Winter Wonder- Haldi ki sabji

' Haldi ki sabji ' is a traditional recipe of Rajasthan served in special occasions like marriages and parties.It is special delicacy in Rajasthan during winters.
'Kachi haldi' is yellow in colour and looks like ginger ,Haldi ( turmeric) is hot in tendency and is used to cure cold and joint pains that take place during winters.
Turmeric is known as"QUEEN OF SPICES".
As turmeric is quite dry and hot in nature so a good amount of ghee and curd should be added to balance the hot and dry nature of turmeric.
It is said that when combined with cauliflower it has shown to prevent prostate cancer and stop the growth of existing prostate cancer.
In my JODHPUR  'Haldi ki sabji' is the feast of the day.......Peeling and preparation stains the hands yellow....making the near and dear ones know that a delight is being prepared...yum so lets enjoy the recipe.Do share your comments for this 'Royal Rajasthani Cuisine',
INGREDIENTS:
Raw turmeric : 250 gms                                
Cauliflower : 1 small
Green peas : 1 cup
Green chilli -1-2
Ginger ; 1 small piece
Curd :2 cup
hing ; a pinch
coriander powder ; 2 teaspoon
salt ; according to taste
red chilly powder ; 2 teaspoon
coriander leaves chopped ; 1 tablespoon
cashews ; 1 tablespoon
Ghee : 1 cup
jeera :1 teaspoon
METHOD
1) Wash turmeric rhizomes ,wipe ,peel and grate them in a bowl.
2) Peel and wash the ginger and cut into big pieces.Grind ginger and green chillies.
3) Cut cauliflower into small florets.
4 Whisk the curd and add all the spices in it.
 5) Heat ghee in a pan and roast the grated turmeric till it changes the colout.Keep aside.
6) Fry the peas and cauliflower in the same ghee and keep aside.
7) roast cashews and keep aside.
8) In the same ghee add hing,jeera ,ginger chilli paste then turmeric ,caulifloer and peas ,Add salt .Cover it for 5 min. Now add whisked curd with spices.Cook till ghee leaves.
9) Mix cashews and coriander leaves and leave it covered for 10 -15 min.
10) Serve with tandoori roti or simple tawa roti. but traditionally it is served with bajra sogra ( thick bajra roti ) and rajasthani kadi.
Enjoy this winter delicacy of rajasthan and do share your views. Anamika

PANEER IN PINK-KARWA CHAUTH SPECIAL

" Cooking is love made visible " Love,laughter and good luck too,May this Karwa Chauth be super special for you.
INDIA is a secular country which has many festivals clubbed for the entire year and there isn't a single ocassion among them which is not celebrated without sweets.Food is an integral part of Indian festivals.

This year Karwa Chauth will be celebrated on October 30,2015.Celebrated with great fervor across North India ,Karwa Chauth is a special festival.It celebrates love and it urges people to go the extra mile for their beloved.Speaking of tradition ,as you may or may not be aware of,there is a tradition of gifting something special to your spouse on Karwa Chauth.For me to cook my husband's favorite is the wonderful gift. Here presenting my husband's favorite 'RASMALAI' with a twist. 
Indian desserts have one ground rule.Anything that can go in milk products and sugar can come out tasting like heaven.So this recipe has milk and paneer and comes out with a heavenly taste.
INGREDIENTS                                                                       
1 litre full cream milk
250 gm paneer
2 kinds of sugar ( 1 cup crystalline sugar for rabdi and 1/2 cup castor sugar )
1tsp mixed dry fruits or masala milk powder
4 tsp rose essence or rose wate for flavouring
1 tablespoon red food color

 METHOD:
For RABDI
Heat the milk along with sugar,2 tsp rose water and masala milk powder ,boil it till it reduces in quantity and becomes little thick.Add 2 tsp red food color.


To make PANEER DUMPLINGS:
Crush paneer ,add 1 tsp rose water and a drop of red color.Add castor sugar.Mix and knead till smooth.Make small balls simply like cheese ball.Now its the time for twist......innovative and healthy....Steam these paneer balls in Idly mould for 10 mins.

Add these steamed Dumpling in rabdi and simmer for 2-3 mins.Garnish with black raisins,almond and pistachio slices.Enjoy the beautiful day and may the almighty bless my married friends with a happy and long married life.
Your expert views and friendly suggestions are welcome. Anamika

PANEER RECIPES [PART 1]

 PANEER ......Savory or sweet

You are always a treat                                                 

A vegetarian's muse you are

As versatile you are

Tofu or Paneer

I"ll always choose paneer

Paneer has been my all time favourite.Panner -Indian cottage cheese is a popular and integral part for Indian Cuisine throughout North and South India.Paneer...A white chunky stuff is a versatile dairy product and is used as dessert,snacks or for main course cooking.It is even used for garnishing the delicious dishes.
It is an unaged,acid-set ,non -melting form of cheese made by curdling heated milk with lemon juice or other food acid.
In India it is known as paneer,chenna.
Festivals are around the corner.We all Indians want to make interesting and traditional Indian recipes.
As a panner lover, I usually experiment a lot of dishes with it and  I present here an array of light and refreshing,rich and hearty dishes that can be prepared using Paneer as main ingredient.
Please try my recipes at your kitchen and share your experiences with me in comments.Happy festivity........


1 PANEER GULABO

Simple yet flavorful and tasty is Paneer gulabo.Gulabo means pink colour of nature in Indian language.The pink colour in the above recipe comes from beetroot This recipe was inspired by beetroot halwa which I read in one of the recipes by Tarla dalal..Just an experiment on the taste buds of my family an it came out with surprising result...vibrant in colour and rich in taste...Here it goes.....

Ingredients:
1/2 cup beetroot chopped
1 tomato chopped

250 gm paneer ...cut in cubes

pinch asfoetida

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

1 tablespoon butter

Spices; salt,turmeric,red chilly powder,garam masala                             

Method:

Heat butter in a pan.Add cumin seeds and asfoetida...add chopped tomato...saute for 2-3 mins.Add turmeric,red chilly powder and salt...saute till oil leaves the edges Add chopped beetroot ,saute for 5 min.Add paneer pieces and 1/2 cup water cook on medium flame.When you get your desired consistency add garam masala.Serve with steamed rice and see your family enjoying the healthy and colourful dish. 

Tiffin Mania-Lunch box recipe (part 2)

MOM'S SPECIAL PARANTHA

This is very interesting parantha ....Got its quirky name as my mother used to make for my tiffin and   as a child i was fascinated and amazed by the taste of these paranthas.Just as I loved these as a child my daughters love them too...
I think "SUPERMOM" can churn out delightful dishes in no time,any hour of the day,with as many or as few ingredient,yet suiting everyone's liking.
These paranthas were packed for my lunch time....However ,I never ate them during lunch time......Well !!! that's because it got over during attendance.
Anyways, this is a delicious parantha with a magical taste.Serve this to your family and friends and watch them raving while they try to guess what the stuffing is all about.....yummy in my tummy.....

"Most important of all ,SUPERMOM have got one secret ingredient that makes it all possible-LOVE"

Happy cooking..Let's start the recipe...

INGREDIENTS:
2 medium onions
1 cup bikaneri bhujia
3-4 Tbsp tomato ketchup
1 Tbsp Saunf (fennel seeds)
Pinch of garam masala
Salt to taste
Red chilly powder to taste
All Moms probably have all these in their Pantry....

METHOD
Slice up the onions in crescent shape.Try to make thin slices so that it is easy to roll out the stuffed parantha later.If you are not comfortable with the crescent shape then go for diced.You are your own master.

Mix the onions and Bhujia along with all the spices mentioned above.

Mix it up.Looks so yummy already.But there is one thing left.

Tomato ketchup.Have you ever tried Ketchup and Bhujia sandwiched between white bread ?If you haven't,run to your kitchen right now and make yourself a sandwich.It is awesome.

To fill the parantha,roll out the dough.

And lay the stuffing as much as you can handle.I like my parantha with a thick layer of stuffing.

Now fold it from two sides.

Fold it from the remaining sides.

Tuck it nicely.















Now,we are ready to roll the parantha.


Gently roll the parantha as the stuffing is very moist.

Fry it with ghee or oil,whatever you like.


I love this parantha just as it is.But ,you may serve it with butter,pickle or yoghurt.Your kids will enjoy this tiffin treat.


Please feel free to give your suggestions....Anamika.

Tiffin Mania- Lunch box recipes (part 1)

 " Don't just feed.....Nourish your child".                          
Fill the tummies of your kids with nutritious bites.
Packing school lunches that please both kids and parents is not an  easy assignment It is like walking on a tightrope.It always remains a hot topic among the" supermoms".....For me every mother in this universe is "Supermom".A salute to all the Moms in the world.
"TIFFIN" is an Indian English word for a light mid day meal.In India it is used to describe either a lunch box or the food in it.
Thinking of what to cook for a tiffin is nightmare for many mothers as the young generation is very demanding and with western culture and cuisine slowly invading our lives.But nowadays "Supermom"has a wide variety to choose from the vast diversity of Indian foods to Western Staples.
VARIETY is the key...Give some innovative and creative ideas for your picky eaters.A healthy tiffin gives your child the energy to concentrate ,learn and play.So here I am with some tiffin ideas which I usually pack for my both daughters.

Paranthas in Tiffin:(A healthy punch to kickstart your child's day)
Paranthas are like a plain canvas .All you need is flour and some water to begin . You can add  any substitute  as a stuffing to make delicious paranthas.Paranthas are very good tiffin food at any time of the year.They are bliss for a healthy tongue. Parantha's are good souce of carbohydrates ,protein and fibres which help in giving the child energy to work the entire day and helps build immunity towards the infections.Paranthas are very handy and non -messy ...they can be rolled as a wrap...Make paranthas very colourful and nutritious by adding purees of vegetables...So some paranthas from my list:

VEGGIE -STUFFED PARANTHA:                                                                                    
My mother often played this trick on me.If I refused to eat some veggies-because it looked boring ...she would stuff it in parantha or knead the dough with it...eg methi ki sabji,palak ki sabji.chaulai (amaranthus ) sabji.To do what my mom did,add some spices to the flour and knead the dough with buttermilk (this way paranthas stay soft for longer).Also while making paranthas on tawa ,add a little butter for flavour.Pack these paranthas with some curd and chutneys and your kids will love it.

DAAL PARANTHA:                                                         
I used humble arhar (pigeon pea) to make paranthas which were quite filling and loaded with proteins.You can use moong dal or chana dal or urad dal or simply mixed dals.Kids love this parantha.Spread some meethi chutney or some cheese spread and make a roll .Tastes good even when cold ,so ideal for kiddies tiffin. Can use leftover dal in the fridge.

Ingredients
1 cup arhar dal
1 onion
2 green chillies
6 to 7 garlic cloves
1/2 cup coriander leaves
3 cup wheat flour
1 tsp dhania powder
1/2 tsp jeera powder
1 tsp red chilli powder
1/2 tsp haldi powder
1 tsp salt

Method:
Cook the arhar dal in 1 and 1/2 cup of water in a pressure cooker till done. Chop the garlic,onios and coriander leaves finely.In a big vessel take the arhar dal,add haldi powder,jeera powder,dhania powder,red chilli powder,onions ,green chilli,coriander leaves ,salt and wheat flour.Knead the dough well. You can add a tsp of oil to the dough and maki it little soft.
Roll into small paranthas and roast on tawa applying little ghee/butter.Spread some cheese spread and pack into your kids tiffin....and it will surely make the faces of your kids glow with joy.

Try out the above nutritious paranthas and please do not forget to write your valuable comments .Enjoy cooking....Anamika.

ALOE VERA RECIPES - MIRACLES OF ALOE IN KITCHEN

Eating ALOE-
“Aloe in the kitchen”

Hippocrates said “Our food should be our medicine and our medicine should be our food.”

We all have heard of the miracle plant  “ Aloe vera” and the miraculous feats  that this incredible plant performs on injured and sun burned skin.

This wonder plant is succulent and freely growing evergreen perennial herb.It belongs to liliaceae family….the same family to which garlic and onion belong to. 
Aloe vera contains over 200 active components including vitamins,minerals,amino acids,enzymes,polysaccharides and fatty acid- in fact a wonder plant used for wide range of remedies...it has both external as well as internal application.
Many people drink aloe vera juice even Mahatma Gandhiji believed that drinking Aloe juice daily in his early years helped him to withstand prolonged periods of fasting.
This wonder plant has now become a part of daily diet in many homes.One can add Aloe to smoothie,in salads and one can even prepare a delicacy from its leaves.Since I hail from Rajasthan ,this incredible plant is known as 'GAWARPATHA'  here.So here I am with two recipes of this wonder plant.
Aloe leaf is available in many of the vegetable shops in India.There are many types of Aloe Vera available in market.Prefer to choose having dark green colour leaf as it taste much sweeter than the other ones.In fact ALOE word comes from Arabic word 'alloeh' - shining bitter substance and Vera comes from Latin word 'Veritos' meaning Truth.

Aloe Paneer Melange(Classic Combination of Aloe and Cottage cheese in nutty gravy)

I saw this recipe on one of the cookery show.I made some slight variations.

Ingredients:

2 leaves of Aloe vera
1 onion                                                            
250 gm paneer

20 cashews ( make paste of 10 cashews)
1/2 cup methidana (fenugreek seeds) soaked overnight then boiled to remove its bitterness.Drain after boiling.                  
10 -15 raisins

pinch asfoetida                                                  

1 teaspoon grinded mustard seeds                      
Spices-red chilly powder,turmeric,garam masala,coriander powder,2 dried red chilly,amchur,salt
1  tablespoon edible oil ( in Rajasthan mustard oil /ground nut oil is used)

Method

Wash and peel the sides of Aloe Vera leaf to remove the thorns.Chop into cubes and pressure cook for 2 whistles with 1 cup of water.( Water can be used for kneading dough).During boiling gel present in the leaves  solidifies a little.Drain properly.
Heat oil ,add hing,dried red chilly,chopped onion,red chilly powder,turmeric powder,10 cashews chopped.Saute for 3-4 mins till oil leaves the edges.Add Aloe Vera,fenugreek seeds,salt ,garam masala,coriander powder and a pinch of sugar (sugar maintains the rich colour of the dish).Now add grinded mustard powder,amchur then paneer cubes and raisins.Add cashew paste and 1/2 cup water.Simmer on low flame for 5 min.Your impressive and healthy Aloe is ready to serve with hot crisp parantha or humble phulkas.

My serving suggestion : Serve in a silver plate and decorate (cover the royal dish) with silver leaf (chandi ka varak)

PAC DELIGHT (pineapple,aloe,cucumber delight)

Aloe is not so pleasant tasting on its own but when blended with tasty ingredients it gives a super tasty nutritious drink.This smoothie is bit tart,bit sweet and a whole lot refreshing.

Ingredients:

 (2 servings)
2 big size pineapple slices
1 cucumber peeled and cubed ( if it is organic in nature no need to peel)
1 cup Aloe Vera gel*
1/2 litre water
1 piece ginger
some mint leaves/parsley
salt,chaat masala,roasted jeera powder
1 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
crushed ice

Method:

Blend the above in mixer and add the spices according to your choice.Serve in stem glasses.

Some Tips while handling Aloe Leaf*

Aloe vera leaf has the ability to detoxify our body but it does not mean it is not toxic.It has a toxic part 'ALOIN' which has to be removed.This yellow colored ALOIN is present underneath the skin of the leaf.This bitter taste part of aloe is bitter in taste and has laxative property.

TRICK for removing ALOIN
1}EEP the leaf of the plant in the fridge overnight .Next day use the fruit peeler to remove the skin of the leaf.Be sure that you rinse the aloe gel you collect off in water two to three times to remove yellow sap.
2}If you have own potted plant then after cutting the leaf lit it stand up in a glass for 2 hours and let the yellow part drain .After that you have to fillet Aloe leaves to get gel.
                                                                               

1 Aloe vera leaf/stem

2 "filet it like a fish"

3 Gel separated out

Feel free to comment me on the above recipes from nature's wonder plant.....

Paryushan parv recipes-The festival of forgiveness

A time to seek and bequeath forgiveness.
Let me start by saying "Michhami Dukkadam" to all which means 'I am sorry ,I beg for forgiveness for all hurts caused by me knowingly and unknowingly'.This parv (festival) is celebratedevery year in the auspicious month of Bhadrapad of the calendar and extends from the fifth day to fourteenth day ( panchami to chaturdashi) of the bright fortnight by 'Jains' all over the world.It is time to celebrate the natural qualities of the soul.During this period Jain practice various penaces,vows,fasts,spiritual studies.
During Paryushan Jain do not eat potatoes,onion and garlic.In addition they also avoid green vegetables such as cauliflower,corn,cabbage.Jain believe greens have life and eating them is a sort of violence.All root vegetables are avioded during this period.
Only simple saatvik food is taken in this holy period.Milk,Milk products,rice,lentils,cereals,pulses and dryfruits take centre stage around this period.
Foodies try various recipes and combinations that are simple and delicious and stay within traditional parameters .Usually raw banana replaces potato and many interesting recipes are invented.Lentils are used in different ways to make food interesting.
Celebrating this parv by presenting these delicacies....

Raw banana kachori                                                            

Ingredients                                                                                

1/2 cup semolina (suji)
1/2 cup all purpose flour ( maida)
2 raw bananas (boil them along peel) remove the peels and mash them
2 green chilly chopped
2 teaspoon fresh cream (malai)
1 teaspoon pomrgranate seeds dried (anardana powder)
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
2 tablespoon chopped cashews
1 tablespoon chopped raisins
salt
ghee/oil for frying

 METHOD

Sieve semolina,baking powder,maida twice.Add cream salt and make a pliable dough ( neither tight nor loose).Keep aside for 20 mins.
Stuffing :
Prepare stuffing by mixing mashed bananas,cashews,raisins,pomegranate seeds,salt and lemon juice.
Knead the dough again by greased palm.It will give flexibility to dough.Divide the dough in large lemon size equal parts.
Take one part of the dough and with your fingers flatten the edges and make into 3-inch circle.Leaving center little thicker then edges around it.
Mold the dough into a cup shape and place 1 teaspoon of filling in the center.Pull the edges of the dough to wrap the filling.Repeat the same with rest balls.Let the filled balls rest for 5min before rolling.
Set the kachoris on a surface with the seam side facing up.Using the base of your palm ,slowly fltten them into about 3inch circle.( Do not use rolling pin.Rolling pins will causethe kachoris to have small holes ,allowing oil to fill the kachoris)
Preheat oil for deepfrying on medium.Fry these stuffed kachoris on medium low heat).After they start to puff flip them to other side.
Serve with green chutney and tamarind chutney. Enjoy

APPLE FUDGE ( Apple ki Burfi)                                                        
INGREDIENTS

500 gm ripe apples
125 gm ghee(clarified ghee)
300 gm sugar
250 gm khoya (mawa)
assorted nuts ( almonds,pistachios and chironji chopped)

METHOD

Wash the apples. Peel them  .Grate them.Boil them in water till they are softened.Drain them and squeeze them properly.Heat ghee in a pan and saute grated apple tlll they change their colour to pink.Add mawa and saute for 2 more mins.
Meanwhile prepare sugar syrup of two thread consistency.Boil sugar with 1/2 cup water for 7-8 mins.Switch off the flame.Add sauteed apple and mawa.Switch on the gas .Stir the mixture for 2-3 mins.Spread on a greased plate.Garnish with chopped nuts.Let it cool.Cut in desired shape.Enjoy
Wish everyone a very pious 'PARYUSHAN PARV'.