Makhane ki kheer

 A sweet recipe for vrat/upwaas/fast.

You need: (3 servings)
Full creme milk: 1 ltr
sugar: 4 tbspn
Makhane/ Fox nut (puffed kernet of Gorgon nut): 1 1/2 cups chopped
Charoli: 1 tbspn (optional)
raisings: 2 tbspn
Kesar flakes (5-6)

Preparation:
Boil the milk in heavy bottomed pan. Add sugar and cook on medium flame till it thichkens. Add makhane and cook it till desired consistency or the preparation is approximately 350 ml . Soak raisins in water for half an hour during this preparation. Drain raisins, wash charoli, kesar in 1 tspn of milk and add them to milk.

transfer in serving dish and serve hot. You can garnish it with chopped pista flakes also.

Sabudane ki khichdi

Navratri begins today and with this begin one month of festivity in India. Navratri means Nine+ Nights. This is the part of year that I love most, as the environment is so festive. Followers keep fast for nine days during Navratri. Dandiya and Garba form of dances from Gujrat  are performed in the evenings in whole of northern and western India during these days. People in groups of 20-500 dance in circles on gujrati tunes. Bengali celebrate it in different style, make big mandaps of Goddess Durga and hold cultural programs. Everywhere in the streets we can see Mandaps of goddess Durga in different forms and styles.

In these nine days of fasting there are some sabudana (sago) recipes that are normally made like sabudane ki khichdi, sabudane ke wade, sabudane ka mixture, sabudane ke papad. Other things made are kheer, kuttu ki puri, sama (a grass seed) ke chawal, singade ( a seed of aquatic plant) ke bhajiye, singade ki burfi and so on.

I plan to put in some of these recipes in the coming days. Today I made sabudane ki khichdi and makhane ki kheer in the morning. and they are here..

Sabudane (Sago) ki Khichdi  : (six servings)

You need:

Sabudana/ sago (Tapioca balls): 3 cups
green chilly: 2 chopped
ginger: 1/2 inch grated
curry leaves: 12-15
potato: 2 medium sized finely chopped.
fresh green coriander leaves : 1/2 cup chopped
peanuts: 1 cup (roasted and crushed: some small and some big pieces should be there)
coriander powder: 2 tspn
adofoetida (heeng): 2 pinch
cumin seeds: 1 tspn
Black pepper powder: 1 tspn
Garam masala: 1tspn
salt: to taste
sugar: 1 1/2 tspn
Oil: 4-6 tbspn

How to make:
Wash sabudana with water and soak it in water for 1/2 hour. Drain the water in colander. Transfer in a closed box and sprinkle some water on top. Leave it for 6- 8hours in refrigerator. I normally soak it in the evening and  refrigerate it overnight.
Heat 4 tbspn oil, add cumin seeds, green chillies, ginger, curry leaves and asofoetida in order. Saute for a minute, add coriander powder and again saute for half a minute on low heat. The oil should be hot enough to swell the cummin seeds and not very hot to burn the coriander powder. By putting green chillies and ginger, the oil temp comes down. Add sabudana and peanuts. Mix well, add salt and cover cooked for 8-10 minutes stirring in between.
Meanwhile, heat two table spoon of oil and cook the potatoes (with salt) uncovered stirring in between, till they are cooked and are little crispy. (You can use boiled potatoes, or cook potatoes with green chilly and then add sabudana, I prefer to cook them separately.)
Mix the potatoes in sabudana, add pepper powder and garam masala, 1/2 cup chopped coriander and cook covered for 2 minutes.
Transfer in a serving dish, garnish it with remaining coriander and serve hot with green chutney and curd. (green chutney without onion and tomato is preferred for upwaas/fasts)

Instant Hide and Seek brownie

This one is from my instant recipes. When you feel like having a hot dessert after dinner, you can make this in minutes and enjoy.
Things you need: 
Hide and seek biscuits: Three packets
Baking powder: 1 pinch
Walnuts and raisins: 2 tb spn

Preparation:
Break the biscuits and powder in mixer. Add enough water to make it thick pouring consistency (same as cake batter). Add a pinch of baking powder, walnuts and raisins and mix well.
Transfer  in a greased microwave dish. Microwave for 3 minutes.

Instant brownie is ready. It tastes very good when hot.
You can serve it with vanilla icecream.

Sambhar

I make sambhar in 4 different ways. This one is different because it uses two diff types of dals (pulses) and really tastes different and good. I always serve my guests with this variety as it is different..
I must thank my Mami Kalpana who is a very good cook to have taught me this. I always look forward to her dishes when ever I visit Bhopal my native town.

Things you need: (6 people)
Masoor dal (split red lentil): 3/4 cup
Arhar dal (split red gram): 3/4 cup
Chopped veggies (bottle guard, french beans, carrot, lady finger, white raddish, brinjal): 1 1/2 cup
Onion: 1 large, cut length wise

garlic: 4-5 cloves (chopped)

Dry red chillies: 3-4

Whole coriander seeds: 10-15
Mustard seeds: 1 tspn
Hing (asofoetida): 2 pinch
Oil: 3-4 tbspn
tamarind paste: 2 tspn or extract of 1" ball of tamarind
Sambhar masala: 4 tbspn (I prefer Everest brand for this preparation)
Fresh sambhar masala: blend one 2' piece of fresh coconut with 2 tbspn roasted bengal gram dal, 1' piece of ginger and 1 green chilly.

What next:
Wash the lentils together and take one whistle in pressure cooker. Open, add the chopped vegetables and again cook it for one whistle. Add salt.
Heat Oil. Add mustard seeds, garlic, curry leaves, coriander seeds, red chillies in order. Add onion and cook till brown. Add fresh sambhar masala saute for a minute. Add sambhar powder and saute for a minute. Add tamarind paste, salt, 1 cup water and let the masala boil. Add boiled lentil and vegetables and water to get desired consistency. Give it a boil, simmer it for 5-8 minutes.

Dry chutney for idli

I must thank my colleague Mrs Kumar for teaching me South Indian recipes. She used to bring yummy soft idlis coated with dry chutney in tiffin and we all used to love them. Infact all of us waited for her to get these idlis. Here is the recipe of Dry Chutney.
I keep it all the time on dining table, and it adds taste to our snacks like sewai upma, upma, poha and other snacks with this chutney. I am a big time chutney, pickle fan so have many type of pickles and chutneys in my kitchen.

Things you need: 
Dhuli Urad dal: 1 cup
Chana dal(gram pulse): 1 cup
Peanuts: 1/2 cup
Til (sesame) seeds: 2 tb spn
Dry red chilies: 10-12 (can take more for making it more spicy)
salt: as per taste

Preparation:
Roast urad dal, chana dal and peanuts on slow flame in a thick bottom pan till light brown. Add til seeds and red chillies and roast further, till til seeds swell and urad/chana dals turn medium brown. Allow it to cool.
After cooling grind it in mixer. Add salt to taste. You can store this chutney for a month.

Serving:
Heat 3 tbspn ghee/oil  in a pan, add a pinch of asofoetida and 3 tbspn chutney. Wrap fresh hot idlis in this chutney and keep it for 5-10 mins for soaking. Serve them.
This is very good for carrying in tiffins/picnic/travel and works just like sandwiches.

Low Cal Dal Makhni

Hi,
I am resuming activity on my blog after  a long gap.. was preoccupied mostly with travel and work.. else wise I was busy trying new designs in crochet...today I am posting recipe of Dal Makhni, which comes from North India and Punjab, in particular. Though like any other Punjabi delicacy, Dal Makhni is also very rich in butter and spices, I am putting down an adaptation for low cal lovers..I made it in the evening today and my family enjoyed it..

Things required: (serves five)
Black Urad dal: 1 cup
Rajma (red kidney beans): 1/4 cup
Onion: 1 cup chopped
Ginger: 1 " piece
Garlic: 7-8 flakes
tomato (mid sized): 2 nos (puree)
dal makhni masala: 1 1/2 tspn
amchoor (raw mango powder): 1/2 tspn
red chili powder: 1/2 tspn
tomato sauce: 2 tbspn
malai/ creme (optional): 2 tbspn
milk: 3/4 cup
salt as per taste
butter: 25 gms (can take more for garnishing)


What next:
Soak Dal and Rajma for 6-8 hours.
Pressure cook dal and rajma with onion, garlic and ginger in 4 cup water. Take 5 whistles on high flame and cook it in low flame for about 20 mins to cook the dal and rajma properly. Let it cool for 10 mins before opening.
Open the cooker and put in on low flame. Add tomato puree, and cook for 10 mins.  Add garam masala, amchoor, red chili powder, salt and cook further for 5 mins. Add milk and creme and cook further for 5-10 mins till desired consistency of dal.
Tempering:
Heat 25 gms of low cholestrol butter in a pan and add cumin seeds and cook till brown. Put the tempering on dal, mix well and serve hot. You may like to top it up with chopped coriander, creme and butter for garnishing.
Serve it with naan/chapati and rice.

Baked Spinach Mushroom

Another spinach mushroom recipe.. two in sequence.. but I couln't resist posting it.. I tried it last evening and it worked wonders..

what you need:(serves 2)
Button mushrooms: 7-8 washed and cut in four pieces
spinach: 200gms chopped
tomatoes: 2 small sized or one medium (finely chopped)
milk: 1 cup
ginger: 1/2 " piece grated
garlic: two flakes finely chopped (optional)
white floor (maida): 2 tspn
butter: 60 gms.
salt to tase
pepper: 1/2 tspn
sugar: 1/2 tspn
grated cheese: 25 grams approx.
what to do with these:
Take mushrooms with one cup water in a bowl and microwave for 2 minutes. Heat 20 gms (1/3 of total)butter in a pan till it melts, saute mushrooms till no water is left.
Heat 20 gms butter till it melts, add ginger and garlic, cook for one minute on slow flame add tomatoes and cook for 3-4 minutes till they are soft, add spinach and cook covered for 5 minutes.
Heat remaining butter in a pan, add white floor and roast it on slow flame till it turns brown, add milk and mix well till it thickens. Add sugar, pepper and salt. Add spinach and mushroom. Transfer it in  a bowl and top it with grated cheese. Grill it for 5 minutes in microwave or in a pre heated oven. Serve hot.
(The filling also tastes well in sandwiches)