Ras Malai

Ras malai...mmm...the word itself is a treat to ears :) Ever thought of making it at home?? and then cut your thoughts thinking its very difficult and elaborate? No problem, there is a easy way out. Though it is a little long process, the taste you relish will make you cook this again and again. Here is what you'll need -

Ingredients -
One litre of whole Milk, divided into 2 equal portions
2 cups Sugar
10-15 Almonds and Pistachios chopped
3 cups Water
2 pinches of Cardamom powder
3 tbsp of Lime juice
1 tbsp Maida
1 pinch Kesar

Method -
1. Take one portion of the milk and keep it for boiling on low flame in a thick-bottomed pan. We will call this 'Ras'.
2. Add 1 cup of sugar to it and keep stirring it frequently, so that it doesn't catch at the bottom.
(This has to be reduced to half the quantity)
3. For the paneer, heat the second half portion of milk. When the milk is boiling, add lime juice little by little with stirring, so that the milk splits. When you see the greenish-yellow curd like liquid, stop adding lime juice.
4. Strain this split milk through a muslin cloth and squeeze out all the liquid. Allow the paneer to rest till it becomes cool.
5. Knead this paneer thoroughly for about 10 minutes so that all the granules of the paneer is mashed. Keep kneading until the entire mixture forms a ball.
6. Now add 1 tbsp pf maida into the paneer and need it into a smooth dough. (Kneading of paneer to soften the granules is a very important step, since the texture of your rasmalai depends on this)
7. After the dough rests for 10 minutes, make small patties out of it.
8. Meanwhile, add 3 cups of water and remaining 1 cup of sugar in a pressure cooker and let it dissolve.
9. Add the paneer patties into the cooker and cook in covered for 1 whistle.
10. When the pressure is down, the paneer patties in sugar syrup should have increased in size.
11. Now when the milk of Ras is reduced to half of its original quantity, add cardamom powder, kesar, chopped nuts.
12. Allow it to cool down and refrigerate for half an hour.
13. Just before serving, gently squeeze out sugar syrup from the patties and add them into the Ras.
14. Rasmalai tastes better when served chilled with some more chopped nuts added for garnishing :)

Chana Masala

Chana masala or Chole masala is a very popular North-Indian dish. It tastes good even when it is prepared ahead of time since it gives enough time for the spices to blend together. It goes wonderfully well with poori, roti, chapathi or even rice. Here is the recipe -

Ingredients -
2 cups of Kabul Chana/Garbanzo beans
1 large Onion minced
2 Tomatoes pureed
1 tbsp Ginger garlic paste
1 inch Cinnamon stick
2-3 Cloves
1 tea bag
2 tsp Chana masala powder
1/2 tsp Garam masala
1/2 tsp Cumin powder
1 tsp Red chilly powder
1/2 tsp Sugar
Salt to taste
2 tbsp Oil
Sliced onion for garnishing
Sliced lemon for garnishing
Cilantro leaves for Garnishing


Method-
1. Soak the Kabul Chana overnight (or 6 to 8hrs).
2. Presuure cook the chana along with cloves, cinnamon stick and the tea bag for 3 whistles in 3 cups of water. Remove the tea bag and keep it aside.
3. In a pan, add 2 tbsp of oil and ginger garlic paste when oil gets heated.
4. Saute it for 30 seconds and add the minced onion. Cook the onion till it turns brown.
5. Add the tomato puree and cook the mixture for about 4-5 mins.
6. When the mixture starts leaving the surface of the container, add salt, sugar and all the dry masala powders.
7. Pour the boiled chana (along with water in which it was cooked, cinnamon stick and cloves) into the mixture. Add the water in which chana was cooked, little by little, bringing it to the consistency required.
8. Cook for about 2 minutes, till the mixture comes to a boil.
9. Switch off the heat, and garnish it with sliced onion, chopped cilantro and sliced lemon.


Serve Chana masala with poori, roti or rice :)

Badam Burfi

'Asatoma Sadhgamaya, Thamasoma Jyotirgamaya'. Diwali is the festival of Lakshmi, the Goddess of prosperity and wealth. It is believed that Goddess Lakshmi visits everyone during Diwali and brings peace and prosperity to all. Deepavali, as it is called in South India, is always fun since childhood. We get to wear new clothes, decorate the home with diyas, burst crackers, have wonderful delicacies prepared by mom and the mood is festive for all the 3 days of Deepavali. Badam burfi is one of the common sweets specially prepared on Deepavali and offered to Goddess Lakshmi. Here is the recipe I learnt from my mother-in law :)


Ingredients -
200 gms almonds/badam (soaked overnight)
250 gms of sugar
1/2 cup of milk
2 tbsp ghee
1/2 tsp cardamom powder


Method-
1. Wash the almonds and soak it overnight, preferably (Atleast 4-5 hrs minimum)
2. Drain the water and remove the peel.
3. Grind the almonds into a fine paste adding milk little by little.
4. In a thick-bottomed skillet, add the almond paste and sugar.
5. Mix the sugar well along with the paste and keep stirring constantly since the mixture burns easily if left unstirred.
6. Add a tsp of ghee and keep stirring. When the mixture leaves the sides of the pan, turn off the heat and add cardamom powder.
7. Grease the leftover ghee on the working surface and rolling pin. Pour the mixture on the working surface, and spread it evenly with a rolling pin to about 1/2 inch thickness.
8. Allow the mixture to cool for about 5 mins and cut it into diamond/square shapes.
9. Garnish with chopped almonds, if desired.

Jeera Rice

Bored of having plain rice with curry? Try this cumin flavored rice known as Jeera rice. Very easy and quick to make to empty your left-over rice :)

Ingredients -
2 cups Cooked Rice(or left-over rice)
2 tbsp Ghee
2 tsp Cumin seeds/Jeera
1/2 tsp Mustard seeds
A generous pinch of Hing
1/2 cup fresh Peas
1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
1 tbsp Oil
1 tbsp broken Cashews
Salt to taste
Chopped Cilantro for garnishing

Method -
1. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large pan and add ghee when hot.
2. Add cumin seeds, mustard seeds and allow them to splutter. Then add hing, turmeric powder and cashews.
3. When the cashew is slightly golden brown add peas and saute for 2 minutes.
4. Add the cooked rice (preferably cooled rice else when mixed it becomes mushy) and mix well with the other ingredients.
5. Add salt to taste and chopped cilantro.

Serve it hot with any curry of your choice! :)

Dhokla

Dhokla is a very famous recipe from Gujarat. I have recently become a great fan of it and I cook this almost on all weekends for breakfast. Though the authentic dhoklas are made of rice and daal, here is the version with besan/chickpea flour -


Ingredients-
3 cups of Besan (chick pea flour)
1 cup of beaten Yogurt
1/4 tsp Turmeric powder
1 inch Ginger, grated
3-4 chopped Green chillies
2 tbsp Eno fruitsalt
1 cup Water
Salt to taste


For seasoning,
2 tbsp Oil
1 tsp Mustard seeds
4 slit Green chillies
1 tsp Sesame seeds
2 tbsp Grated coconut
1 tbsp Sugar
8 sprigs of finely chopped Cilantro


Method -
1. Mix besan with well beaten yogurt, turmeric powder, ginger and green chillies. Add salt to taste and allow the mixture to rest for about 10 mins.
2. After 10 mins, add eno fruit salt and mix the batter well so that there are no lumps. Add water if required to bring it to dosa batter consistency.
3. Grease a thick plate with depth with little oil and pour the batter into the plate, leaving some space for the batter to rise.
4. Steam the batter in a stock pot/pressure cooker with 1.5 inches boiling water for 15 mins. If using a pressure cooker, do not put place the weight/whistle.
5. Meanwhile for the seasoning, heat the oil in a pan and add mustard seeds.
6. When mustard seeds splutter, add the sesame seeds, slit green chillies and turn off the stove.
7. Dissolve the sugar in 1/4 cup of water. Sprinkle this over the dhokla.
8. Pour the seasoning mixture on the plate of dhokla and sprinkle grated coconut and cilantro.
9. Cut the dhoklas into squares and serve them hot with tomato ketchup or chutney.


Enjoy your dhoklas as breakfast or a quick evening snack :)


Tips -
1. You can use Semolina/Rava/Suji instead of besan for making rava dhoklas.
2. Dhoklas can be steamed in idli plates instead (Different shape for a change)
3. Eno Fruit salt makes the batter foamy, it is added to make the dhoklas rise and give it a nice texture.