Raitha

Ingredients:
Curd/yogurt - 1 cup
Cucumber - 1/2 finely chopped
Tomato - 1 medium finely chopped
Onion - 1  medium finely chopped
Coriander - finely chopped
Green chillies - 2-3 finely chopped (as per taste)
Salt to taste

Preparation:
- Just mix all the ingredients together and viola you have a tasty companion and a must for all India Pot meals!

Veg. Dum Biriyani

Ingredients:
Basumati Rice - 2 cups
Bay leaf - 1
Cinnamon stick - 1
Star Anise - 1
Cloves - 3-4
Everest Veg. Biriyani Powder - 3 tsp
Onions - 2 large
Ginger-garlic paste - 1 tsp
Tomatoes - 2
Curd/yogurt - 1 cup
Boiled vegetables - 1 cup (carrots, green beans, potato, cauliflower, peas)
Red chilli powder - 1 tsp
Coriander leaves finely choped
Oil - 4 tbs
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Saffron strands soaked in milk - 6-7 in 1 cup milk
Butter - 2 tbs (optional)
Dry fruits - almonds, cashews, raisins
Wheat flour - 250 gm
Salt to taste


Preparation:
- Wash and boil the rice with little salt and Bay leaf till 3/4th cooked and keep aside.
- Thinly slice onions, take a pan , pour in little oil, fry a portion of the onions till golden brown and crispy, drain keep aside.
- Similarly, fry all the dry fruits (cashews, raisins and almonds), drain and keep aside.
- In the same pan, add some more oil, add cinnamon, star anise, cloves and onion, fry them. Once the onion is cooked or is slightly brown add the ginger garlic paste and stir fry, then add veg biriyani powder, red chilli powder, turmeric powder, boiled vegetables and 2 pureed tomatoes.
- Cook till oil separates out, add 1/2 cup of yogurt and salt... mix well.
- When it becomes slightly thick, add finely chopped coriander leaves to it.
- Now grease a cooker or any deep vessel, spread a layer of rice, top it with the above veg. mix, sprinkle some saffron+milk liquid over, top with dry fruits+fried onions+some coriander and little butter. Repeat this layering till all the rice and veg. curry mix fills the vessel in layers.
- Now knead the wheat flour to make a nice dough. Take a right fitting lid for the vessel, cover and seal the lid to the vessel with the wheat dough OR cover the lid with aluminum foil, cover it with a lid and keep a heavy weight on top of it so that the layers inside cook in its own steam and no steam escapes out. 
- Take a heavy bottomed tava, heat it and put the gas on simmer. Now keep the vessel on the tava and cook for approximately 10-15 minutes. 
- Remove and garnish with fried onions, almonds, kaju raisins and finely chopped fresh coriander.

Chicken Dum Biriyani

Ingredients:
Basmati Rice - 4 large cups
Boneless chicken breast - 300 gm (cut into 1" cubes)
Large onions - 3
Large Tomatoes - 2
Medium size potato - 1 (cut into 1" cubes)
Fresh curd/plain yoghurt - 1 cup
Almonds - 8 to 10 pieces 
Cashewnuts - 8 to 10 pieces
Raisins - 12 to 15 pieces
Garlic - 6 to 8 pods
Ginger - 1" inch stick
Ghee/Oil - 8 to 10 tsps
Cinnamon - 1" stick
Green cardomom - 3
Big Black Cardomom - 1
Jeera - 1/2 tsp
Shahi Jeera - 1/2 tsp
Kalonji - 1/2 tsps
Dry Red chillies - 5 no's
Kasuri methi - 1/2 tsp
Dry Dhania seeds - 3 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Star anise - 1 whole
250 gms wheat flour/ aluminum foil and a weight
salt to taste
Fresh green coriander chopped fine.

Preparation:
- Clean and wash the chicken pieces and keep aside.
- Heat 4 cups of water in a vessel and bring to a boil.
- Make deep slits at 1" gaps on the tomatoes and blanch them in boiling water. Drain tomatoes and peel the skin.
- Cut two large onions into big pieces.
- Grind the ginger, garlic, onion and tomatoes to a smooth paste.
- Heat a kadai and dry roast dry chillies, coriander seeds, jeera, shahi jeera, kasuri methi, star anise, cinnamon,  green and black cardamoms, kalonji, and before removing from gas just add the turmeric powder and mix well.
- Grind the roasted ingredients in a mixer to a smooth powder.
- Add this masala powder to the ground onion-tomato ginger garlic mixture along with one cup of curd/yoghurt and mix well.
- Add this masala mixture to the chicken pieces,salt to taste, mix well and set aside to marinate for atleast 3-4 hours.
- Meawhile heat 6 cups of water in a vessel, add a teaspoon of salt and bring to a boil.
- Wash the basmati rice and add it to the boiling water and cook till the rice is 3/4th to almost cooked. (Approximately takes 5 to 7 mins ). Drain in a collander and keep aside.
- Cut one large onion into thin long slices. Heat ghee/oil in a kadai and seperately fry the cashews, almonds and raisins. Remove and drain.
- In the left over ghee/oil fry the thinly sliced onions till they are crisp and brown. Remove and drain.
- Now add the marinated chicken pieces along with the marinade and saute for 10 minutes till chicken is cooked and tender and the ghee/oil seperates from the gravy.
Now take a heavy bottomed vessel and coat it with ghee/oil. Add a layer of rice, top it with a layer of chicken gravy, top this with a layer of the fried onions+cashews+raisins+almonds and repeat till all the rice and chicken gravy is layered.
- Now knead the wheat flour to make a nice dough. Take a right fitting lid for the vessel, cover and seal the lid to the vessel with the wheat dough OR cover the mouth of the vessel with aluminum foil place a lid on top of it and keep some heavy weight over it - bottom is to make sure no steam escapes out and the biriyani inside cooks in its own steam.
- Take a heavy bottomed tava, heat it and put the gas on simmer. Now keep the vessel on the tava and cook for approximately 20-25 minutes.
- Remove and garnish with fried onions, almonds, kaju raisins and finely chopped fresh coriander.

Kesar Doodh Peda

Ingredients:
200gm Sweetened Condensed Milk
1/2 litre milk
¼ tsp citric acid
1 tsp corn flour
½ tsp Cardamom powder
1 tbsp ghee/oil
A few drops yellow food colour (optional)

Sweetened condensed milk Substitute:

-In a electric blender, pour 2 cups of powdered milk, 2 cups granulated sugar, 3/4 - 1 cup of boiling water, 2 oz/60 gm of butter and few drops of vanilla essence into blender.

-Blend until sugar is melted and mixture is smooth.

-Pour into warm sterile jars .Seal and store in refrigerator.

Method:
-Heat ghee/oil in a pan. Add milk, sweetened condensed milk and citric acid (dissolved in a little water).
-Continue heating and allow the milk to curdle.
-Make a paste of corn flour with 2 tbsp of water.
-Add this to the milk after it has curdled.
-Continue the heating on slow fire till the mixture leaves the sides of the pan.
-Add the food colour and mix well.
-When cooled a little, shape in to pedas and decorate with cardamom powder/nuts.

Rice Kheer

Ingredients:
400 gm Sweetened Condensed Milk (1 tin of Milkmaid)
100 gm Rice (preferably Basumathi rice)
1 litre Milk
Chopped nuts
Elaichi Powder
Saffron strands

Sweetened condensed milk Substitute:

-In a electric blender, pour 2 cups of powdered milk, 2 cups granulated sugar, 3/4 - 1 cup of boiling water, 2 oz/60 gm of butter and few drops of vanilla essence into blender.

-Blend until sugar is melted and mixture is smooth.

-Pour into warm sterile jars .Seal and store in refrigerator.

 Method:
-Wash rice and pressure cook in milk for 10 min (or cook on slow fire, till rice is soft).
-Add condensed milk and cook for another 5 to 7 min, stirring constantly, until the kheer reaches the desired consistency.
-Remove from fire.
-Serve garnished with nuts / elaichi powder / saffron.

Mushroom Malai Khumb Matar

Ingredients:
200 gm Mushrooms diced
1 cup Peas boiled
1 tsp ginger-garlic paste
1 tbsp butter/oil
3 tbsp oil
2 onions - ground to a paste (I like onions in the curry in small pieces so i ground one and chopped another)
1/4 cup malai beaten with 1/4 cup milk
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
1/2 tsp graram masala
a pinch of amchoor
1/2 cup milk
Salt to taste

Grind together:
1/2 stick cinnamon
2-3 carsamom
3-4 cloves
4-5 peppercorns
2 tbsp cashewnuts

Substitutes:
If you are calorie conscious and do not want to make the dish very rich then you can substitute:
-Oil instead of butter
-Milk/milk powder instead of malai

Method:
-Trim the stem of each mushroom. Leave them whole if small or cut them into 2 pieces, if big. Heat 1 tbsp butter in a kadhai and add the mushrooms. Stir fry on high flame till dry and golden. Add 1 tsp ginger-garlic paste, 1/2 tsp salt and a pinch of white/black petter. Stir for 1 more minute and remove from fire. Keep cooked mushrooms aside.
-Grind together cinnamon, seeds to cardamom, cloves, peppercorns and cashew and some water into a wet paste.
-Heat oil, add onion and cook on low heat till oil separates. Do not let the onions turn brown.
-Add the freshly ground masala-cashew mix. Cook for few seconds.
-Add malai and milk, cook on low heat for 2-3 minutes till malai dries up.
-Add salt, red chilli powder, graram masala & amchoor. Stir for a minute.
-Add the boiled peas and mushrooms.
-Add 1/2 cup water if the gravy appears too thick. Boil for 2-3 minutes.
-Garnish with coriander/cream/cashew powder, server hot!

Ladoo

Ingredients:

• 1/2 kg bengal gram flour
• Enough milk to make a thick batter (use full cream milk)
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 4 cups water
• 1/2 kg sugar
• 1 1/2 tsps cardamom powder (made from green cardamoms)
• 10 strands saffron (optional but highly recommended)
• 3/4 cup finely chopped dried fruits - cashews, almonds, pistachios
• 6 tbsps milk
• Ghee (recipe below) for deep frying (you could use vegetable/ canola/ sunflower oil but ghee gives tastier results)
• Special equipment: A very fine metal sieve

Preparation:

• Heat your oven for 10 minutes at 150 C/ 300 F/ Gas Mark 2 and then turn off. Keep the oven shut to contain heat.
• While the oven is heating, put the 4 cups of water and the sugar in a deep pan and boil. As it boils scum will rise to the top. Skim this off with a metal sieve. The sugar syrup must be boiled till it reaches a one-thread consistency. To see how this is done, take a look at Making Sugar Syrup For Indian Desserts.
• Once the syrup has reached the one-thread consistency, remove from the fire immediately, add the cardamom powder, stir and place the pan in the previously heated oven to keep the syrup warm.
• Now put the bengal gram flour and baking powder in a large bowl and mix well.
• Add a little milk at a time till you get a thick batter. Whisk to ensure all lumps are removed and the batter is very smooth.
• Now heat the ghee on a medium flame till hot. Reduce flame a little.
• Hold the sieve about 4 inches above the hot ghee and fill a ladle with the batter. Pour the batter into the sieve. Now use another spoon to gently press the batter through the sieve and into the ghee. It will fall like tiny drops/ beads - Boondi - into the oil! This is what gives the Laddoos their name! Press through all the batter you had put into the sieve like this.
• Now fry the Boondi till they are a very pale golden colour. When done, drain, remove and put into a separate bowl. The fried Boondi should be cooked but not crispy.
• Repeat till all the batter is used up.
• Once all your Boondi is ready, coarsely crush about 1/4 of it with a fork. Add the finely chopped dried fruits, pour the warm syrup over all the Boondi and keep aside for 10 minutes. The Boondi will soak up the sugar syrup and soften.
• While this is happening warm the 6 tbsps of milk very slightly and then soak the saffron strands in it.
• After the Boondi has sat in the syrup for 10 minutes, pour this saffron milk (remove strands before pouring) over it. Mix well.
• Now grease your hands lightly with some ghee and start forming the syrup-soaked Boondi into walnut-sized (or slightly larger) balls (Laddoo in Hindi). Press gently but firmly to bind the Laddoos together. Arrange as you go, on a lightly greased platter .
• Allow the Laddoos to cool to room temperature before serving.
• Boondi Laddoos can be made ahead of time and stored in a cool, dry place in an airtight container for about a week.

Mysore Pak

Ingredients:

1 cup bengal gram flour
1 1/2 cup sugar
2 1/2 cups ghee
1/2 cup water
1/2 tsp cardomom powder (optional)

Note: Be very careful while preparing this dish, it is cooked in a matter of minutes and needs your complete focus, a slight distraction and your dish will get burnt and charred.

Method: 

 

-Sieve the bengal gram flour (besan).

-Roast it on a hot griddle/ tava for 2-3 minutes stirring constantly. Set aside.

-Heat half the ghee (clarified butter) (1 1/4 cup) in a pan.

-Put the sugar in another pan and add 1 cup of water to it. Cook till it becomes sticky syrup. It should not become stringy.

-Add the roasted flour to the sugar syrup stirring constantly. Take off the flame for a second while you get the melted ghee ready.

-Pour the ghee in a steady stream into the flour and sugar mixture while stirring. You need an extra hand here.

-Add the rest of the ghee and stir in. Cook till the mixture turns light brown and becomes porous and spongy like bread.

-Sprinkle the cardamom powder over the mixture and turn out immediately into a 9" shallow cake pan or a thali.

-The mixture sets within a minute.

-With a sharp knife cut into 1 1/2 inch squares at immediately.

Mushroom Masala

Mushroom - 1 whole packet (200gms).
Onion - 1 1/2 medium sized ( blanched and pureed)
Tomato puree - 3tbsp
Ginger - Garlic paste - 3/4 tsp
Cashew nut paste - 2tbsp
Kashmiri Chilli Powder- 2tsp
Coriander Powder-1 tsp
Turmeric Powder - 3/4 tsp
Garam masala - 1/4tsp
Butter/oil - 2tbsp

Method:-

Initial Preparation:-

1) Soak about 1 1/2 tbsp of cashewnuts in water for about 2 hrs and grind them to a paste. This paste makes the gravy rich in taste.

3) Blanch the onion cut into pieces for about 15mts. If you are using microwave for blanching then keep the onions for about 10mts on high. And puree them.

Actual Preparation:-

1) Heat butter/oil in a kadai and add the onion puree and saute till they turn light brown in color.(This is also known as brown paste)

2) Add Ginger-Garlic paste to the brown paste mixture and saute for sometime.

3) Then add the Kashmiri chilli powder, coriander powder, cashew paste, tomato puree, turmeric powder, garam masala powder and salt and saute for sometime.

4) Add the mushrooms, little water and allow it to cook till the gravy becomes semi-solid.

5) Finally garnish it with freshcream/coriander.

Jalebi

Ingredients: Refined flour (maida) : 1 1/2 cups Soda bicarbonate : 1 teaspoon Sugar : 2 1/2 cups Green cardamom powder : 1/2 teaspoon Saffron (kesar) : few strands/a pinch Oil/Ghee : to deep fry Method: -Mix refined flour and soda bicarbonate. Add two cups of water and make a smooth batter. Make sure that there are no lumps. Leave it overnight to ferment (7-8 hrs).  -Make a syrup with sugar and two and a half cups of water. (That is to make sugar syrup boil sugar and water in 1:1 ratio)  -Add green cardamom powder and saffron.  -Take a squeeze bottle and fill it up with the batter. -Heat sufficient ghee/oil in a flat pan.  -Pour the batter into the hot ghee in spiral shapes. Turn and fry till both sides are golden. Drain and soak in the syrup for at least fifteen minutes. Garam Garam Jalebies ready! Variations: -Some would prefer to make instant Jalebies by adding to the above two spoonful of curd and letting it sit aside for 2 hours and then to make them. -If you want it in a different color like yellow then add the appropriate food color to the mix before putting it into the squeezer.

Pizza Time...!

Thin Crust Pizza with all the toppings.

Ingredients:

For the Dough:

185 gm (1 ½ cup) plain flour

Or

¾ cup whole wheat flour and ¾ cup plain flour

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp salt

125 ml (1/2 cup) lukewarm water

¾ tsp sugar

1 ¼ tsp active dried yeast

For Topping:

Tomato sauce or could use the pizza base sauce readily available in the market.

Vegetables of your choice: tomatoes, onions, capsicum, mushroom, olives, pickles etc... (use your creativity)

Non-veg: salami, chicken minced/barbecued/sliced/diced, same with other meats (use your creativity)

Mozzarella Cheese

A generous spread of Mozzarella cheese.

Method:

-In a bowl, add the sugar, yeast and water and allow to stand for 10 minutes or until frothy.

-Sift the flour (or flours if using a combination of whole wheat flour and plain flour) and the salt in a large bowl, make a well in the centre, add the yeast mixture and the oil and mix into a firm dough. 

-Knead briefly until the dough is smooth and elastic, about a minute or two. 

-Place the dough in an oiled bowl, cover and leave in a warm place for an hour or two hours, until it is double in size.

-Punch the dough until it is reduced in size, knead into a small ball. 

-Preheat your oven at its maximum temperature, about 250 degree centigrade(475 degree F or gas mark 9) and on a lightly floured surface, roll into an approximately 10” base.

-Carefully transfer the rolled pizza dough to a lightly oiled/greased baking sheet or pizza stone. 

-Spread with a tomato sauce/pizza base sause and sprinkle the toppings of your choice over the pizza, leaving a 1/4″ border around the edges. 

-Toss in some good cheese for added measure.  

-Bake it for about 10 minutes, until the edges are nicely browned and the pizza looks irresistible.

(Few prefer to bake the base alone in the preheated over for a few minutes until half baked and then to bake it along with the topping for 10 minutes as 10 minutes is enough for the mozzarella to melt down. But it depends on you give it a try. If it is a thin crust pizza you are making 10-15 minutes should be enough in total, but if your base is thick you will have to reconsider).

Thin Crust yummy Pizza ready!

Post your comments once you have tried!