LAHSOONI ALU TIKKI

NOTE: A mouthwatering snack  you can have as light supper when served with toasted bread or pav.

U need:
Boiled medium size potatoes: 3 peeled 
Green chillies minced: 2 tsp
Boiled kabuli channa: 1/2 cup boiled 
Salt: to taste
Filling:
Grated fresh paneer: 1/2 cup
Cooked fresh green peas: 2 tsp
Minced garlic: 2 tsp
Minced green chillies: 2 tsp
Chat masala: 1/2 tsp
Red chilli powder
Coriander leaves: minced 2 tsp
Salt to taste
Oil: 2 tablsp
Minced onion: 1 small
Garam masala: 1/4 tsp
Crushed pepper: 1/4 tsp
Broken cashew: 3 tsp
Kismish: 2tsp
To coat:
Bread crumbs 
2 tsp maida mixed in 1/2 cup water 
Oil to shallow fry or deep fry.
METHOD:
1. Add the hot boiled potatoes in a bowl.To this add the boiled chola,green chillies,salt and mash to a smooth dough.Ensure there are no lumps. Cover and set aside.
2. Heat 2 tablsp oil in a pan.To this add the finely minced garlic and quickly saute.Now add the green chillies followed by the minced onions.Continue stirring.Add chilli powder,garam masala powder and fry.Add the grated paneer,green peas and toss well.Add salt to taste,chat masala and coriander leaves.Add the cashew,kishmish and crushed pepper.Toss well and off the gas.Cool the filling.
3.Divide the mashed potatoes  into 6 parts.Stuff each potato cups with 1 tsp of the filling.Roll well and shape to tikkis .Ensure the filling doesn't spill out. Keep the tikkis aside in a plate
4.You can either deep fry the tikkis or shallow fry.
Dip the tikkis into the thin maida batter,roll into bread crumbs and either deep fry in hot oil or shallow fry on tawa.
Serve hot with a nice coleslaw salad as a light supper.

CHETTINAD DRUMSTICK SAMBHAR

NOTE: Chettinad cuisine is known for its aromatic recipes where spices are used liberally. This sambhar is one such recipe full of flavour and taste.

U need:
Drumstick:2 cut to pieces
Shallots(Sambhar vengayam); 3/4 cup peeled
Grated coconut: 1/2 cup
Fennel seeds: 1 tsp
Garlic pods: 3 crushed
Red chillies: 2
Coriander seeds: 2tsp
Cloves: 2
Red chillies: 2
Cinnamon stick:1
Sambhar powder: 1 tsp
Methi seeds: 1/4 tsp
Til oil: 3&1/2 tabslp
Mustard seeds: 1 tsp
Curry leaves:3 tsp
Khus khus: 1tsp soaked in 1/4 cup water for 15 mins.
Salt
Ghee: 1 tablsp
Tamarind paste: 2 tsp

Method:
1. Heat 1&1/2 tablsp of til oil.Add the cloves,cinnamon,coriander seeds ,fennel seeds and saute well. To this add 2 red chillies.Continue frying till a nice aroma comes.Now add 1/4 cup coconut,1/2 cup shallots and fry for few mins.The frying should be done on medium-low heat.Remove and set aside.
Grind together the remaining 1/4 cup coconut and khuskhus with a little water to a smooth paste.
2. Heat the remaining oil.Add mustard seeds and methi seeds and red chillies.Add some curry leaves.Add the crushed garlic.Saute well.Once they sputter add the balance 1/4 cup shallots .Fry for few mins. Now add the drumstick and continue frying. Add the sambhar powder,salt. and the coconut-khuskhus paste .Fry well for few mins..Add 2 cups water and the tamarind paste.Let the gravy simmer on medium heat till the vegetables are cooked.
3.Meanwhile grind the roasted coriander-coconut to a smooth wet  paste and set aside.
4. Once the raw smell of tamarind goes and the sambhar starts to thicken add the ground coconut paste.Add 1/2 cup water stir well and simmer further for 5 to 7 mins.In a small pan add ghee.When hot add the remaining curry leaves.Pour this over the simmering sambhar. The gravy should be semi thick.
5. Serve hot with rice and potato roast and pappads.Goes very well with idlis and dosas too.

VEGETABLE MULAKOOSHIYAM

note: Another super dish from the land of coconut :Kerala.A traditional Keralite dish tastes wonderful served with a thuvayal,rasam and pappads and ofcourse rice.

U need:
Yam pieces: 1 cup (cleaned,peeled and washed well in buttermilk)
Raw banana pieces: 1/2 cup
Snake gourd pieces: 1/2 cup
Turmeric: 1 tsp
Pepper powder coarsely crushed: 3/4 tsp
Curd beaten well: 1/2 cup
Chilli powder:1/4tsp
Curry leaves: 2 tsp
To fry in oil and powder:
Coconut pieces: 3 tsp
Jeera: 1 tsp
Pepper: 1/2 tsp
Red chillies: 2
Channa dal: 1 tsp
Rice: 1 tsp
Methi seeds: few
Oil: 2 tsp
Salt to taste
Mustard seeds
Urad dal
Coconut oil: 2 tsp

METHOD:
1.Clean wash the cut vegetables in buttermilk.Add the washed vegetables in a pressure pan and cook with turmeric and pepper powder and 1&1/4 cup water till the vegetables are cooked.
2. Cool the cooker.Meanwhile fry the ingredients from coconut to methi seedsin oil till they are light brown.Powder them in the mixie.
3.Open the cooker.Simmer gently .Add salt,chilli powder and continue simmering.Now add some curry leaves and the dry coconut powder.Mix well.Simmer till the mulakooshyam becomes a semi thick gravy.Add the beaten curd. Simmer for few mins and switch off the gas.
4.Heat the coconut oil in a small pan.Add the mustard seeds,remaining curry leaves and urad dal.Add this bhagar to the simmering mulakooshyam.
5. Serve hot with rice and pappad.

SPAGHETTI INDIAN STYLE

NOTE:  MADE THE FAMOUS SPAGHETTI WITH OUR LOVELY INDIAN SAUCE.
              IT WAS YUM!!!!!!!!!!

U need:
Wheat spaghetti: 1/4 packet
Soya granules:1/4 cup
Grated paneer:1/4 cup
Tomato puree:3/4 cup
Grated carrots: 1/4 cup
Fresh corn: 1/ cup
Garlic pod crushed: 2
Green chillies minced: 2
Red chilli powder: 1/2 tsp
Kitchen king masala: 3/4 tsp
Grated cheese: 1/4 cup
Onions minced fine: 1/4 cup
Olive oil: 3 tablsp
Parmesan cheese: 2 tsp
Mint leaves: 2 tsp
 Dried Oregano: 1/2 tsp
Salt and pepper to taste
Fresh cream(optional): 2 tsp

METHOD:
1. Cook the spaghetti as instructed in the packet.Add 1 tsp olive oil, 1 tsp grated cheese,pinch salt  and toss well .Set aside.
2.For the Indian sauce.
Heat 2 tablsp olive oil in a pan.When hot lower heat ,add the crushed garlic and quickly toss well.Now add the minced green chillies and onions.Toss.Add the grated paneer,carrots and stir well. Add the cooked soya granules,continue stirring.Add the chilli powder,kitchen king masala and fresh corn.Toss well.Add the tomato puree and 3/4 cup water.Simmer till the sauce thickens.Add salt and pepper.Test for taste.If you like 2 tsp fresh cream can be added at this stage. Once the sauce is thick add half of the grated cheese. Transfer the sauce to a bowl.
3. To serve.Take a large plate and transfer the spaghetti to it. Pour the Indian sauce over it.Garnish with roughly chopped mint leaves,sprinkle the dried oregano and the remaining grated cheese .Add few drops of Olive oil for an extra yummy taste.and Parmesan cheese.Serve hot with toasted garlic bread.

MANGO CHEESE CAKE

NOTE; With Mango season in its peak I made this mango cheesecake for dessert.This wonderful dessert tastes YUM. You can make the same cheesecake using any other fruit too. Also I have used Agar Agar instead of gelatin .If you want you can use gelatin

(Gelatin – 1 sachet can be used for this cheese cake.Cook as instructed  and mix in the cream cheese mango pure and mango puree.)

Ingredients

Base

1.     Digestive biscuits – 12

2.     Butter – 2 tsps

3.     Honey: 2 tablsp

4. Square cake tin or even square glass serving bowl.

Cream cheese mixture (middle layer)

4.     Double Fresh cream – 150 ml 

5.      Cream cheese – 120 gms ( I have used Britannia)

6.     Sugar – 1/3 cup

7.     Mango puree (Fresh)  – 3/4 cup

8. Mango essence: 2 tsp (optional)

For glaze on top (third layer)

1.     Mango puree – 3/4 cup

2.      Agar Agar–  5 gms (1 packet 10 gms)

3.     Water – 1/2 cup

4.     Mango slices for garnishing (optional) 

METHOD:

1 Biscuit base

Crush the biscuits in the food processor/ mixer and add melted butter,honey and whiz again until the mixture comes together. Once done, spoon it in a greased cake tin .Press well and refrigerate for 20 mins for the base to firm up.

2 Middle part:

Cut Agar Agar to small pieces in a bowl and soak in 1/2 cup of hot water for 15 mins. After 15 mins Heat this agar agar on gas stove till it dissolves . Cool till warm

3. Add double cream in a bowl and whisk till it is just starts to thicken.Add the cream cheese and whisk further along with sugar till the blend is smooth.

To this add the mango puree ,mango essence and mix in gently.  Now gently add half of the agar agar liquid and blend well.

4.Remove the biscuit base from the fridge.Pour the mango cream cheese mix over it and set in the fridge till it sets.(Approx 1 and 1/2  hr).

Top glaze

1.     The other remaining Agar Agar should be warm (heat it again) add to the mango puree and mix well.  After 1&1/2 hrs once the top base is set remove the cheesecake from the fridge.Pour Mango puree mixture as a top layer, which should be thin layer not like the middle one, on the cream cheese layer. Refrigerate few hours or overnight till the cheesecake is set.

       Garnish with mango slices. Slice and serve cool.

MUDI BHAJA

NOTE: Simply delicious to eat this mudi bhaja made with puffed rice is an all time tea snack.You can make it and store in air tight jar for a week.

U NEED:

Puffed rice /Mudi as called in Kolkatta: 2 cups

Roasted peanuts: 1/4 cup

Mustard oil or Vegetable oil: 3 tablsp

Kala jeera:1 tsp

Hing: pinch

Broken red chillies: 4

Salt and sugar to taste

Turmeric powder:1/2 tsp

Red chilli powder:1/2 tsp

METHOD:

1. Heat oil in a kadai.When hot add the kala jeera,hing and broken red chillies.Saute well.Now add the peanuts and saute well till they are light brown..

2.Add the puffed rice and toss well.Add turmeric powder,red chilli powder, salt to taste and 1/2 tsp sugar.Toss well.Switch off the gas.

3.Store in airtight container.

Another Variety(South style)

Instead of kala jeera use 1 tsp mustard seeds,vegetable oil and 2 tsp curry leaves. Rest same.

MALAI PADAVAL(POTOL)

NOTE: Padval or Potol as fondly called is seasonal vegetable.It can be cooked in many ways.This recipe brings out the flavour of padval very well.For those who don't like padvalcan use cauliflower or fresh paneer cubes.For non-veg you can use fish or chicken.Even eggs boiled and deep fried and added to the malai gravy tastes Yum.

U need:
Fresh same sized potols /padvals: 8
Thick coconut milk: 1/2 cup
Thin coconut milk: 3/4 th cup
Cashew khus khus paste: 3 tablsp
Onion paste: 2&1/2 tsp
Ginger-green chilli paste: 3 tsp
Slit green chillies: 2
Turmeric powder: 1/2 tsp
Cinnamon powder: 1/4 tsp
Cardamom powder: 1/4 tsp
Cloves: 3
Jeera: 1/2 tsp
Bay leaf:1
Salt to taste
Sugar: 1/2 tsp
Oil: as needed

METHOD:
1. Clean and pat dry the padvals.Cut the top and the bottom.Scrape skin fully.Slit to half.
2.Heat enough oil in a kadai .Fry the padvals in hot oil till light brown on both sides. Remove from oil and set aside on a plate.
3.In another kadai add 3 tabslp oil.Add the bay leaf,cloves and jeera. Saute. Now add the onion paste and continue stirring.Sprinkle some thin coconut milk as your are stirring.Add the green chilli-ginger paste and continue cooking adding thin coconut milk in between till the masala is cooked well and the raw smell is reduced.Add slit green chillies.
4. Add the fried padvals and cook for few mins.Add salt and sugar. Now add the balance thin coconut milk along with 1 cup water.Cover and cook till the padvals are cooked and the gravy is thick. Sprinkle the cinnamon and cardamom powder.Stir well.
5. Add the cashew-khuskhus paste along with 1/4 cup water..Stir well. Simmer for 2 to 3 mins.Now add the thick coconut milk and stir just once. The gravy should coat the padvals.
6. Serve hot garnished with some kishmish and finely chopped coriander leaves.