BAJRA KHICHDI

Bajra Khichdi is a popular aromatic and delicious dish. You can try making this amazing Bajra Khichdi in your kitchen. This recipe requires few minutes for preparation and 30 minutes to cook. . Bajra Khichdi is enjoyed by everyone and can be served on special occasions. The flavours of the Bajra Khichdi would satiate your taste buds. 

Ingredients to make Bajra Khichdi

• 1/2 cup pearl millet
• 1/4 cup split green gram
• salt to taste
• 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
• 2 tbsp ghee
• 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
• asafoetida a pinch                                                                   

How to make Bajra Khichdi

1. Clean bajra and soak overnight or at least for 6-7 hours and drain.
2. Clean and soak moong dal for 30 minutes and drain.
3. Combine bajra and moong dal in a pressure cooker, add 2 cups of water and salt, mix well and pressure cook for 4 whistles.
4. Open the lid, once the steam is released.
5. In a frying pan, heat ghee, add cumin seeds, when the seeds start to splutter add asafoetida and turmeric powder.
6. Add this ghee/tadka to the cooked khichdi mix well and cook for 2-3 minutes on medium flame.
7. Serve hot with a dollop of ghee and powdered jaggery:)

BATHUA RAITA

Bathua Raita is one dish which makes its accompaniments tastier. With the right mix of flavours, Bathua Raita has always been everyone's favourite.  The Bathua Raita recipe is very simple and can be made in restaurant style using these ingredients. The time taken while preparing Bathua Raita is few minutes and the time taken for cooking is 15 minutes. This is recipe of Bathua Raita is perfect to serve 4 people. Bathua Raita is just the appropriate option to prepare when you have a get together or party at home. Be it kids or grownups, everyone just absolutely love Bathua Raita. 

Ingredients to make Bathua Raita

2 tsp cumin Seed Powder                                                         
• 1 1/2 cup curd whisked
• 1 1/2 cup Bathua Leaves chopped (stems removed)
• 1/2 tsp Chaat masala
• 1/4 tsp Black pepper 
• 1/4 tsp Red Chili Powder
• coriander leaves for garnishing
• salt to taste

How to make Bathua Raita

1. Wash the leaves properly.
   
2. Boil the leaves or steam in microwave/ steamer for 4 mins.
3. Mash the leaves with light hand. Don't make a paste. It should be of leafy texture.
4. Whisk the curd and add bathua leaves and all the spices.
5. Garnish with roasted cumin powder and coriander leaves.
6. Serve chilled with rice or pulao.

MASALA MATAR

About Masale Wale Mata

 In the Winter season when fresh and sweet bushels of Green Peas flood the markets, they are bought by the Kilo and the ladies of the house sit down in the afternoon after having lunch and after having finished their daily chores. They then gossip about news of their friends, relatives and the whole world as they shell the Peas, eating the sweet and green pearls at the same time. By evening they would be having a huge pan of fresh peas just waiting to be cooked to a tender deliciousness in the multiple recipes they make! These lovely spiced peas can be had any time of the day!

Masale Wale Matar , a deliciously finger licking recipe to treat your family and friends. This recipe of Masale Wale Matar by Amrita Iyer will definitely help you in its preparation. The Masale Wale Matar can be prepared within 5 minutes. The time taken for cooking Masale Wale Matar is 15 minutes. With such flavoursome ingredients, the dish tastes superb! This recipe is appropriate to serve 5 people. The recipe details out how to make Masale Wale Matar step by step. The detailed explanation makes Masale Wale Matar so simple and easy that even beginners can try it out. The recipe for Masale Wale Matar can be tweaked in a lot of ways to make it more interesting. 

Ingredients to make Masale Wale Matar

• 2 cups fresh/frozen green peas
• 2 tbsp pure ghee
• 1 tbsp oil
• 1 1/2 Tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp asafoetida (heeng)
• 1 tsp red chilli powder
• 2 tsp coriander Powder (dhaniya)
• 1 tsp garam masala powder
• 1 tsp Amchur (dry mango powder)
• 2 tsp cumin seeds (jeera)
• 1 large Green chilli – minced/1 tsp Green chilli paste
• 2 tsp chopped ginger/1 tsp ginger paste
• 1 tbsp coriander leaves – finely chopped

How to make Masale Wale Matar

1. Heat ghee and oil in a pan on medium heat and add the cumin seeds. When they start turning brown, add the asafoetida and stir well.
2. Add the minced green chilli and ginger (or the pastes if using) and fry for 1 minute till the rawness disappears. Now add the peas and salt and mix well to amalgamate.
3. Turn the heat to lowest and let the peas cook for approximately 7 – 10 minutes till cooked.
4. Now add the masala – red chilli powder, coriander powder, garam masala, half the coriander leaves and Amchur and mix again. Cover and cook for 3 – 4 minutes till the masala is nicely mixed with the peas.
5. Let it cool for sometime and garnish with the rest of the Coriander leaves.
6. Serve warm as and when you like!

BAJRA KI TIKKI

Winter special vadi or cutlets with bajra flour and so much spices... A very spicy and tasty tea time snack for your family or guest.

Recipe Ingredients

• Bajra/millet flour 1 cup
• Red chilli powder1 tsp
• Salt according to taste
• Curd 1 tsp
• Sesame seeds 1 tsp
• Chopped green coriander 1/2 cup
• 2 chopped green chilli
• Oil for Deep frying
• Water 1/4 cup or little more for dough
• Turmeric powder 1/4 tsp                                                          

Recipe Preparation

1. In a bowl mix bajra flour with all ingredients.
2. Now take required water for making dough.
3. Make a smooth binding dough from bajra mixture.
4. Make small size balls from dough.
5. Take a ball and flatten it with your fingers.
6. Now in a wok heat oil on medium flame.
7. Fry these flatten vadiya/cutlets till golden in colour and crispy.
8. Take out them on absorbing paper.
9. Serve with green coriander chutney,sauce or a cup of hot tea.

ATTA GAJAR BARFI

Delicious mouth watering Halwa

Recipe Ingredients

Wheat Flour - 1 Cup

Grated Carrot- 1 cup

Ghee- 3/4 cup

Sugar- 1 and 1/4 cup

Hot water-3 cup

• 

Recipe Preparation

1. Heat kadai. Add ghee. Fry wheat flour for 10 minutes.
2. Add grated carrot and fry till the colour changes and you get a nice aroma.
3. Then slowly add hot water. Once the water is absorbed, add sugar and saute till the mixture leaves the sides of the kadai.
4. Transfer the contents to a greased plate and cut into desired shapes once cooled.

guava delight

Recipe Ingredients

Add caption

• Chopped mix dry fruits(optional)              
• 1 kg Ripe Guava/ Amrud
• 250 grams Sugar
• A pinch of red food colour
• Fresh thick cream

Recipe Preparation

Add sugar into this water stir well                                                                                  
1. Wash Guavas well and peel clean, keeping the peels aside (do not throw peels) and cut into halves
2. Keep half pot of water to boil in a medium size vessel
4. Add Cut Guavas into this boiling water and cook for 5 minutes
5. Remove boiled Guavas as the pulp loosens up ,and preserve water for later use
6. Scoop out these and keep pulp aside. Keep the Guava cups in a serving glass bowl aside too
7. Now boil the peels and scooped out pulp in the same boiled water with sugar used earlier , for five minutes
8. Cool the boiled pulp and blend well into paste
9. Strain it through a sieve to discard all seeds
10. To this pulp add a pinch of the Red Food colour
11. Mix the colour well into the pasty pulp and add to the scooped out Guava kept aside
12. Pour the entire puree now on all scoops as shown
13. Now Garnish the Guavas ,piping out some thick cream on them

My Tip: Take Semi Ripe Guavas but see that they are not too hard. Make sure the peels are not very thin so on boiling the are adding to make good paste

AMLA JAM

Amla is a rich source of vitamin-C and iron. It is so good for our health. As this fruit has so many nutritional and medicinal benefits, I just want my family to consume it in a one way or two. So lets move to the recipe of "Amla Jam". It goes well with bread, chapati or poori. So, a delicious healthy accompaniment is here

Recipe Ingredients

• 1 kg amlas
• Sugar 1 kg
• Cinnamon powder 1 tsp
• 
  

Recipe Preparation

1. Boil amlas in water till they get soft.
2. Separate pulp from seed after boiling them.
3. Grind pulp in grinder.
4. Take a pan. Add pulp along with sugar.
5. Cook till all sugar gets absorbed into the pulp and the pulp started getting thick.
6. Add cinnamon powder.
7. Cook for another 5 minutes.
8. Switch off the gas. Cool down and serve.
9. You can store it in glass containers for several months.

My Tip: The pulp to be grinded properly so that we get smooth texture of jam.

AMLA GUD JAM

This is my take on the very popular Amla Murrabba that is made in winter months in different parts of the country when Amlas /Gooseberries are available in abundance and apart from their distinct tangy flavour,they are packed with nutrients and have a multitude of health benifits ,they build up a strong immune system and are very good for the skin,hair and eyes. They are rich in Vitamin C and contain many minerals and vitamins like Calcium, Phosphorus, Iron, Carotene and Vitamin B Complex. Amla is also a powerful source of antioxidants. Amla Murrabba can be enjoyed with toasts,plain bread,a regular dal-roti-sabzi meal, with parathas,pooris or theplas or just by itself . I make it every winter,especially for my father,who happens to be very fond of it :)

Recipe Ingredients

• Amla/ Indian Gooseberries- 500gms                                  
• Water-1 cup or more
• Gur/ Jaggery- 500 gms or more,according to taste
• Kesar/ Saffron strands- a few ,soaked in a little warm water for a few minutes

Recipe Preparation

1. Wash and pressure cook the Amlas with a cup of water up to 2-3 whistles.
2. Cool them and reserve the water used for pressure cooking.
3. De-seed and blend them into a smooth paste in a small mixie jar.
4. In a non stick pan or kadhai, cover and cook this amla paste alongwith the few strands of soaked saffron and the reserved water,stirring in between till the jaggery melts and blends into the amla pulp.
5. Cool, store in an air-tight container or jar.
6. Stays good for upto a week at room temperature or upto 2-3 weeks under refrigeration.

My Tip: You can add a hint of vanilla essence or some crushed green cardamoms or even a dash of laung/clove powder as an added flavour to your amla murrabba or jam in the final simmer,it provides an added flavour or zing :)

awala balls

Awala is also called amla and gooseberry.It is full of vitamic C.Because of it softness it can be easily eaten by old generation and kids also love it because no seed is found in it.

Recipe Ingredients                                            

• I kg gooseberry
• 1 and 1/2 kg sugar
• 2 tabke spoon ghee
• 1/2 cup Dessicated Coconut
• 1 cup

Recipe Preparation

1. Wash the gooseberry and keep it in the cooker
2. Add water in it and close it ,after 1 whistle off the flame
3. On cooling grate it
4. Heat ghee in the heavy bottom pan and add the grated gooseberries
5. Mix regularly on the medium flame
6. When gooseberries will starting to be drying keep the flame low and add sugar
7. When the mixer of gooseberries and sugar started to be dry off the flame
8. On cooling making laddu with the help of spreading ghee in your hands
9. Keep the laddu separately in the air tight box

My Tip: Gooseberries has its own type of different taste that is why I did' nt add in it cardamom powder.

turmeric milk

This sweet warm milk, with a hint of ginger for that subdued pungent flavor, Cinnamon and green cardamom adding to the wonderful aroma and turmeric ,giving its magical medicinal properties, to make it a golden drink.

Recipe Ingredients                                         

• Turmeric raw: 2’’
• Ginger crushed 1/2 tsp
• Brown sugar 5 tbsps
• Cinnamon stick 2’’
• Honey 2 tbsps
• Green Cardamom 5
• Saffron pinchs 2 strands
• Saffron pinchs 2 strands
• Milk (full cream/tonned) 5*1/3cups
• Raisins 15

Recipe Preparation

1. In a mixer attachment, grind the almonds and the brown sugar together and keep aside.
2. In a mortar and pestle, crush the ginger and turmeric together and keep aside.
3. Heat the milk in a saucepan and bring to one boil.
4. Now, simmer the milk and keep cooking for another 10 minutes. Put all the rest of the ingredients except raisins in now and let the milk be cooked on simmer.
5. All the ingredients will leave their essence in the milk nicely.
6. The milk will get a nice golden yellow color from the turmeric and saffron and look beautiful.
7. After 10-15 minutes, switch off the flame and serve the milk hot.Add the raisins in each glass and serve the milk. Enjoy your healthy shot of magic just like that! Read more at: http://www.recipesandyou.com/golden-milk-shots-turmeric-saf

My Tip: Note: You may adjust the sugar amount according to your taste if you like less sweet.But because the ginger being added,this amount of sugar makes it pleasant for your palate.You may also enjoy this chilled .Just cool it down and chill in the fridge.Its tastes amazing hot or cold.

murmura delight

This chikki is without adding water. So cooks fast.

Recipe Ingredients                                                    

• Murmura ( puffed rice ). 200 grms. ( one plate big ).
• Jaggery 200 grams grated.
• Ghee 3 tbsp
• Saunth ( dried ginger ) powder or Tea masala 1 tsp

Recipe Preparation

1. In a big kadhai (pan) heat Ghee. Add jaggery and saute.
2. As soon as jaggery changes colour ( little brownish ). add murmura and saunth. Mix well and spread on a greased plate.
3. Cut diamond shaped squares and enjoy.

My Tip: I make this almost every week . This needs practice to estimate jaggery and murmura amount. This chikki becomes very crispy.

murmura chikki

A healthy, tasty and crunchy sweet.

Recipe Ingredients

• 2 cups of mashed gud
• 6 cups of mumure                                                        
• 2 tbsp water

Recipe Preparation

1. Take a pan and heat the gud with water. Cook till it becomes light brown in colour.
2. Take 1/2cup of water and put a few drops of cooked gud in it, if it sets in a few seconds then it's done.
3. Now turn off the flame and add the mumure. Mix it well together.
4. Spread it on a plane surface and roll it with the help of a rolling pin.
5. After 15 mins cut it into small pieces with a pizza cutter and serve.

SO SWEET JAGGERY-GUD KE CHURMA LADOO

SWEET WELCOME -2016
Wishing all my blogger and non -blogger friends a very happy New Year.
"This new year may all your trouble vanish like magic,
May you reach  out to great glories and achieve all that you desire,
May God gift you a style to convert your dreams into reality this New  Year,
Keep spreading the JOY OF COOKING to each other this New Year."
Wish you all a very sweet ans tasteful New Year.

Let's begin a new post of this year with some special.As we all know winter is the best season to  binge on seasonal delicacies that are not only finger licking good ,but are also packed with multiple benefits that help us to stay warm and strengthens our immunity.

Jaggery commonly known as "GUD' in hindi is a completely unrefined sugar made from sugar cane juice that is reduced (cooked down) and set into blocks.It has a wonderful ,rich flavor,somewhere between molasses and caramel depending on the quality and season.

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup coarse wheat flour
1 cup bajra flour
1and 1/2 cup grated jaggery
1/2 teaspoon green cardamom seeds crushed
8-10 almonds chopped
1/2 cup clarified butter  (GHEE)
1/4 cup cashews chopped
1 cup milk

METHOD :
 Mix both the flours.Add 1/4 cup ghee,Knead into a stiff dough with the help of milk.Keep covered for 10-15 minutes..Now roll thick paranthas out of dough.Note; Roast paranthas on low flame so that they can get crisp from inside.When cooled crush these parantas into small bits,add grated jaggery,chopped nuts,cardamom powder and rest of the ghee.Make small ball of this mixture.....and churma ladoos are ready to serve.You can store these
ladoos in air tight container.
Happy cooking....Anamika