Daal Makhani

Daal makhni goes well with laccha paratha, naan or rice. Today I am preparing this for all of you.




Ingredients

• 1 cup whole urad daal (urad sabut)
• 1tbsp Red kidney beans (Rajma)
• 1 onion finely chopped
• 1 tomato finely chopped
• 1" Ginger piece
• 2-3 green chilies finely chopped
• chopped coriander leaves
• 4-5 flakes Garlic paste
• 1/2 cup stirred curd
• 1/2 cup fresh stirred cream (malai)
• 2tbsp butter
• 1tsp cumin seeds (jeera)
• 1/2tsp turmeric powder
• 1/2tsp Garam masala
• Red chili powder to taste
• 1/2tsp dhania powder
• Salt to taste

Method

Soak rajma in water overnight.
Add water & little salt and pressure-cook Rajma and urad daal till soft for about 20-25 minutes. Mash and boil again for 15-20 minutes and add curd and cream to the daal. Now in kadhai heat oil, splutter cumin seeds and add garlic paste, fry till light brown. Add onions and fry till golden brown, add ginger, green chilies and tomatoes and fry till tomatoes soften,add dry masalas turmeric powder, chili powder, dhania powder & salt and fry again for a moment. Add daal and stir on medium flame. As soon as it starts boiling remove from the gas. Sprinkle garam masala powder and garnish daal makhni with coriander and add butter.

Til Ke Ladoo

It’s an Indian vegetarian recipe mainly served as a dessert.


Ingredients

• Sesame seeds (Til) 4 cup
• Jaggery 1 ½
• Chopped dry fruit ½ cup
• Grinded coconut 1 cup
• Water ½ cup

Method

Prepare syrup by boiling water and jaggery on low heat.
Add coconut and dry fruits on a low flame until syrup becomes thick and sticky. Turn the heat off. Dry roast the sesame seeds until light brown in color. Add sesame seeds into the syrup and mix well. Allow the mixture to cool down. Shape into small balls, now ready to serve.

Vegetable Rice Pulaw

Vegetable rice Pulaw tastes really good on a cold winters day with Raita or any type of vegetable curry.


Ingredents

• Basmati rice washed & drained 2 cups
• Potato cubed 1 cup
• Onion sliced 1 cup
• Carrot cubes 2
• Chopped green chillis 2-4
• Chopped beans ½ cup
• Pea ½ cup
• Garam Masala 2 teaspoon
• Cumin seeds 1 teaspoon
• Cloves 4 nos
• Cinnamon 2 sticks
• Bay leaves 4
• Ghee 4 teaspoon
• Salt to taste
• Water 4 cups

Method:

Heat the ghee in the pressure cooker or a large heavy based pan. When hot add the cinnamon sticks, cloves and the bay leaves stir. Add the cumin seeds and wait for 3 seconds. Now add all the vegetables to the pan and stir. Add salt to taste. Gently stir for 4/5 minutes then add the washed and drained rice and stir again make sure the rice doesn't stick to the bottom. Once the rice is coated with oil add the water enough to cover the rice and the vegetables. If you are using a pressure cooker follow manufacturers instructions place the lid on and put the whistle on and cook according to the rice settings for your cooker. Add garam masala ,if you are using a pan then don't put the lid on as it may boil over let it all simmer and cook until the vegetables are tender and the rice is done. If the water runs out before it's done add a little more. Serve hot.

kitchen tips

Today I m giving some useful kitchen tips.


To keep away insects from grain or rice

• Put some Neem and turmeric pieces or garlic flakes in the container where you store rice or grains, in order to keep away insects.

Rice

Keep flour free from moisture.

• A bay leaf added to the flour container will keep the flour free from moisture.

To peel garlic flakes easily

• To peel garlic flakes easily, wash and soak them in cold water for about an hour.

Salt to prevent it from getting damp

• Add a pinch of corn flour to the jar of salt to prevent it from getting damp.

Chappathi/ Poori:

• You can make tasty chappathi by mixing equal proportion of wheat flour and barley.
• Add 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda while mixing the dough for 'chappathi' to make it soft.
• To make the 'poori' tastier, add one tablespoon semoline for each 100g wheat flour.

Chappathi

Retain the original color

• Add a pinch of sugar while cooking spinach; it will retain its green color.
• Green peas will retain their original color, if you add a pinch of sugar while boiling

Fruit cake

Fruit Cake
Ingredients

• Maida – 125 gms
• Milkmaid – three-fourth tin
• Melted butter – 100 gm
• Milk – 30 ml
• Vanilla essence – 1 teaspoon
• Baking powder – 1 teaspoon
• Baking soda – half teaspoon
• Salt – a pinchIcing
• sugar – A little
• Hot water – 70 ml
• Shahi jeera, powdered- half teaspoon
• Cinnamon- a small piece
• Clove – 2 no.

For caramel syrup

• Sugar – 4 tablespoon
• Water – A little

Finely Chopped Dry fruits

• Cashews 50 grams
• Almonds 50 grams
• Brown kismis 50 grams
• Black kismis 50 grams
• Dates 50 grams
• Cherries- chopped- 50 grams
• Tutti- frutti/ candied peel- 50 grams
• Nutmeg and mace- each
• Fresh juice of half orange.
• Sugar- 3 teaspoon
• Alcohol- Vodka/brandy/rum/ whisky- 2 tsp
• Orange rind- 1 teaspoon
  

Method

Take chopped Cashews, almonds, brown kismis , Black kismis , Dates , Cherries, Tutti- frutti/ candied peel, a pinch of nutmeg and mace, Shahi jeera, Cinnamon, Clove, soak everything in orange juice and alcohol, keep the spice-dried fruit mix in refrigerator for at least 2 days. Heat 4 tablespoon sugar over gentle heat, wait until it turns golden brown, add a little water. Keep stirring to avoid burning of sugar. When the sugar becomes red and fully dissolved, turn off the flame. Add the spice-dried fruit mix to the caramel syrup. Stir well to coat contents.Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt. Mix with wooden spoon. Take milkmaid, melted butter, vanilla extract. And mix in the dry flour mixture in three batches and stir. Add the prepared caramel coated spice-dry fruit mixture, 70 ml hot water and 30 ml warm milk. Stir batter well till blended and smooth.Preheat oven to 160 degrees Celsius. Grease a cake tin. Pour the mixture and Bake for 2 hours. Remove from oven, allow to cool for 10 minutes before removing from cake tin and keep it to cool.

Idlis

Ingredients:

• 2 cups Rice
• 1 cup White Urad Daal
• 1 1/2 tablespoon Salt
• Pinch of Baking Soda
• Oil for greasing

The idlis are a savory cake popular throughout South Indian. These are made by steaming a fermented batter. Most often eaten at breakfast or as a snack, idlis are usually served in pairs with chutney, sambar.
Method


Wash and soak the white urad daal overnight or for 8 hours. Wash and drain the rice. Grind it coarsely in a blender. Grind the white urad daal into a smooth and forthy paste. Now mix the grinded rice and white urad daal together into a batter. Mix salt and set aside in a warm place for 8-9 hours or overnight for fermenting.

Idlis are ready to be cooked when the batter is well fermented. Grease the idle holder or pan well and fill each of them with 3/4th full of batter. Steam cook idlis on medium flame for about 10 minutes or until done. Use a butter knife to remove the idlis.
Serve them with sambhar or chutney.

CHICKEN BIRYANI

Chicken Biryani is a delicious non vegetarian Indian cuisine, but biryani's can be Vegetarian and non Vegetarian both. Today i am going to make chicken biryani, hope you all will enjoy this recipe.


Ingredients

• 2 Cups Basmati Rice
• 3/4 kg Chicken Pieces
• 1/2 Cup Milk
• 1 Cup Yogurt
• 3 Sliced onion
• 1 Teaspoon Ginger Paste
• 1/2 Teaspoon Garlic Paste
• 1 Teaspoon Green Chilli Paste
• 1/2 Cup Tomato Puree
• 2 teaspoon Red Chilli Powder
• 1 teaspoon Turmeric Powder
• 1 teaspoon Roasted cumin powder
• 2 teaspoon Garam Masala Powder
• 1 teaspoon Coriander Powder
• 1/2 teaspoon Cardamom Powder
• 1/2 tablespoon Whole Garam Masala
• Salt to taste
• Saffron a pinch
• 2 tablespoon Rose water
• 2 tablespoon Green Coriander Leaves
• Mint leaves (Garnishing)
• 10 tablespoon Oil
• 4 Tablespoon butter
• Clay pot for serving

Method

Marinate the chicken pieces with the mixture of tomato puree, yogurt, ginger garlic paste, green chilli paste, red chilli powder, turmeric powder, roasted cumin powder, garam masala, coriander powder and salt, and keep aside for 3-4 hours.

Now heat the oil in a pan and fry the sliced onions until it becomes golden brown, and keep half aside. Now add the marinated chicken and cook it for 10 minutes.

Boil water, add 1/2 of the whole garam masala, bay leaf, salt and rice in it. Cook the rice until 3/4th done. Drain rice and place it aside.

Dissolve saffron in warm milk and set aside.

Place alternate layers of chicken and rice in a clay pot. Now sprinkle saffron dissolved in milk, remaining garam masala powder, golden fried sliced onions and butter in between the layers and on the top. Carefully end it with the rice layer topped with saffron, spices & rose water. Cover and seal it with an aluminum foil and cook on low flame for about 10 to12 minutes. Chicken Biryani is ready to serve.