Basundi ( Flavoured Milk )

Basundi

Basundi is a sweet dish from Gujarat and usually served with Poori. It is a flavoured creamy milk. It is like Rabri from northern India. Sharing the recipe.

Ingredients

1. Full Cream Milk 2 litre
2. Sugar 1/2 Cup or Sugar Free Powder 2 sachet
3. GreenCardamom 2 or Cardamom Powder
4. Saffron strands or kesar
5. Pistachios
6. Cashews
7. Almonds
8. Jaifal or nutmeg powder 1/4 Tbps ( Optional)

Ingredients

Preparation

Cut pistachios, Almonds, Cashews in small pieces and keep it aside.Take milk in a heavy steel or aluminum bowl. Heat the vessel at very low flame. Add Cardamom Powder and Nutmeg Powder. Keep on storing the milk and scratching from sides till milk is reduced to half. Now at this time add sugar. You will see the milk thickness will reduced and consistency becomes thin. Here it becomes different from Rabri where milk consistency is quite thick. Stir for 10 min till whole sugar is dissolved( Those who want to make it sugar free, add 2 sachet of sugar free powder.). Close the knob. Now put a saffron strands in warm water. Now garnish the sweet and flavoured milk with pistachios, Almonds, Cashews and strands of saffron.
  It can be eaten alone or serve hot with poories. It can be refrigerated and served cold.
Also we can use condensed milk and milk powder to make it.

Bhapa Pitha( Rice cake ) My style

Bhapa Pitha ( Rice Cake)

My house in Delhi is in Chittranjan Park which is also called mini Kolkata as it is home to large Bengali community. Today I am sharing Bhapa Pitha( Rice Cake), a Bong sweet dish.The authentic form is made from Rice and Date(khajur )molasses. Since I making it completely sugar free, I am using honey instead of khajur gur. Also I have given a different twist. Sharing this completely caesin free, gluten free, sugar free and fully Vegan dish.

Ingredients

1. Rice 1 1/2 bowl or bowl of Rice Powder
2. Honey
3. Dessicated coconut (Nariyal/Gola ka bura)100 gm
4. Butter 2 Tbps
5. Salt 1/2 Tbps
6. Pistachios
7. Cashews
8. Almonds
9. Baking soda 1/2 Tbps or Eno small sachet
10. Vanilla essence  or extract

Ingredients

Preparation

Soak Rice in water for 1 hour.( If using Rice Powder no need to soak just add warm water till the paste is thick and smooth.)Pound the rice in a grinder till very little coarse and smooth. Add Salt, Vanilla Essence (2-3 drops), Add dessicated coconut and mix. Keep it aside. Cut pistachios , Almonds, Cashews in to little pieces.Now take a pan and heat at low temp. Add butter. Now add pistachios, Almonds, Cashews and saute. Add a Teaspoon full of honey and caramelized all the nuts. Now add a spoon full of dessicated coconut so that the filling will bind together.
  Now take some water in a deep pan and heat till it starts boiling. Meanwhile take idli maker and glace it with oil. Keep the idli maker aside. Now Take the Rice mixture.Add 2-3 Tbps of honey and a sachet of Eno.Mix nicely. Take the mixture in ladel and put it in idli maker.On the top of every scoop add caramelized nuts.Steamed the Rice cake for nearly 40 - 45 min till rice cooks well. When using Rice powder steam for lesser min. Remove and let it cool. Remove the rice cake with a blunt knife.
Top it up with honey while serving.

Soya Koftas with Veg Pulao

Soya kofta with Veg Pulao

One Saturday my husband told me that he wants to have something nice for lunch. Since it was raining so I decided to make these Soya Koftas. It came out to be a brilliant dish . I decided it to serve it with paranthas but both my young ones wanted to have rice so I decided to cook Veg Pulao(Rice with vegies). Following is required. 

Ingredients For Soya Koftas

1. Soya Chunks or Granules 1 bowl

2. Onions 2 medium sized

3. 2 Garlic cloves

4. Gram Masala MDH 1/4 Tbps

5. Salt 1/4 Tbps

6. 3 - 4 brown bread

7. Carrot 1 small

8. Oil for frying

Preparation Soya Koftas

Soak Soya Chunks/Granules in hot water till they are soft.Grind them finely in a grinder. Keep it a aside in a bowl. Chop the Onions in to very small and fine pieces. Chop the Garlic cloves in to very fine piece or either make a paste. Take the carrot ,remove the upper skin and grate it. Add finely chopped onions in a bowl containing grinded Soya Chunks/ Granules.Add grated carrot,chopped Garlic, Salt, Garam Masala.Now add brown bread till the mixture is dry and can be moulded in to shapes. Mould the mixture in to small round balls.Take generous amount of oil in a deep pan. Preheat oil at medium heat for 10 min Now deep fry these balls at low heat and remove on a tissue to soak extra oil when golden brown.

Ingredients for Gravy

1. Tomatoes 3-4 medium

2. Onions 2 medium

3. Garlic 3,4 Cloves

4. Ginger small piece

5. Kitchen King MDH 1 Tbps
6. Chilly Powder 1/2 Tbps
7. Oil 3- 4 Tbps
8. Cumin seed
9. Asafoetida a pinch
10. Salt 1 Tbps
11. Cilantro
12. Chana Masala 1/2 Tbps
13. Turmeric Powder 1/4 Tbps

Koftas in Gravy

Preparation of Gravy

Cut 3 Onions length wise. Keep it aside.Cut Garlic, Ginger in very small pieces (fine pieces). *Do not make a paste. Now grind Tomatoes and an Onion in a grinder. Take a pan. Add oil and heat at low medium heat. Now add Asafoetida and Cumin seed. Now add Garlic and Ginger pieces. *Do not make the Garlic and Ginger brown. It tastes nice when Garlic and Ginger is half cooked. Now add lengthwise cut Onions. Saute. Add grinded Tomatoes and Onion in the pan. Add Salt, Chilly Powder, Turmeric Powder, kitchen King Masala and Chana Masala. Heat and stir till the gravy leaves oil from sides.Add 1 Cup water to the gravy. Add Soya koftas. Heat at low medium heat. Make sure there is enough water that Koftas are soft but see that they are not soggy. Garnish with cilantro. Serve hot with Paranthas.

I am serving it with Veg Pulao.

Ingredients for Veg Pulao

1. Carrot grated
2. A bowl of boiled Peas
3. A bowl of boiled Corns
4. Oil 3- 4 Tbps
5. 2 Cloves Lavang)
6. Badi Kali Illaychi (Black Cardamom)
7. Bayvleaf or Curry leaves
8. Basmati Rice 2 Bowl

Preparation of Veg Pulao

Take oil in cooker. Heat at low medium temp. Add Cumin seed, Cloves, Black Cardamom, Bayleaf for tempering. Add boiled Peas, boiled Corns. Saute. Add Rice and saute nicely. Add water. Check the water with index finger. See the water is exactly 2 marks on index finger.Now close the lid. Cook the rice till there is one whistle. Do not open the lid immediately and wait till whole steam is not out.Meanwhile take a very small amount of oil in a pan. Heat at low flame. Saute the grated carrot. Add this to the cooked rice. Stir grated carrot and cooked rice nicely. Serve hot.

Bhuna Chana Barfee

Bhuna Chana Barfee

This is a quick and effort free sweet dish as it made from roasted chickpeas( black Chana).
Sharing the preparation.

Ingredients

1. Roasted chickpeas without skin 250 GM
2. Cow Ghee 3-4 small ladel
4. Almonds
5. Condensed milk
6. Sugar Powdered 1 cup
7. Green Cardamom 2-3

Preparation

Grind Roasted Chick Peas finely and cardamom in a grinder.Take a deep pan.Add Cow Ghee and heat at low medium heat. Roast almonds in Ghee and take them out in a tissue to soak extra Ghee. Now add Roasted Chickpeas in the Ghee.Heat it for 5 to 10 min and mix it nicely. Now add Powdered sugar and again mix at low heat.Now add condensed milk till the whole mixture becomes thick. Now take the mixture in hand and give shape of your choice.To garnish add Roasted Almonds on top of it. Refrigerate for 1/2 hour and serve.

Corn Paneer

Corn Paneer

What to cook??  A big question everyday!! And no veggies in the fridge!! :) This is how this recipe was born.
Sharing the Ingredients and preparation.

Ingredients

1. Paneer 250 gms
2. Boiled corns a Bowl
3. Onions 3-4 medium
4. Garlic 2-3 cloves
5. Cumin Seeds ( Jeera)
6. Asafoetida a pinch
7. Tomatoes 2 medium
8. Cashews paste 2 Tbps
9. Corriander powder 1 Tbps
10. Garam Masala 1 Tbps
11. Red chilly powder 1/4 Tbps
12. A very small piece of Dalchini Cinnamon
13. Salt 1 Tbps
14. Parsley
15. 5-6 Tbps of Oil

Preparation

Slice Paneer in to square pieces. Keep it aside. Cut Onions and grind them in a grinder with Garlic and Parsley. keep it aside. Grind Tomatoes separately. keep it aside. Take oil in a pan. Preheat it at a medium flame. Add Asafoetida. Add Cumin seed. When Cumin seeds. Add Onion, Garlic, Parsley paste. Cook it till oil appear at sides.Now add Tomato paste. Add Parsley powder, Salt, Chilli powder, Garam Masala and small piece of cinnamon. Cook till the oil appear on sides of gravy. Add boiled Corns. Add a very l 1/2 Cup water and cover pan with a lid. Simmer and give gravy with Corn a nice boil. Now add Cashew Paste. Add Paneer pieces and again boil for 5 min. Garnish with Parsley and serve.

Home Made Fried Cookies Twinkies

Sugar coated Orange Twinkies

Twinkie is a real treat for those who have a sweet tooth.Fried Twinkies is popular snack in Tennessee.
  I am preparing this quick recipe Oreo Orange Twinkies Indian style.

Ingredients

1. Oreo Orange Cream Cookies
2. Maida (Bleached wheat flour )1 1/2 cup
3. Curd 1/2 Cup
4. Salt 1/2 Tbps
5. Butter
6. Oil for frying
7. Caster sugar or superfine sugar(Powdered sugar)
8. Milk

Preparation

Add Maida in a bowl. Add salt. Add curd. Add milk till the paste is  thick and smooth.Now take a oil in pan and preheat at medium temperature. Now take Cookies and dip them in the smooth batter till fully covered and fry in preheated oil. Fry till golden brown. Take out Cookies in a tissue to remove oil. Add butter on hot Twinkies and dust them with Caster sugar/Powdered sugar. Serve.

You can try these with other flavoured Oreos and Cookies.Also you can garnish with orange sauce,strawberry sauce,chocolate sauce.

Protein Rich Veg Pasta

My daughter love pasta with white sauce.
But today I am sharing this quick recipe in red Tomato sauce high in protein content and is a tasty treat.

 Ingredients

1. Rotini/Spirali WholeWheatPasta a bowl
2. Olive oil 3 tbps
3. Beans
4. Peas
5. Soya Chunks
6. Onion 1 medium size
7. Tomatoe 1 Medium sized
8. Tomatoe sauce/Puree
9. Garlic clove/ Garlic powder
10. Butter 1 tbps
11. Salt
12. Kitchen King powder MDH 1 Tbps
13. Pepper powder 1/4Tbps

Preparations

Soften Rotini in Seive

Veggies and Rotini in Seive

Protein Rich Pasta in Tomato sauce

Take a Pasta in a pan, add water and 1 Tbps of olive oil and 1/2 Tbps salt. Boil till Rotini are soft.Drain the water and take out Rotini in a sieve.
    Cut Beans in small pieces.Take cut beans, Peas and Soya chunks in a pan. Add water and 1/2 Tbps olive oil, Add 1/2 Tbps salt and give vegies and Soya chunks a nice boil.Drain water take out all vegetables in a seive containing soften Rotini.
  Chop the Onion and Tomato and a garlic clove in small pieces. Take a 1 Tbps of olive oil in a pan. Saute chopped Onions and Tomato. Add 1/2 Tbps salt and 1/4 Tbps of pepper powder. Add Pasta and veggies in pan.Saute. Add Tomato sauce in generous amount and add 1 Tbps of MDH kitchen King powder.Let it cook for 5 - 10 min. Add a 1 Tbps butter over it.Take it out in bowl and garnish it with Parsley.

 The juicy and succulent Pasta is ready which is also Protein Rich.Serve hot.

 You can use Tomato puree but make sure to add a 1 Tbps of salt and 1 Tbps Sugar and Garlic powder and Onion powder.Also put 1/2 Tbps of pepper powder. Those living in States are aware of Madras Masala. Instead of kitchen King add a Tbps of Madras Masala.