PUNJABI PAKOD KADHI RECIPE

Punjabi  Pakora  Kadhi was in my to do list since I had tasted this recipe at my friends house in hyderabad.Finally I prepared it yetserday with methi corn pulao.& it was a super dupper hit.A spiced up yogurt based curry like dish is a staple among the punjabi's and a delicacy with the rest of the world. Yes the teasing taste of the kadi, with its sourness and the flavors of pakoras along with remaining ingredients  make this Kadhi truly delicious. Its nice to have a  kadhi with these cute balls floating in it .

Cook Dahi Besan Kadhi sometimes for a change in the menu especially when bored of eating dal & vegetables. Kadhi can be made in different ways. But Pakoda Kadhi is most popular of all and is commonly made in North India.  I have made gujarati kadhi which is slightly thin in consistency .Punjabis make it with pakoras and little thicker in consistency.

 Today we will make Besan Pakoda Kadhi Recipe which you can serve with hot chapatis, paranthas, naan or rice.

Ingredients

Kadhi:

2 cups curd / plain yogurt

1 cup water

1/3 cup besan  / gram flour /chickpea flour

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

1 tsp red chilly powder

2 tsp sugar (optional)

2 tsp ginger green chilli paste (optional)

Salt as per taste

Tempering:

1 red chilly, broken into half

1 tsp mustard seeds

4-5 curry leaves

1 tsp methi (fenugreek seeds)

2 tsp oil

Salt

Pakoras

1.5 cups besan / gram flour/chickpea flour

1 onion, finely chopped

1 spring onion chopped (optional - I had used spring onion as it was lying in my kitchen you can omit this & use plain onion)

1 potato, finely chopped

1 tsp turmeric

1 tsp red chilly powder

1 tsp turmeric

2 tsp chopped coriander

A pinch of hing

1/2 tsp baking soda

Salt

1 cup water

Method :

Pakoras /Pakoda :

1. To make the pakoras, take the gram flour (besan) in a bowl.

 

2. Add turmeric powder, red chilli powder, baking soda,salt, chopped onions and potatoes into the batter and mix well.Add to form a thick batter.The consistency should be that of bhajjis, not too loose. Baking soda helps to make fluffier & light pakoras.

3. In a kadhai/yok , heat the oil, just below smoking point. Drop batter by spoonfuls in batches to make small pakodas. Drain on a paper towel.

Kadhi

 4.Whisk the curd well. Add besan and other ingredients and beat well in a mixie so that no lumps remain.

 5. Retain just 1 tablespoon of oil in the wok. To the hot oil, add  mustard,curry leaves,methi seeds, hing, and the whole red chillies.

 6. Give the gram flour-buttermilk mix a good stir and pour into the wok.

7. Turn the heat to medium, add salt, and stir. The kadhi will begin to thicken. Add more water if needed; the consistency should be that of very thick creamy soup.

8. Bring the kadhi to a boil,stirring continuosly , add the pakoras & simmer for 2-3 minutes.

9. Transfer the kadi to the serving bowl. Garnish with coriander leaves & serve with rice / chapati.

Tips

1.You can make pakoras from moong dal .Add chopped spinach/methi/cabbage to the pakoras.

2. Instead of deep frying you can make the pakora in an appam maker/ appe tava to consume less oil.

Cucumber Lime and Mint Cooler - CUCUMBER COOLER DRINK - KAKDI(kheera) KAIRI JUICE /Minty lemony raw mango cucumber juice

Being summer I am hunting various summer cooler drinks .Last week I prepared green goddess sherbat , citrus minty juice .I got this recipe from my mom.The addition of kairi (raw green mango ) along with green chilli  to cucumber makes it different from normal cucumber coolers prepared with mint & lemon which I had seen on internet.

You get the  heat relief  without the high calorie count or the subsequent sugar crash.  Really, you're even doing yourself a favor health-wise, since you'll be drinking in all the cucumber's nutritional benefits.  I find this is a refreshing treat, especially to beat summer heat. Serve with ice. Garnish with mint, as your taste dictates.

Is summer bothering you ? Here’s why you have to make this tonight. Improbably, but most certainly, it’ll make you almost forget that it’s sticky and scorching outside. Almost. But certainly not enough that you won’t want to make this tomorrow and the day after, because brace yourself – it’s going to get even hotter and stickier come tomorrow and the following day.

BENEFITS OF CUCUMBER:
Cucumbers contain mostly water and are a good source of vitamin C, silica, potassium and magnesium. their peel is full of beneficial fiber so I almost always use them  with peel on.Here are few benefits :
1.Electrolyte drinks containing sodium and potassium salts replenish the body’s water and electrolyte levels after dehydration. With an impressive amount of water (about 96%) that is naturally distilled, making it superior to ordinary water, and loaded with potassium, cucumbers are an important ingredient for summer rehydration.

2.The silica in cucumber is an essential component of healthy connective tissue, which includes muscles, tendons, ligaments, cartilage, and bone. Cucumber juice is often recommended as a source of silica to improve the complexion and health of the skin, plus cucumber's high water content makes it naturally hydrating, a must for glowing skin .

3.Cucumbers are also used topically for various types of skin problems.Have you ever rested with slices of cucumber over your eyes?  It has been found that the  caffeic acid in this vegetable helps to prevent water retention, making cucumbers a great snack for weight loss, diabetes management, or to be applied topically to reduce puffy and swollen eyes,dermatitis & skin burns.

4. Cucumber, being full of water has a strong diuretic action and thus helps to remove toxins from the body which otherwise accumulate in our body and cause skin problems like pimples and other bodily functions. To add to this, it is also a storehouse of important minerals such as calcium and zinc, alongside other nutrients like folic acid, vitamin A and C.

Ingredients
Serves 2
1  medium Cucumber (kakdi /kheera)  (peeled & cubed about 1 cup)
1/2 cup  raw green mango (kacchi kairi)
10-15 Mint leaves (pudina)
1 pinch  salt
1 cup water
2-3 tsp sugar /jaggery/honey (Use as per ur taste)
1 green chilli
2 tbsp lime juice
1 tsp chatmasala /rock salt (optional)
 2-3 ice cubes

Method:
1. Wash,Peel & chop the cucumber into  pieces.
2.Cut raw mango with skin into small pieces.
3. Put all the ingredients into a blender and mix on high until it is completely puréed.
4. Strain juice & chill in refrigerator
5.Pour into glasses,add ice cubes /crushed ice &  garnish with a mint leaf /cucumber / lemon slice and serve.

Tips / Variation
1. You can skip mango & prepare drink with rest ingredients.
2. You can even drink this without straining.I normally do not strain this if I have to prepare for myself.
3. Replace chat masala with rocksalt

TOMATO SAAR | MAHARASHTRIAN TOMATO RASAM

Tomato Saar is my mother's recipe (with my nod to today's need for meals in a jiffy). It is a staple of the Alibag cuisine  - a land of gorgeous beaches, swaying coconut trees and the most delicous seafood.  This saar for instance is very similar to the rasam prepared in Southern India. There are several versions of this saar - with red gram (toor), horse gram (kulith) and even cilantro.

Serve as a soup or goes well with rice.

Ingredients:

Tomatoes, chopped , ripe and large - 3
Coconut, scraped -1 cup ( 100 g )
Garlic - 3 cloves
Cumin seeds ( jeera ) -1/2 teaspoon
Salt - to taste ( or 1/2 teaspoon )
Red chilli powder -1/2 teaspoon
Cooking oil / ghee - 2 teaspoon
Mustard seeds -1/2 teaspoon
Asafoetida ( hing ) - a pinch
Curry leaves - 10-12
Green chillies, slit - 2
cumin coriander powder -1
Sugar - 1 teaspoon ( optional )
Fresh coriander leaves, chopped -1 teaspoon

Method :

1.Transfer  tomatoes into a pan, add three cups of water and bring it to a boil. Simmer for fifteen minutes and  when it is a little cool remove skin of tomatoes .You can pressure cook for 3 whistles.

2.Grind coconut, tomato & red chilli powder  into a paste.

3.Heat ghee in a pan and add mustard seeds, cumin seeds ,asafoetida, crushed garlic  and curry leaves.

4.Add pureed tomato coconut paste and slit green chillies,red chilli powder,coriander cumin powder and bring it to a boil and add sugar ( optional ).

5. Cook on low heat for ten minutes. Adjust seasoning. Serve hot, garnished with coriander leaves with rice /chapati .

THALIPEETH BHAJANI FLOUR RECIPE |How to make thalipeeth bhajani at home

My mom & mausis make the thalipeeth flour (called as bhajani ) at home which is not only healthy,delicious & hygienic but also economical.Once made with the below ingredients stays fresh for 6 months to one year if stored in an airtight container.This is my aunts recipe.Click here to prepare delicious thalipeeth (multigrain flatbread)

Ingredients :

Rice (tandul/chawal) -  1 kg 

Chana dal (split yellow gram dal ) - 500 gms

Urad dal (whole black gram/split black gram /whole/split udid) - 250 grams

Moong dal(Split green gram ) - 250 grams

Jowari (sorghum/jwari/jowar ) - 250 grams

Bajri /bajari ( pearl millet) - 250 grams

Nachni (Ragi)  - 250 grams

Two handful (don muthbhar) of wheat (gahu/gehu)grains

Two handful (don muthbhar ) of poha ( flattened rice)

Handful (ek muthbhar) -  coriander seeds (dhane)

Handful (ek muthbhar) - jeera (cuminseeds

Handful (ek muthbhar)  - dalchini ( cinamom)

Handful (ek muthbhar) - black peper (kali miri)

Handful (ek muthbhar)  -  lavang (cloves)

Method :

1.Dry roast pulses in a clean kadai/pan individually until nice and crisp on a low heat .TAKE CARE NOT TO BURN

2.Combine and grind into a fine  powder  in a flour mill ( atta chakki /pithachi giran ) If using less quantity of pulses  do it in  a mixie grinder.

3.Store in an airtight container.

4.Use as required to make thalipeeth.

Tips and Variations:

1) This recipe has a number of pulses used, which make the thalipeeth tasty & healthy. However, you may omit any of the pulses mentioned above if not available.

 2) For smaller quantities of bhajani flour replace  1kg in above ingredient by 1 cup & 500 gms with 1/2 cup & 250 grams with 1/4 cup ,two handful with 2 tbsp & one handful with 1 tbsp.

 3) Quick recipe: Dry roast millet flours (whichever available) and rice flour separately for 10 minutes, combine and make thalipeeth in a usual way.

 4) Thalipeeth Bhajani lasts more than a year if stored airtight. The aroma tells that the flour is fresh.

A glimpse of thalipeeth made from above flour

SWEET CORN APPE|CORN PANIYARAMAN WITH IDLI DOSA LEFTOVER BATTER

Appe is also known as Paddu(Kannada), appe(Konkani/ marathi), ponganalu (Telugu), paniyaram(Tamil), unniyappam(Malayalam).

To make this we require a special tava (Appe Tava), Usually we get two kinds of tavas, one of black colour(of cast iron) and other  non stick  tava.
I have used non stick tava so that appe dont stick to the tava(GRIDDLE).

Seen this recipe on gujrati channel where she had made instant  sweet corn appe without fermentation/instant/jhatpat corn appe.(will post recipe soon)Since I had leftover dosa batter prepared sweet corn appe using dosa batter.

Ingredients :
2 cup  idli /dosa batter (Pls click here for dosa batter .For idli batter click here) 
1 cup corn 
1 small onion 
3-5 green chillies 
1 tbsp jeera (cumin) ( optional) 
¼ tsp baking soda ( I used eno salt) 
1/4 cup Coriander leaves 
Salt, oil 
8-10 Curry leaves

Method:

1.Chop the onions and coriander,chillies ,curry leaves finely.

2.Mix all the above ingredients to idli /dosa batter & mix well. Add little water to thin it out a little.(dont add too much water just 1-2 tsp).chk salt & adjust as per taste.

3 Add 1 tsp oil into each groove & heat the Appe/ Appam pan/albeskiver pan (chk below picture)

4. Drop a bit of batter to check and if you hear the sizzling 
sound, the pan is ready to cook appe.

5.Now add baking soda mix well & immediately Add the prepared sooji batter into each of the grove, so that ¾ of the grove is covered and then cover it with a lid.




6.Reduce the heat a little bit at this time. After a minute or so, open the lid and with a kitchen knife, run it around the edge of the appe, to see if it is browning.

7 Make sure the appe does not turn dark brown or black in color. The one in the middle is the one that gets dark fast.

8.If some of the appe can be easily displaced from the grove flip  it on the other side, add oil and cook until done. Let the remaining appe cook correctly and turn them when done.

9•When turned on the other side, add 1 tsp oil again and reduce the heat even further and there is no need to cover with lid. this will cook faster.

10. Serve with tomato chutney/ idli chutney/ coconut coriander chutney

TOMATO KANDA BATATA STIR FRY BHAJI- MARATHI STYLE

This is  yet another favorite ,simple & easy vegetable which my mom used to prepare for my tiffin.
A quick easy & fast sabji with the basic ingredients like potatoes & tomatoes which are normally available in any kitchen








Ingredients:
1 small onion
1 big potato
2 tomatoes
1 or 2 green chillies
5-6 curry leaves
1 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
1/2 tsp sugar (optional)
Salt as per taste

Tempering

 1-2 tsp Oil
Pinch Hing ( asafoetida)
1 tsp mustard seeds (rai)

Garnishing

2 tsp freshly grated coconut
1 tsp coriander leaves chopped

Method :

1. Chop  onion into medium pieces.
2. Peel potato & cut into medium cubes & keep them in water so that they dont turn black.
3. Chop chilli & tomatoes ,coriander &keep aside.
4. Heat oil in a kadhai / pan ,add mustard seeds ,after they crackle add curry leaves & hing (asafoetida).
5. Next add green chillies & saute for 1/2 minute add onion & fry till it turns pink.Add potatoes & turmeric,red chilli powder & mix well .
6. Next add water so that potatoes are just immersed in water & cover with lid till potatoes are cooked.Keep on checking in between.
7. Once the potatoes are just done .Add tomatoes & salt sugar & mix well & cover with lid & cook covered for 5-7 minutes till the tomatoes are soft & done.
8. Switch off gas .Garnish with freshly grated coconut & chopped coriander leaves .

9. Serve with chapati or phulka

KHASTA KACHORI RECIPE | URAD DAL STUFFING KACHODI

Khasta Kachori, also known as Raj Kachori or Daal Kachori is a popular street-food in India. "Khasta" actually means "flaky", so this is essentially a flat disc-shaped kachori which is filled with a delicious moong dal mixture, then deep fried.
The Khasta  kachori seller is very famous in chandni chowk, old delhi city, where the market is known for its food and market. The streets are know by the products or goods they sell in those streets. its a very old custom in the old city of delhi.

 Remember to fry the kachori on a very slow flame so that the crust is crisp and gets cooked on the inside. A perfect kachori is one that is puffed up and flaky outside but hollow inside. This dish can be stored in air-tight containers for upto a week. When unexpected guests arrive, warm up the kachoris in a slow oven for about 7 to 10 minutes, fill them with curds and chutneys and serve.
Last week my husband had got daal kachoris from dadus halwai (hypercity hyderabad).They were so tasty that I couldnt resist eating them & they overshadowed the meal prepared by me . Thats when I  googled this recipe & made this kachori as Saturday evening snack
You can even use moong dal (yellow) for filling.

Ingredients

Refined flour/all purpose flour (maida)  2 cups

 Salt  to taste

Soda bicarbonate (baking soda)  1/2 teaspoon

Oil  5 tablespoons

 FOR FILLING    
 
Split black gram skinless (white dhuli urad dal) /Yellow moong dal -  1/2 cup

Ginger  1 inch piece

Green chilli  1

Cashewnuts  6-8

Raisins  1 tablespoon

Ghee  3 tablespoons

Asafoetida  a pinch

Coriander powder  1 teaspoon
 
Cumin powder  1/2 teaspoon

Red chilli powder  1 teaspoon

 Fennel seed (saunf) powder  1/4 teaspoon

Sugar  1/2 teaspoon

Salt  to taste

Lemon juice /Amchur powder  1 tablespoon

Oil  to deep fry

 Method :

DOUGH :

1. Sift the maida  flour, salt and soda bicarbonate together. Add oil and mix well.
2. Knead into a soft dough using sufficient water. Cover with a moist cloth and set aside. Keep the dough covered at all times, if not it will dry up and not puff up when frying. If the dough is made right wet cloth can be used if not just a towel.

FILLING

3. Soak the urad dal /moong dal in two cups of water for an hour. Drain and coarsely grind using a little water. Peel, wash and finely chop ginger.
4. Remove stem, wash and chop green chilli. Roughly chop cashewnuts. Wash raisins and pat them dry.
5. Heat ghee/oil  in a kadai and add the ground dal, ginger, green chilli, asafoetida, coriander powder, cumin powder, red chilli powder, fennel powder, cashewnuts and raisins.
6. Cook till all the moisture has dried up. Add sugar, salt and lemon juice. Mix well and remove off the heat, let the mixture cool. 

 7.Divide into sixteen portions. Divide the flour dough into sixteen equal balls. Roll out into small puris so that they are thinner around the edges and thicker in the centre. Place a portion of stuffing in the centre and bring the edges together to form a ball. Flatten slightly using palms.

8.Heat sufficient oil in a kadai and deep fry kachoris on low heat for three to five minutes or until golden brown and crisp. Serve with tamarind chutney.

TIPS
•The fillings have to be really dry if not when rolling they will ooze out when rolling.
•Adjust the masalas according to your taste.
•If you try to press out using a rolling pin, the filling may come out and make holes in the kachori. So it will have to be just pressed out using your palm.
•Fry the kachori's on medium low to get a crisp outer layer.
•You can fry 3 kachori's at a time.
•The oil should be at a heat when you drop some dough it should come up slowly, if the dough comes up too fast the oil is too hot, if it does not come up then the oil is cold.
•It will not be crisp if the oil is too hot.
.Its better to make kachoris in batches. Roll out, stuff and deep fry 2 kachoris at a time. Keep the prepared kachoris covered through out the preparation process.