Palak Paneer

Ingredients:

1.      2 cups spinach (palak)

2.      8 to 10 paneer pieces in cube (Indian cottage cheese)

3.      3 tablespoon oil

4.      1/2 cup onion paste

5.      3/4 cup tomato puree

6.      1/2 teaspoon ginger paste

7.      1 teaspoon green chili paste

8.      1/2 teaspoon  coriander powder

9.      1/2 teaspoon red chili powder

10.  1/2 teaspoon garam masala

11.  1 teaspoon lemon juice

12.  Salt to taste           

Method:

1.      Wash and blanch the spinach leaves in vessel full of salted boiling water.

2.      Drain, wash with cold water and blend in a mixer to a smooth puree.

3.      Heat the oil in pan and fry the cubed paneer until light golden brown than remove.

4.      In the same pan add onion paste and sauté till turn translucent.

5.      Add ginger, green chili and sauté for 1 minute.

6.      Add tomato puree sauté and cook till the mixture leaves oil while stirring continuously.

7.      Now add garam masala, red chilli powder, coriander powder and salt than cook for 1 minute.

8.      Now add palak (spinach) puree and cook for 2 to 3 minutes than add paneer and lime juice and simmer till the gravy thickens a little.Serve hot with Naan, Roti or Paratha.
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Turiya Patra ( Colocassia Leaves Rolls With Ridge Gourd)

Ingredients:

1.      3 to 4 ridge gourds

2.      7 to 8 small sized colocassia leaves

3.      1 teaspoon coriander powder

4.      1/2 teaspoon asafetida

5.      1/2 teaspoon red chili powder

6.      1 teaspoon lemon juice

For colocassia stuffing:

1.      1 tablespoon oil

2.      1  1/2 cup bengal gram flour

3.      1 tablespoon ginger- chili- garlic paste

4.      2 tablespoon palm sugar

5.      1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder

6.      1/2 teaspoon red chili powder

7.      1/2 teaspoon garam masala

8.      1/2 teaspoon asafetida

9.      1/2 cup yogurt

10.  1/8 teaspoon soda bi- carb

11.  Water as needed

12.  Salt to taste 

For tempering:

1.      3 tablespoon oil

2.      1 teaspoon mustard seeds

3.      1 teaspoon cumin seeds

4.      1 teaspoon sesame seeds

5.      1/4 teaspoon asafetida 

Method:

1.      Scrape off the ridges skin wash and cut in big pieces.

2.      Wash and clean colocasia leaves.

3.      Place the leaves with the vein side facing and remove the veins using a sharp knife and keep aside.

4.      Combine all the stuffing ingredients together in a bowl and make thick smooth paste.

5.      Take one colocasia leaf and Place a leaf with the tip facing towards you.

6.      Apply stuffing mixture and spread it using your fingers to make an even layer.

7.      Place another leaf over this and apply stuffing process.

8.      Tuck in the edges along the length and tightly roll like a swish roll.

9.      Repeat with the rest of the leaves.

10.  Now heat oil in pan add mustard, cumin, asafetida and sesame seeds, let splutter.   

11.  Add ridge gourd and stir well now add turmeric, chilli, coriander powder and salt, mix well.

12.  Add 2 cups of water, after boil water add patra (colocassia rolls),cook covered in medium flame. If needed add water. (don’t stir until cooked)

13.  After cook completely add lemon juice and mix well.

14.  Serve hot with Roti or Phulka. 

Note:

For this curry u can use left over patra too.

Always use black or purple stemed colocasia leaves for making patra. 

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Dry Fruit Balls ~ Rajigra Ladoo

Dry fruit Balls or Rajigra ladoo is very easy Fasting recipe.

Ingredients:

1.      1/2 cup amaranthus (rajigra) flour

2.      1/4 cup sago (sabudana) flour

3.      1/2 cup ghee (clarified butter)

4.      1 cup cashew powder

5.      1/2 cup almond powder

6.      1/2 cup roasted skinless peanut powder

7.      1 cup sugar powder

8.      1 teaspoon cardamom powder

Method:  

1.      Heat the ghee in pan, add both flour and roast in medium heat.

2.      Roast till its well roasted and aroma start coming out. It’s take 5 to 7 minutes.

3.      Remove from the heat and stirring for 2 to 3 minutes.

4.      Allow it  to cool completely.

5.      In large bowl mix all ingredients, except the flour and mix thoroughly

6.      Now form ping pong size balls of the mixture.

7.      Store in air tight container in room temperature for 15 days than refrigerator.

Note:

Roast the sago grind and make sago flour, at my place it's available as ready made so here in this recipe I use that.

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Wheat & Mung Dal Spiral / Chakri / Muruku

Chakri/chakli or muruku is very popular as snack in India. It is a spiral shaped crunchy spicy snack. People make this crunchy savory snack use with rice flour or wheat flour.In Gujarat (north of India) people make  chakri with wheat flour. steam the wheat flour, make dough with spices and fry chakri but here I make this with little twist it’s really tasty and easy.

Ingredients:

1.      2 cups wheat flour

2.      1/2 cup semolina (suji)

3.      1/2 cup split mung / yellow lentil paste

4.      1/2 cup fresh coriander chopped

5.      1 tablespoon cumin

6.      2 tablespoon ginger-garlic paste

7.      2 tablespoon sesame seeds

8.      2 teaspoon red chili powder

9.      1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder

10.  2 tablespoon  lemon juice

11.  1 tablespoon sugar

12.  6 tablespoon oil

13.  Salt to taste

14.  oil for deep frying

Method:

1.      Wash and soak mung lentil in water about 1 hour.

2.      Grind mung dal and make smooth thick paste  

3.      Take one large mixing bowl, add all spices, flour and 1/2 cup mung dal paste. Mix well.

4.      If you needed add water and mix with your hands to make a soft to firm dough.

5.      Cover the dough and rest for 5 minutes

6.      Heat the oil in a frying pan for deep frying.

7.      Place the dough in lightly greased sev maker with star disc.

8.      Form chakris in a circular pattern on a plate.

9.      Once oil is hot carefully fry  2 to 4 chakris.

10.  Once the chakris turn light golden, flip them over fry other side until light golden.

11.  Remove chaklis from oil onto a paper towel.

12.  Cool completely store in an airtight container.         

Note:

If you don't have sev maker than divide the dough, roll out the roti ,cut into diamond shaped and deep fry.

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Chorafali Fafda with Pudina chutney

Chorafali or cholafali fafda is central Gujarat’s (India) very famous snack. This snack is specialty of “Nagar”(one very famous gujarati cast) community, they prepares at home. but now day is very famous and favorite street food, Not only in Gujarat but also people of other part of India like this snack. ‘chola’ or ‘chora’ means Cowpea Beans, this snack is made of some cowpea and bangal gram flour, people can use substituted of cowpea  as black lentil or moong lentil. This recipe I learned from my neighbor before my marriage and I never try after that. So this I prepare after seven years and it’s come out very nice so recipe is here…               

For pudina chutney:

1.      1/2 cup yogurt

2.      1/2 cup bengal gram flour

3.      1/2 cup water 

4.      1/2 cup mint leaves

5.      1/4 cup coriander leaves

6.      1 green chilli

7.      1 small piece of ginger

8.      1 teaspoon oil

9.      1/8 teaspoon asafetida

10.  Sat to taste

11.  1/4 teaspoon black salt  

Method:

1.      Combine flour, yogurt and water and whisk well.

2.      Grind mint, coriander, chilli and ginger and make smooth past.

3.      Heat the oil in sauce pan, add asafetida and yogurt mixture.

4.      Whisk and cook 2 minutes or until mixture is thick.

5.      Add salt, black salt and 3 tablespoon mint mixture and mix well.

6.      Serve this mint chutney with chorafali.

For seasoning:

1.      1 teaspoon red chili powder

2.      1 teaspoon black salt

·        Mix well and keep aside. 

Ingredients For Chorafali :

1.      1.1/4 cup bengal gram flour

2.      1/4 cup black lentil flour

3.      1 tablespoon oil

4.      1/8 cup lukewarm water

5.      Pinch of soda bi-carbonate

6.      Salt to taste

7.      1/2 cup lukewarm water

8.      1/2 cup oil

9.      Oil for deep frying

Ingredients 2 For Chorafali:

1.      1 cup bengal gram flour

2.      1/4 cup mung lentil flour

3.      1/4 cup cowpea lentil flour

4.      1/4 cup black lentil flour

5.      1/4 cup turkish gram flour (moth/muth or mooth beans flour)

6.      2 tablespoon oil

7.      1/2 cup lukewarm water

8.      1/4 teaspoon soda bi-carbonate

9.      Salt to taste

10.  1/2 cup lukewarm water

11.  1/2 cup oil

12.  oil for deep frying

Method:

1.      Combine the flours and sieve together in one large bowl.

2.      Add oil to the flour mixture and mix well.

3.      Take 1/4 cup lukewarm water (if you go with second ing. That time take 1/2 cup water) than add salt and soda, mix well.

4.      Add this water in flour mixture and make stiff dough.

5.      The dough should be not very stiff and not very soft. If the dough is not very tight and cracker add little flour.

6.      Now take 1/2 cup water and 1/2 cup oil, grease your palm one by one with oil and water and knead, fold and beat the dough until 5 to 7 minutes. (If you go with first ing. that time rest the dough for 4 to 5 hours and again knead the dough for 5 minutes).

7.      Repeat this process until dough is soft and light (don’t use all 1/2 cup oil and water).

8.      Divide the dough in equal lemon size balls.

9.      Again knead the ball and roll out on a floured surface into a very thin circle.(don’t roll very thin or thick, if you roll out very thin it’s not blowing and if you roll out very thick its not crispy).

10.  Cover all cholafali roti in kitchen towel and rest for 1 hour (If you go with second ing. not  need rest).  

11.  Heat the oil for deep frying, cut out long strips off the cholafali roti.

12.  Deep fry strips in medium heat, remove from oil.

13.  Sprinkle the seasoning masala. Serve with pudina chutney.

14.  Store in air tight container.

Note:

·        Traditionally chorafali dough is grease with oil and lukewarm water than beat with pestle, until the dough is soft and light but here I use less quantity that’s why I knead.

·        Chorafali dough is very stiff and kneading, beating and folding the dough is must otherwise fali (strips) are not puffed out well and  u can’t rolling very thin roti.

·        Don’t add more oil or water in dough otherwise final result is not good.

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Cheery Tomato Focaccia

Focaccia is popular Italian flat bread which is seasoned with Italian herbs, olive oil and other ingredients. Bread texture is outside is crispy and inside is soft. It looks similar to pizza. Focaccia can be used as a side to meals or as a base for pizza or sandwich bread.  So recipe is here….

Ingredients:
1.      2 + 1/2 cups bread flour

2.      2 teaspoon dry instant yeast

3.      2 teaspoon sugar

4.      1 teaspoon salt

5.      2 tablespoon olive oil

6.      1 cup lukewarm water

For topping:

1.      2 tablespoon olive oil

2.      1 teaspoon dry rosemary

3.      1 teaspoon oregano

4.      1/4 cup grated cheddar cheese

5.      1 tablespoon finally chopped garlic

6.      1/2 cup cherry tomatoes halves

7.      1/4 cup thinly sliced onion

Method:  

1.      To make the dough, mix water and sugar in large bowl.

2.      Sprinkle the yeast in top of the water, cover and keep a side for ten minutes.

3.      Take one another large bowl mix the flour and oil.

4.      After ten minutes to bring all together, now add salt and make dough.

5.      Take the dough out on lightly floured surface and knead for 6 to 8 minute, if you needed add little water (make smooth dough).

6.      Let the dough rest for 2 hours in an oiled bowl, cover with kitchen towel to prevent from dough skin.

7.      Let it rise in a warm place about two hours or until doubled.

8.      While the dough is rising toss together oil and herbs and keep it aside to marinate.

9.      After 2 hour dough have been double in size.

10.  Punch down the dough on a floured surface, roll out dough into a rectangle.

11.  Press the on oiled brushed rectangle baking sheet.

12.  Cover the baking sheet with kitchen towel and leave them to rise for another 1 hour.

13.  Make dimples on the dough with your thumb, drizzle the rest of marinated oil on top of it.

14.  Fill the dimples with cherry tomatoes, onions and sprinkle the cheese and garlic.

15.  Bake in a preheated oven at 200º C. for 20 to 22 minutes or until golden.

16.  Enjoy your Focaccia!!
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