garnished with almonds, cashewnuts and raisins.

Ingredients

1 cup Semolina
7 tbsp sugar a few strands of saffron
2 green cardamoms
7 tbsp ghee
10-12 cashewnuts
a pinch salt
1/2 cup milk
10-12 raisins
10 almonds slivered and blanched.








Method
1. Combine sugar and one and a quarter cups of hot water in a pan over low heat, stirring until the syrup gets a golden colour. Remove from heat and keep aside.
2. Soak saffron strands in a tbsp of hot water. Remove the seeds from the cardamom pods and discard the pods.
3. Heat ghee in a kadai and fry cashewnuts till golden. Drain and keep aside.
4. Fry semolina in the same ghee until brown. Add the sugar syrup, salt, milk, cardamom seeds, raisins, fried cashews and soaked saffron and mix well.
5. Cook over low heat till mixture thickens. Grease a dish with butter. Spread mixture on the greased dish.
6. Leave it to cool. Garnish with almonds. Cut into desired shapes and serve.


Also saw just now that my recipe of Lauki Kofta is selected under authentic recipe category for voting so dear friends if you all like it please vote for me here...

Read more!

Tambit Undi ( Roasted chickpea powder sweet ladoos)

This is one of my favorite sweet made only for the special festival of Nagpanchami. Yes today is Nagpanchami the festival of Snake God. In Karnataka this festival has a lot of importance. I still remember my mom used to stich or buy new clothes for me, put mehndi and dad used put the swing to our door... ha it was a wonderful time.... different snacks like chakli, chiwda and most important tambit undi used to be prepared for this festival... so today I prepared it and also put henna to my daughter and baought a new dress... so the tradition continues.... and here is the recipe for wonderful tambit undi for the SWC-Karnataka event hosted me :), Sweet series event of TOI hosted by Mythreyee.
Ingredients
4 cups powdered toasted gram nuts (Roasted and split chickpeas, Phutane (marathi), hurkadli (kannada)
3 cups jaggery grated
1tsp poppy seeds (khus khus)
20 raisins
10-12 cashewnuts cut into pieces
10-12 almonds cut into pieces
10-12 pistachios cut into pieces
2tsp green cardamom powder
2tbsp grated dry coconut
2tbsp ghee

Method
1. Make a powder of the roasted gram nuts in a mixer.
2. Melt the ghee in a thick bottomed kadhai and add the jaggery to it. Melt the jaggery into it. Do not let it boil, just melt it.
3. Remove from gas and add the poppy seeds and dry grated coconut.
4. Then add cardamom powder, cashew nut, raisins, almonds, pistachios and mix.
5. Lastly start adding the roasted chickpea powder little by little. Add powder mix, again add mix.
6. Keep adding the powder till the jaggery mixture absorbs it upto a consistency of making ladoos.
7. Start making ladoos from this mixture in a cylinder shape. This is the speciality of this ladoo, its not round but a cylinder. Be careful the mixture is a bit hot. But dont wait for the mixture to cool or it will not be possible to bind the ladoos.
8. In case while making the ladoos the mixture turns dry and its not possible to bind, just heat a little ghee and add to it.




Read more!

Sticky Dates Pudding

A classical pudding flavoured with dates...

Preparation time 20-25 mins
Cooking time 50-60 min

Ingredients

1 cup Dates pitted and chopped
1/2 tsp soda bicarbonate
1/2 cup brown sugar
90 gms Butter
1 tsp Vanilla Essence
2 Eggs
1 cup Plain flour (maida)

Method
1. Preheat the oven at 180 degree celsius.

2. Take the dates in a bowl, add soda bicarbonate and one cup boiling water. Set aside to soften.






3. Take sugar in a bowl, add butter and blend with a hand blender till fluffy. Add vanilla essence and mix.








4. Break eggs in the bowl and continue to blend.
5. Add plain flour and mix. Add the dates along with the water and blend some more.
6. Pour into an oven proof bowl and bake in an preheated oven for fifty to sixty minutes.




7. Cut into slices when cooled. Serve warm.

Read more!