Monday 31 December 2012

Pindi chana recipe | Indian Spiced Chickpeas chole

Today is the last day of year 2012 ie 31st december & hence posting a recipe which was lying in my drafts since weeks pindi chole.Chole is my personal favourite .I just love it .So enjoy & wish all readers A happy new year 2013 In advance

This recipe was in my to do list since long time but some how I  kept on postponing it and ended in making up kadhai or amritsari chole .So today prepared pindi chole .Googled many recipes & made few changes to suit our taste.


Choles Or any form of chanas are both me & hubbys  favorite. Today I am posting this beautiful Pindi Chana which has lot of flavours integrated in it... Pindi chana is one of the famous recipes from Punjab region.  Pindi Chana originates from City Rawalpindi now  in Pakistan hence name pindi chana
















 















Difference between chole & Pindi chana
 
Pindi chana doesnt have onions and tomatoes in ingredient list whereas both of them are must in normal chole recipe. It is dry unlike punjabi chole which is in gravy or semi dry form.with pindi chana onions & lemon wedges are served in raw form.


Pindi chana is incomplete without dry mango powder and dry pomegranate seeds powder .
Use  tea bags/tea leaves or gooseberry (amla) for  brown tinge  on chana.

The best part of this Pindi Chana dish is you don’t have to chop anything. Just use dry masalas and you are done.lets move on to recipe

Ingredients:

    Boiling chickpeas
    250 gms white chickpeas/kabuli chana/chole
    3 -4 cloves
    2 cinnamon sticks
    2 black cardamoms/badi elaichi
    2 -3 green cardamoms
    2 bay leaves
    2 tea bag
    1 mace (javitri)
     2 dagadphool ( stone flower/lichen)
    2-3 tsp black salt /normal salt

    pindi chana:
    3 tsp ginger garlic paste or crushed ginger garlic
     1 tbsp shaha jeera  (black cumin)
    1-2 tsp red chili  powder (as per your spice level)
    2 tbsp coriander powder
    1 tsp garam masala powder
    a pinch of asofoetida (hing)
    2-3 tsp chole masala/chana masala
    1 tsp dry mango powder (amchur)
    1 tbsp chat masala
    1 tsp sugar
   1 tsp fennel (badishep powder)
   1 t/s turmeric
    2-3 tbsp oil
    black salt/kala namak or regular salt

Method:

   
  1.Soak the chickpeas for 8-9 hours or overnight.

   2.Boil the soaked chickpeas with the whole spices, black salt and tea bag/bags in a pressure cooker for6-8 whistles till the chickpeas are cooked completely 





 3.Drain the water from chickpeas. Discard the tea bags and all spices.

   
 4.In a pan heat oil  Once oil is hot add caraway seeds and sugar. Saute for 30 secs. Now add the ginger-garlic paste and keep stirring. 








5.when the raw smell of the ginger garlic disappears add all the spice powders. Stir all nicely for a minute.





6.Now add boiled chickpeas to it. Combine all nicely. Add salt for seasoning. add black salt and check for seasoning. adjust the seasoning if required by adding more salt or powdered spices.

 


7  let the chana cook for 5-7 minutes in the masala on a low flame.
Just taste and check if seasoning required. Add more salt Or spices if required. Switch off the gas.

8.Before serving squeeze some lime juice. serve hot with onion rings, green chillies and lemon wedges accompanied with naan, bhatura, puri or even roti. 



Sunday 30 December 2012

bharli tondli |bharleli tendli |Stuffed ivygourd| bharwan tindora



This is a very traditional Marathi curry, Bharli tindora or "Stuffed ivygourd-tondli (tendali) recipe". Whenever you feel like eating something spicy in meals, this is a favorite option in all Marathi families. For this recipe what you need is fresh and small tondli. It goes great with poli, bhakri or rice.

My mother makes the best Stuffed ivygourd-tondli (tendali) recipe in world..... presenting her recipe














Ingredients

•9-10 ivygourd /tendli/tindora/tondli

•1 cup dry shredded coconut / wet coconut/desicated coconut

 .1 big onion chopped

•1/2 cup peanut powder or peanuts (roasted),

•1 tbsp each coriander-cumin seeds,

•2 tbsp maharashtrian-goda-masala

•1 tsp lemon juice

•1 tbsp jaggery,

•2 tsp chili powder,

•salt to taste,

•2 tsp asafoetida,

•1 tsp turmeric powder.

•2 tsp oil.

 


Method

1.Wash tendli chop both ends   and give four vertical slits (not fully) to the tendli  from the top. Keep them in salt water for 10 minutes and rinse. 




 



2.Add oil in  pan add chopped onions & wet coconut & roast together till light brown.Allow it to cool & Powder this mixture in a mixie.Combine lemon juice, jaggery, peanut powder, cumin-coriander powder, turmeric powder,salt, chili powder and goda masala with the ground mixture. Alternatively, grind all these ingredients together with the roasted mixture.






3.Stuff all the tendli  with above masala.







4.Take a kadai or a shallow non stick pan, and heat oil in it. Add mustard seeds. When you hear spluttering sound, add asafoetida and turmeric powder.












5.Add the tendli  and the leftover masala. Gently fry for sometime. Add 1/2 cup water.




 

6.Cover and cook over low-medium heat for about 15-25 min or until the tendli  turn soft and completely cooked. (To keep the masala from sticking to the bottom of the pan, cover the pan with a deep platter with some water in it. It helps the curry cook evenly without burning.)

7.Remove the lid and stir to check if the tendli  are done. If not, cook further until well done.

8 Garnish with coriander leaves. Serve hot with chapati or rice.



Variations:
   
    Try substituting brinjals for the tendli in the above recipe
.

Thursday 27 December 2012

Dry Bhel | sukha bhel | mumbai street food



Dry bhel is a type of chat available in India .It is very tasty & easy to make snack  especially if you have vegies chopped in advance.Difference between normal Oli (wet) bhel & dry version is that dry bhel doesnt contain any chutneys .The taste of chutneys is substituted with chopped raw mangoes ,cilantro,chopped tomatoes,chilli powder,sugar & chat masala & lime juice.
Mu mom used to make this bhel as a breakfast on sundays .

It is a good option  for sudden hunger pangs.normally you will get this  in chat bhandars  or  noisy railway platform or a quiet roadside. This dry, non-messy variation of bhel can be stuffed in as a quick meal  or a good option for your kids tiffin even as you rush to work.

 You may add veggies like tomatoes etc carrots ,sprouts ,corn  if you wish to make it an even more enjoyable and healthy



 Ingredients
3 cups puffed rice (kurmura/murmura)
1 cup chopped onions
1/2 cup boiled , peeled and chopped potatoes
2-3 green chillies chopped
2 tomato chopped
1/4 cup nylon yellow sev ( i had used MTR ompudi)
6 to 8 papadis or sev puri puris crushed
4 tsp namkeen /mixed farsan (optional)
4 tsp roasted peanuts
4 tsp roasted chana
4 tbsp sukha teekha chutney (optional)
3/4 tsp red chilli powder
1 tsp chaat masala
2 tbsp lemon juice
salt to taste
2 tbsp finelychopped raw mangoes
2 tbsp finely chopped coriander (dhania)
Garnish
1/2 cup nylon sev
4 tsp chopped coriander (dhania)



For Serving
4 papadi (sev puri puris)

Method:

1.Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl and mix well.



2.Place equal portions of bhel on 4 plates and garnish each plate with 2 tbsp of sev and 1 tsp of coriander. Serve immediately with papadis.
















VARIATION

1.Add 1 tsp of oil & roast puffed rice for 4-5 minutes .This makes bhel crisp.
2.You can even add sukha teekha chuney made by grinding roasted chana dal, 2-3 green chillies,handful of pudina & coriander leaves,chopped garlic,lemon juice & chat masala.
3. Adjust spice & sour flavours as per your taste

Ingredients for  Into Sukha Teekha Chutney
1 1/2 tbsp roasted chana dal (daria) dal
1 tbsp puffed rice (kurmura)
2 to 3 green chillies , roughly chopped
1 cup chopped mint leaves (phudina) leaves
1/4 cup chopped coriander (dhania)
1 tsp lemon juice
 a pinch of turmeric powder (haldi)
 a pinch of asafoetida (hing)
 salt to taste



Corn kabab recipe |makai -sweet corn patties tikki






Last week end i had made corn kabab by giving a twist to corn pattice/tikki  recipe .

I had tasted corn pattice  at my aunts house in thane ...since then became a fan of this recipe....This can be eaten with mint chutney/ ketchup.Corn is also referred as Makai or Bhutta In India. This Corn Tikki Kabab Recipe is simple to make. The ingredients required are  easily available in your kitchen. You could eat this Corn Tikki kabab  with imli khajoor chutney  Or with tea Or as a Chaat. Any ways this Corn Tikki Patties Recipe tastes yum!


Corn-in-a-cob is among my favourite veggies that appears frequently on my grocery shopping list. It’s inexpensive and a versatile ingredient to be added for cooking. I love the extra natural sweetness and colour it brings to my dishes. Besides that, corn (or sweetcorns) is packed with wonderful nutrients like thiamin (vitamin B1), pantothenic acid (vitamin B5), folate, dietary fiber, vitamin C, phosphorus and manganese. It is also rich in beta-carotene (a good source of Vitamin A) to protect your child’s body from disease.

Corn is high on fiber so it is not an ideal first puree for babies whose digestive system is still immature. However, for toddlers and older kids,  it makes great finger food.



    Ingredients: 

    1 Corn Cob / 1 cup sweet corn
    2 Potato boiled
    1 and 1/2 cup Bread Crumbs
    2 -3 Green Chili
    1 inch ginger
    2 tbsp Chat Masala
    1 tbsp Lime Juice
    1/2 cup mint leaves
    1 sugar
    Salt as per taste
  3 to 4 tbsp Oil for shallow fry


 


Method:

1.    Boil potatoes and corn till tender. Now remove the corn kernels with the help of knife.(If using baby corn no need to boil corn).crush corn coarsely with chilli & ginger in mixie .



 


2. Mash the potatoes along with mint leaves  chili and chat masala.

3.    Now mix the corn paste with mashed potatoes, bread crumbs, lime juice and salt. Combine all of them with your hand. Shape them into small balls. Rub some oil in your hand the batter won’t stick to your fingers. Flatten these corn balls shaping into a kabab.now roll them in bread crumbs & pat extra crumbs.







4.   Take a frying pan. Add oil and keep your gas on low flame. Once the oil is hot place these kabab into it gently. Shallow fry them from both sides until golden brown and crisp.





 



5   Pat with tissue paper to remove excess oil.



 


6   Your Corn kabab Recipe is ready. Garnish them with coriander leaves.

7  Serve them on a platter with mint chutney or sauce or  imli khajoor chutney. You can have them during tea time as well.





 















Tip:

    Ensure while frying them your gas is on medium mode. Otherwise they won’t fry from within and might get burnt.
   
    If you don’t have bread crumbs don’t worry. pls click here for bread crumbs recipe at home

Tuesday 25 December 2012

Tomato bhat | Tamatar ki Biryani recipe| 500 th post










Hi FRIENDS

It gives me immense pleasure to announce that this is my 5ooth post.Time flies so fast & hence presenting a royal tomato biryani in the hyderabadi style


Tomato Bhat /tomato biryani  is a tasty tangy rice dish with amazing combo of flavors. This biryani  can be made in a jiffy and it makes a wholesome meal with some raitha. 

This tastes just like biryani especially the addition of hyderabadi garam masala gives it a different flavour.

In this recipe, the long grain aromatic basmati rice is cooked in tomato puree, onion and selected spices. 




 Ingredients:

 
    Basmati Rice - 1 cup
   Onion – 2, medium size


   Mint leaves – 1/2 bunch

    green chilli - 2 sliced    Cardamom – 1
    Cinnamon – 1 inch piece
    Cloves – 2
    star anise -2
    Bay leaf – 1, torn
    Fennel Seeds – 1/2 tsp
    Red chilli powder – 1 1/2 tsp
    hyderabadi Garam masala powder  – 1 tsp

    dahi - 1/2 cup   
     Salt – to taste
    Oil / ghee – 2 tbsp

    TO GRIND IN MIXIE
    Tomato – 3   
    Ginger - V1inch
    garlic -2/3 pods

    Fennel (badishep) seeds - 1 tsp
    coriander seeds - 1 tsp



Method:

1.Wash and soak the Basmati rice for 30 min. drain water & keep aside.
Pressure cook rice with 1:1.5 ratio water & 1 tsp ghee. Fluff it once with a fork and set aside to cool under fan.rice grains should be separate


2.Slice the onions into juliennes and fry them till browned for making birista like we make for biryani . Wash the mint leaves and keep aside.Grind tomato, onion, ginger, garlic into paste .

 3.Heat oil or ghee in a pan/kadhai. Add whole spices like cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, bay leaf , star anise and fennel seeds and sauté till the aroma arises. Add sliced green chilli,half browned onions (reserve half for decoration in end).


 4.Next add the tomato ,ginger garlic ,
Fennel ,coriander seed paste and sauté for another min or two till the raw smell disappears. Add the mint leaves now and cook for another min till they shrink in size.


5. Add the red chilli powder,
hyderabadi Garam masala powder,dahi and cook in low flame until nice aroma comes. Mix well and cook in low flame until the curry thickens. 

6.Add the rice and mix well without breaking the rice.

7.Fluff the rice with a fork .

8.Garnish with coriander leaves & half of browned onions &  Serve hot with dahi raita ,pickle & papad


 


Tips:
  •     You can add chopped tomatoes too instead of grinding it.

  •     Use normal garam masala instead of hyderabadi garam masala

Sunday 23 December 2012

Achari Bhindi |Spicy stir fy pickled Okra -ladysfinger


Achari (pickle) bhindi (ladysfinger) means  Stir fried okra tempered with Indian pickle spices

 Bhindi (okra) with a generous mix of onions and Indian spices 

I am not a big lover of  bhindi but hubby is.So I try to discover various bhindi recipes which suits to my taste .One such recipe is Achari Bhindi which I too enjoyed a lot.


I have earlier blogged about bhindi do pyaaza





Ingredients

    Bhindi /ladyfinger/ Okra-350 gms
    Oil-3 tbls
    Chopped tomato-1
    Green chilli-2
    Mustard seeds-1/2 tsp
    Fenugreek seeds-1/4 tsp
    Cumin seeds-1/4 tsp
    Fennel seeds-1/2 tsp
    jeera -a pinch of
    ginger garlic paste -1 tsp
    Salt-1 tsp
    Chili powder-1 tsp
   Turmeric-1/2 tsp
    cumin coriander powder - 1 tsp   
    Suhana achar - Pickle masala-1 tbsp *
    Lemon juice/ vinegar/amchur powder -1 tsp

Method:

    1.Wash and wipe Bhindi.chop both the ends and slit from the centre.then again split the individual half's.
    2.Heat oil in a pan, add mustard, fenugreek,cumin, fennel and cumin.
    3.When seeds start crackling add asafoetida.
    4.Add chopped tomato,green chilli,ginger garlic paste and saute for few seconds
    5.Add turmeric, okra,lemon juice and salt  and mix and cover and cook for 2 minute.
    6.Now add pickle masala and chili powder.
    7.Mix and cover and cook till done
    8.Now add lemon juice or vinegar ,mix,garnish with coriander leaves &  serve hot with    rice   dal  and roti


 

Tips:


1.You can use any company pickle masala.

2.If you don't have pickle masala then use 1 tablespoon  masala from  your pickle jar

Karivepaku Andhra Podi – Spiced Curry Leaves Powder



This tangy and aromatic podi- powder is a age old recipe of andhra households which is served as a condiment with a spoonful of oil for breakfast with idli and dosa . It also tastes awesome when it is served with peppy hot steamed rice topped with a dash of ghee.
Aromatic, protein rich and nutritious, podis are not high in calories and can be stored for a few weeks in air tight containers.

This powder is an appetizer catagory. This is a good appetizer.People who recover from sickness, lose their taste,this is good to get back their taste. This is also good for the new moms.
 







Ingredients:
2 cups Curry leaves
1 levelled cup Coriander seeds
1/4 cup Urad dal
2 tbsp Chana dal
2 tbsp Cumin seeds
7-8 Red chillies
4-6 Byadige Red chillies
7-8 Garlic Pods
1 big amla sized Tamarind
Salt to taste(approx heaped 1 tbsp)
2 tbsp Oil
2 tbsp Ghee




 


Method:

1.Clean and wash curry leaves and remove extra water and spread it on a dry cloth to let the leaves dry completely with out any water.Leave it for 2-3 hrs.





2.Heat 1/2 tsp oil in  kadai  and add the Bengal gram and urad dal and fry them on medium heat till they turn red. Don’t burn them. Keep tossing them around continuosly. Remove from pan and keep aside.


2 In the same pan add the cumin and coriander seeds and toss them on medium heat till they turn brown..approx 2-3 mts. Remove from pan and keep aside.Do not burn them but fry upto the maximum red color you can get without burning,this is the key to get good black color for the powder.


 3.Again heat 1/2 tsp oil and  red chillies and fry until crisp and remove it and keep it aside.

4 Heat 1/4 tsp oil and add dried curry leaves and fry until they are crisp and remove it and keep it aside. Turn off heat and cool all the roasted ingredients.





 5.  While the kadai(pan) is hot add tamarind and fry for half a minute and keep it aside.






6.   Once everything comes to room temperature grind fried chana dal,urad dal,red chillies,cumin seeds and coriander seeds to a coarse powder.

   7.Add fried curry leaves,salt and tamarind to it and grind again to a coarse powder.


  8 Add whole garlic pods(with skin) and run it in whipper mode now or run it just for 30 secs in the regular mode.The powder should be coarse not very fine.


   9.Heat ghee in the same pan and add the ground powder and fry for 1-2 mins until all the ghee is incorporated in to the powder.


   10 Once cool remove it and keep it in a air tight container.this stays fresh for long,approx 2 months.


11 Serve hot with white steamed rice and ghee.











 


 Note:
1.You can increase the quantity of curry leaves and it will add more flavor.
2.You can decrease or increase  the amount of red chillies if you wish.