Kesar Badam Milk...

INGREDIENTS:

4 cups milk
10-15 almonds
1/6 cup pistachios
a few saffron strands
1/4 tbsp cardamon powder
1/4 cup sugar
water as required


METHOD:

• Boil the milk in a heavy bottomed pan.Continue heating even after the milk boils.
• Heat about a liter of water in another pan and add the almonds and the pistachios. Continue heating until the almonds expand.
• Drain off the water and wash the nuts with cold water.
• The skin of the almonds and the pistachios can be easily removed now.
• Now grind the almonds and pistachios into a smooth paste and add it to the milk and stir well.
• Add the saffron strands,sugar and cardamon powder and mix well.
• Continue heating the milk for a few more minutes.
• When the milk becomes a little thicker than before,cool it .
• Refrigerate it for 1-2 hours and serve it cold.

Butter Chicken Masala

Butter Chicken Masala is a all time favorite dish in Indian cuisine. Lightly seasoned chicken dish enriched with butter and cream. Butter Chicken Masala recipe love by all age people.Serve with any Indian bread of your choice with Naan, Butter Naan or Garlic Naan.


Ingredients to cook Butter Chicken Masala:

• 1 kg    - Boneless chicken skin removed
• 2 tsps  – Garam masala
• 2 tsps  – Coriander powder
• 1 tsp     - Cumin powder
• 1 tsp     - Red chilli powder
• 1 cup     - Fresh yoghurt
• 1 nos    – Lime
• 1/4 tsp – Turmeric powder
• 8-10     - Peppercorns
• 6 nos     - Cloves
• 1 inch  stick – Cinnamon
• Cardamom  – Seeds from 3-4 pods
• 2 nos   - Bay leaves
• 2 tsps – Garlic paste
• 1 tsp – Ginger paste
• 8 to 10 – Almonds
• 2 nos – Onions chopped
• 1/2 litre – Chicken stock
• 3 tbsps    - Oil
• 3 tbsps – Butter
• Salt as per taste
• Coriander leaves to garnish

Direction to cook Butter Chicken Masala:
1. Marinate the chicken with lime juice, salt and red chilli powder in a bowl for an 1 hour.
2. Roast the cloves,cinnamon, cardamom, peppercorns, bay leaves and almonds till they brown slightly and then powder coarsely
3. Prepare the marinade by mixing the yoghurt, whole spice powder and all the other spices together and Marinate the chicken with the above for another 1 hour.
4. Heat the oil in a pan and fry the onions till golden brown before adding the ginger and garlic pastes. Fry for a minute.
6. Add only the chicken from the chicken-spice mix and fry till chicken will turn opaque .Now add the chicken stock and remaining part of the mix to the chicken.
7. Cook till the chicken is done and stirring frequently. gravy is reduced to half its original volume.Now Melt the butter and pour it over the chicken.
8. Sprinkle chopped coriander leaves and green chillies. Serve with any Indian bread of your choice like Naan ,Butter Naan or Garlic Naan.

Jevnache Taat

Jevanache Taat

A festive Maharashtrian meal can be very elaborate. It contains arrays of different vegetables, pulses, sweets and salads. The order in which the thali is presented is also given utmost importance. When arranging a meal, consider thali as a clock, the number 12 position is salt, to its left is a lemon wedge, and then to the left are array of chutney,pickels,(loncha) and salad koshimbir. To the right side of salt are different vegetables like paatal bhaji (vegetable curry),paale bhaji (leafy greens), suki bhaji (dry stir fry), usal (sprouts),amti (daals). Cooked white rice is molded in a small mound called bhatachi mood, with a bright yellow plain daal (varan) annointed with a dollop of clarified butter (toop).
There may be another variety of spicy rice dishes like masale bhaat. There could be two three types of chutneys typically a green chutney and tamrind,jaggery chutney. Koshimbeer – raw salads generally paired with roasted peanut powder (daanyache koot) and flavored with either lemon juice or a plainyogurt based koshimbeer. Mattha – a spiced buttermilk is always served with such an elaborate meal along with a variety of sweets like jalebi, shrikhand, modak, puranpoli etc. There could also be some fried crispies like bhuji (fritte rs), kothimbeer vadi or papad or saandge & Kurdaya.
If the meal is for any religious festivities, onions and garlic are avoided. I have eaten elaborate meals during weddings and big family functions. There are some other mandatory rituals before actually eating the meal as well. You need to pay your respects to food which is considered poornabramha – God. My grandfather used to recite the following Marathi prayer:

Kitchen Vastu

LOCATION OF A KITCHEN:

• First Preference: South-East corner.
  
• Second Preference: An alternative choice is the North-West corner.
• Avoid: North-East is not preferred in most parts in India.
  

DOOR POSITION TO THE KITCHEN:

• Preference: In the North, East or in the North-East corner of the Kitchen.
• The door should open in a clockwise direction.

WINDOW LOCATION IN A KITCHEN:

• The ventilators and larger Kitchen windows should be in the East direction.
• The smaller windows can be in the South.
• There should be adequate provision for cross ventilation.

COOKING STOVE POSITION:

• The cooking stove is best placed in the South East.
• One should cook facing East as much as possible.
• The stove should not be visible from the outside.

KITCHEN SINK POSITION:

• The ideal position for the location of the Kitchen sink is in the North East.
• The cooking gas and the washing sink should be kept away from each other.
• Water taps should not be in the corner.
• There should be no leaking taps in the kitchen.

WATER FILTER LOCATION:

• The water filter and drinking water should be stored in the North East corner. 

ELECTRIC APPLIANCES LOCATIONS:

• The Refrigerator can be placed in the North-West or the South-West.
• Electrical appliances like microwave can be put in the South-East corner.
• Exhaust fans in the eastern walls in the South-East corner. 

KITCHEN STORAGE:

• No overhead storage cupboards, or shelves above the the cooking stove.
• It is useful to have overhead storage in the rest of the areas.

EATING IN THE KITCHEN:

• According to Vastu, the Kitchen is the best place to have the daily meals.
• If there is a dining table in the kitchen, it can be in the North West corner.
• Avoid a dining table in the center of the room.

COLORS IN THE KITCHEN:

• It is good to have a lot of green color in the kitchen. For example green granite for flooring or green pictures, as this helps improve the appetite of the family members.
• Other suitable colours are soft pink and orange.

POSITION OF THE KITCHEN:

DIRECTION	POINTS
SOUTH-EAST	10
NORTH-WEST	9
EAST	8
WEST	7
SOUTH	6
NORTH	5
NORTH-EAST	4
SOUTH-WEST	3

Chettinad Mushroom Masala

Ingredients  
Mushroom - 2 cups (chopped)
Tomato - 1
Turmeric powder - a pinch
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Curry leaves - 1 strand
Oil - 2 tblsp
Cilantro - for garnish
 
Spice Mixture
  Peppercorns- 1 tsp
Dry red chillies - 2
  Coriander seeds - 1 tblsp
Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
Fennel seeds - 1/2 tsp
Shallot onions - 2-3
Garlic cloves - 2

Method
1. Roast all the ingredients under 'spice mixture' separately till a nice aroma is released. If you do not have time roast everything together.
2. Once it cools, grind it to a coarse powder and keep aside.
3. Clean the mushroom using a paper towel and chop it lengthwise.
4. Heat oil in a pan, splutter the mustard seeds and curry leaves.
5. Add the chopped mushrooms to this and saute for 5 minutes till the mushrooms get a
nice color. Do not add water. The water from the mushroom is sufficient.
6. Add the tomatoes  required salt and turmeric powder. Cover and let it cook for a few minutes.
7. Add the spice mixture and mix everything for a minute.
8. Garnish with chopped cilantro. Serve as a side-dish for rice or roti or use as a stuffing for mushroom puffs or masala dosa.

Tips
   - A tblsp of grated coconut can also be added along with the spice mixture for added flavor.

Papad Sabji

 

 

Ingredients:

2-3 medium sized papads

1 tbsp curds
1/2 tsp chilli powder
1-2 pinches turmeric
1-2 pinches asafoetida
1/4 tsp cumin
1/4 mustard seeds
1 tbsp ghee
1 tsp chopped coriander
Salt To Taste
1 cup water

Preparation:

• Break the papads into 1 inch squares.
• Heat ghee in a saucepan, add seeds.
• Add asafoetida. Add chilli powder and curds simultaneously. Stir till curds brown
• Add turmeric, water and salt. Boil.
• Add papads and coriander.
• Boil for 3-4 minutes.
• Serve papad ki sabzi hot with chappatis.

Coconut Cookies

Ingredients:4 cups all purpose flour (I used unbleached all purpose flour)
1 and 1/2 cups desiccated coconut
2 cups sugar
1 tea spn baking soda
2 cups butter
1 tea spn cardamom powder
Few raisins

Method:Preheat the oven at 275F for 10mins.
Melt the butter. Add it to all other ingredients(except raisins) and mix.
Line the cookie sheet with silver foil (for easy clean up). Make small balls of the dough and keep it on the sheet. Leave around 2 inches space between two cookies.
Keep a raisin on top of each ball and slightly push it in the dough.
Bake for about 20mins or till done.
Makes about 80 cookies

Cooking with Curry

Many people who eat curry for the first time in an Indian restaurant find it difficult to understand why curry is so popular. They are a bit overwhelmed by trying a dish that is new to them but spiced for a person who already knows and loves the flavor of Indian food. The key is to start at home by adding small amounts of curry powder to foods you already know and like. Sprinkle on chicken or chops before cooking, scramble a bit with eggs, sauté with vegetables. Soon the whole family will love the flavors, and you can move on to authentic, but not too spicy, dishes like Balti, Tandoori, Saté and Rogan Josh. Finding new, quick ways to prepare the same food for the family dinner isn't always easy, and Indian cooking is some of the most delicious in the world.




Give it a try...

Spices

Regardless of region, spices are key ingredients in Indian cooking. The Indians are also mindful of the healing properties of spices in their cooking. These are derived from plant's roots, buds, seeds, fruits and dried bark which produce the exotic aroma. It is released when the spices are heated up. All these spices are all readily available in supermarkets.


Spices can be grouped into five basic categories : sweet, pungent, tangy, hot, and amalgamating. The way these are used and the amounts used in cooking are governed by these characteristics. Examples of the different types of spices are:


Amalgamating: Coriander seed, fennel seed
Sweet : Cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, vanilla
Pungent : Cloves, star anise, cardamom
Tangy : Ginger, tamarind, sumach, kokam
Hot : pepper, chilli, mustard, horseradish

Removing Turmeric Stain

If you cook Indian food, you are bound to get turmeric stains on your clothes at one time or another. The good news is they're really easy to take out. Wash the stained clothes/kitchen linen immediately in cool water and soap. Dry in the sun and the stain will fade to a very pale pink. Wash the article again and the stain will be gone.

Hard Cook an Egg

Add Salt To Water..  

Egg white solidifies more quickly in hot, salty water than it does in fresh. So a little salt in your water can minimize the mess if your egg springs a leak while cooking. The egg white solidifies when it hits the salt water, sealing up the crack so that the egg doesn’t shoot out a streamer of white.

Palak Lasuni

Ingredients:

3 bunches spinach
1/4 tsp cumin seeds
1/4 tsp mustard seeds
2 tsps oil
pinch of hing / asafoetida
1 medium onion
1 tbsp chopped garlic
1 tbsp chopped ginger
1 tomato
2 green chillies
1/2 tsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp chilli powder
pinch of turmeric powder
3 cloves of garlic, minced and browned
puree of 2 tomatoes
1/2 cup plain beaten yoghurt
2 tsps cream
salt to taste

Method:

Clean and chop the spinach. Puree two bunches by blanching it and passing it thru the blender. Keep once bunch chopped, aside
Heat oil, crackle cumin and mustard seeds. Add asafoetida, ginger, garlic and green chillies
Add onions and saute till brown
Add chopped spinach and tomatoes and cook till spinach is done and tomatoes are mushy
Add all the powdered masalas and saute
Add spinach puree and tomato puree, yoghurt and cream
Bring to a slow boil
Garnish with browned garlic..

Serve with hot rotis and raita

Pooran Poli

Ingredients:

For puran-
1 cup chana dal (bengal gram) soaked for 2 hours,
1 cup jaggery,
1 tsp elaichi powder (green cardamom),
1/4 tsp jaiphal or nutmeg powder,
1-2 tsp ghee.

For the dough-
1 cup wheat flour,
2 tbsp whole wheat flour,
A pinch of salt,
1 tsp melted ghee or oil,
Water,
Oil for kneading the dough.

Method:

Mix all the ingredients for the dough except oil to knead a soft and smooth dough prepared for chapatis. When done, use oil to knead it more till it becomes very soft and smooth. Knead this dough with oily hands for 4-5 minutes till its elastic in consistency. Cover and keep aside for an hour or so.Cook the chana dal using very less water. When cooked, you can  Else you can cook this water along with the dal to prepare the puran (stuffing). In a non-stick pan, heat some ghee and drop in this cooked dal into it. Cook this dal stirring continuously till it thickens and all the water has dried up. Then add the jaggery to it. Mix well and stir continuously to form a thick puran. Add elaichi and nutmeg powder, mix well, remove from heat and let it cool at room temperature. Later use the  grinder to grind this dal till smooth but thick. Do not grind it for a longer time, since dal will liquefy and it will be really difficult to stuff it in the poli or roti.
Divide this puran into equal portions, and then make same number of small balls out of the dough. Stuff the puran into it, stretch the dough to meet its ends and seal. Use flour for dusting and rolling. Roll poli or roti out of it and cook on a tava .
Spread lots of ghee on it and serve with milk.

Sheera

Ingredients 

Sooji - 1/2 cup
Sugar - min. 1/4 cup
Ghee - 1/4 cup
1 cup water
1/4 tsp cardamom powder (elaichi)
2 tsp of Raisins and Sliced Almonds

Method:

1. Mix sugar and water in a pan and heat the mixture over low flame. Boil and set aside.
2. Heat the ghee in a kadhai. Add sooji, raisins and cardamom powder(elaichi).
3. Fry until it is very lightly golden brown in color.
4. Constantly stir the mixture to ensure even browning.
5. Add sugar water (syrup) and mix rapidly to prevent formation of lumps.
6. Cook over medium heat until the water gets completely absorbed / evaporated.

Suhali

Ingredients
500 g all purpose flour ( maida )
1 tablespoon  oil
1 teaspoon jeera ( cumin seeds )
1 tablespoon kasuri methi
1 teaspoon ajwain
Salt to taste
Oil for deep – frying


Method
1, Knead all the ingredients together into a smooth dough along with olive oil.
2, Cover the dough with a moist muslin cloth for an hour. Divide it into lemon sized balls and roll them into small discs.2-3 inches in diameter. 
3, Fold the discs into half and again fold them into another half giving them a triangular shape.
4, Heat oil and deep – fry the folded pieces till done and crisp. Serve with spicy mint chutney. Store in an airtight container.

Tip for Suhali : This can also be baked instead of frying. Pierce the triangular suhali with a fork before frying. This ensures that is does not absorb too much oil.

Kothambir Wadi

Ingredients

3 cups chopped coriander
1 cup besan
1 tsp chilli powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
oil as needed
 salt to taste

Method

Mix gram flours, coriander leaves, chilli powder, turmeric powder, soda bicarb, and salt. add water and make a thick paste. Heat 2 tbsps oil and add to the paste. Grease a deep platter and spread the paste evenly. steam for 15 minutes in an idli steamer or pressure cooker, without using the weight. remove and cool. cut into diamond shaped pieces. Heat oil and deep fry these pieces.

Serve hot with green chutney..

Basundi

Ingredients
1 litre Milk
1/2 cup Sugar
1/2 cup Chopped Dry Fruits
1/2 teaspoon Cardamom Powder

Method:

• Bring the milk to boil in a pan and simmer it till it gets reduced to half.
• Add sugar and cook for some more time till it gets thickened.
• Now add cardamom powder and put off the flame.
• Allow it to cool. Garnish with chopped dry fruits.
• Basundi is ready. Serve chilled.

Coconut Ladoos

INGREDIENTS:
 [Makes 30-32 laddoos]

Condensed milk[Milkmaid] – 1 tin
Grated coconut – 4 cups



 METHOD:
Keep aside about 50 gms of coconut aside.
In a thick bottomed kadai,add the rest of the coconut and the milkmaid and mix well.
Cook on low flame for about 5 minutes.
When the mixture starts leaving the sides of the kadai,switch off the flame and transfer the mix to another bowl and let it cool.
Grease your palms with butter and make small laddoos.
Roll them in coconut and arrange them on a butter paper.

Golden Prawns

 INGREDIENTS:

Prawns 250gms
Chilli Powder 2tsp
Turmeric powder 1/4tsp
Garam Masala Powder 1/2tsp
Lime Juice 2tsp
Coriander Leaves 1 bunch
Ginger 1/2 inch
Garlic 3 cloves
Green Chill 1
Bread Crumbs 1 cup
Egg White 1/2 cup
Toothpick
Salt
Oil

METHOD:

Make a paste of  chilli powder,turmeric powder,garam masala,lime juice,coriander leaves,ginger,garlic,green chillies.Marinate Praws in the masala paste for 3 hrs.Now insert the tooth pick from top of the prawns till end length wise.Dip each prawns stick in egg white,and roll it over bread crumbs.Place it on the plate and continue the same for the remaining prawns.In a sauce pan heat oil  and place each prawn stick.Golden fry each prawn stick.

Serve with ketch up or mayonnaise.