RAJASTHANI CHURMA (FROM LEFTOVER CHAPATTIS)

Being vegetarian I am big fan of gujarati and rajasthani food. Every month we use to go to Rajdhani restaurant to catch dish of Dal bati and churma. Having sweet tongue I use to finish of churma first J.

When it comes to cooking something from leftovers I become real innovative. As you should cook in such a way that others will not only like it but should not understand it’s made out of leftovers. So I tried this recipe, after the first spoon in my mouth, I patted my own back and hubby dear didn’t even came to know it’s made out of leftover chapattis and it was as delicious as the rajdhani dishJ

Preparation Time: 5 mins

Cooking Time: 5 mins

Serves/ Makes: 2

Utensil Needed:

Mixer Grinder

Frying Pan

Ingredients:

4 Left over Chapattis

4 tsp Ghee

½ tsp Cardamom Powder

1 tsp broken Cashew Nuts

1 tsp Raisins

1 tsp broken Walnuts

1 tsp broken Almonds

8 tsp Sugar (adjust your Sweetness)

Method:

Tire the chapattis into pieces. Grind it into fine powder in mixer grinder. Now in a frying pan, melt ghee. Roast in ghee all the dry fruits till golden. Now add the powder chapattis. Roast it and keep stirring it continuously to avoid burning for about 3 minutes on low flame. Now add cardamom powder and sugar and mix well for another 1 min. Switch off the gas and keep it on hot pan for 10 minutes. Churma is ready to serve.

Tip: Continuously mixing on low flame is key point as we want granulated texture.

ORANGE YOGURT CAKE

This is Ina Garten’s revised Version of Lemon Yogurt cake. I had Lots of Oranges and yogurt in my refrigerator, so while watching her recipe I got tempted to make it , so I made my version with few changes in her recipe and the result was awesome . I love oranges and this cake was one of the best cake from my oven. I pass it on some to my friends and they too love it. It’s super orangy and super moist cake which melts in mouth. It’s a must try recipe.

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups All – Purpose Flour

1 ½ tsp Baking Powder

1 tsp Baking Soda

1/2 tsp Salt

1 tsp Cinnamon Powder

3 Eggs

1 cup sugar

3/4 cup melted Butter

2 tsp orange zest

1 tsp Vanilla Essence

1 cup Plain Yogurt

1/2 cup orange juice (I use fresh-squeezed)

For the Syrup:

1 cup Sugar

1/2 cup Water

1/2 cup orange juice

1 Cinnamon Stick

2-3 pieces Orange Peel/Zest

Method:

1. 1

Preheat the oven to 350°F.Grease with butter and dust flour to the cake pan. First combine all the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl. Beat together the eggs and sugar until foamy. Add the butter, grated orange zest, and vanilla. Add yogurt, Orange juice, and dry ingredients to the egg mixture gradually. Bake for 45 minutes, until the cake is firm and golden.6

Combine all syrup ingredients in a small saucepan and bring quickly to a boil. Lower heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Allow to cool, and remove the cinnamon stick and orange peel. Pour all the syrup on cake surface while it is still warm. Let the cake cool down. Cake will absorb all the syrup . Let it cool down for around 4-5 hrs. This cake taste its best next day when syrup sinks in the cake and it become nice moist and orangy.

STUFFED TAWA BHINDI

My hubby is a big fan of bhindis. Everytime we do our grocery, the first thing he picks is this fresh green bhindis, and this is his favorite preparation. The masala stuffed in the bhindis nicely marinates and stir frying makes it more crispy. This is a very regular preparation at our place as it goes irresistibly with hot rice dal.

Preparation Time: 10 mins

Cooking Time: 5 mins

Serves/ Makes: 3

You Need:

2 cups Bhindis (Okra)

For the Stuffing:

1 tsp Turmeric

1 tsp Chilli Powder

1 tsp Cumin Powder

1 tsp Coriander Powder

1 tsp Garam Masala

Salt for taste

Oil

Method :

Cut the edges of okra and slit in between for stuffing. In a bowl, mix all the stuffing ingredients together. Stuff it in slit okra. In a pan, heat 2-3 tsp oil and stir fry this okra till it cooks. Put lid on it and let it cook for 2 minutes. Serve hot with rice and dal.

JUICY FRUIT SALAD

Me and My hubby are big fan of fruits. After every dinner we both have fruits. This is one of salad perfect for dinner where we don’t have to end up with fruit again. My refrigerator is always full of fruits, so I decided to make this salad which is not only healthy but tasty too.

Preparation time: 10 mins

Cooking time : 5 mins

Serves/ Makes: 3-4

You Need:

Finely chopped mix fruits (don’t use bananas)

1 lemon juice

Pinch of salt

½ cup Fruit juice (any fruit juice will do)

½ cup sugar

¼ cup water

Vanilla Ice cream

Method:

Chop all the fruits finely . Make sugar syrup from sugar and water. Add lemon juice, syrup, fruit juice, salt to fruits and mix well. I also added mango pulp. Mix all well and top up with ice cream and serve.

MANGO SHEERA

I don’t like to eat sheera plain, so I keep on experimenting with different flavors. I like to use fresh fruit juices to give flavor and it really taste awesome. When it comes to plain sheera, its only of satanarayan pooja’s prasad that I like. This time in mango season I brought ratnagiri mango pulp, which was really good and fresh. So tried this flavor for my sheera, and was so good and rich in color. I served to my guest, they were so happy for this Indian mango taste in the sheera making it more tasty. Its also quick and easy dessert.

Preparation Time: 5 mins

Cooking Time: 15 mins

Serves/ Makes: 4

You Need:

2 Cups Dry Roasted Coarse Rava (Semolina)

2 Cloves

1 ½ Cup Clarified Butter/Unsalted Butter

2 Cups Mango Pulp

1 Cup Milk

1 Cup Sugar

1 Tsp Cardamom Powder

¼ Cup Cashew Nuts

Method:

Dry Roast Semolina and keep it aside. In a skillet, melt butter, add cloves and cashews. Add Semolina and mix well. Now add Mango pulp and milk and mix well. Cover with lid and let it cook for 3 mins. Now add sugar and cardamom powder and mix well. Garnish with cashew nuts. Serve it after cools.

PANI PURI

Pani Puri, Golgappa, Phuchka, just name it and your mouth will start watering. Ever since I came here, I crave for this street food. Miss all those days in Mumbai, I use to have pani puri every day on the streets. This is the one of street food which people enjoy on streets only. With that thelas and pani puriwala serving you the puris dip in that spicy tangy water feels so next to paradise.

Pani puri with the crispy shells filled with spicy water makes your mouth full. The filling is made of potatos, chickpeas, moong, bundi, curd, ragda , it differs from the region of india where it is served. Being from Mumbai, I love the Mumbai style pani puri with Ragda, tamarind water, mint water and ending it up with sukha puri. I make Puris at home , as the pani puri taste the best with this fresh crispy puris.

You Need:

For the Puris:

1 cup Semolina

2 tsp All- Purpose Flour

Pinch of Salt

½ cup Warm Water

For Spicy Mint Water :

1 cup Mint Leaves

1 big piece of Ginger

5-6 Green Chillis

1 ½ tsp Pani Puri Masala

¾ tsp Chat Masala

½ tsp Pepper Powder

2 tsp Black Salt

1 Lemon Juice

½ tsp Amchur Powder

¼ tsp Hing

2 cups water

Tamarind Water:

1 Lime size Tamarind

5-6 Dates

1 cube Jaggery

½ tsp Chilli Powder

1 tsp Cumin Seeds

¼ tsp Salt

For Ragda:

2 cups White dry Peas

½ tsp Turmeric

Salt

Method:

For the Puris:

Mix all the Puri ingredients to form a hard dough. Keep it side for ½ hour .Heat oil for deep frying puris. Now make peanut size balls and on the surface rub oil and roll into thin small puris. Apply oil as needed to roll , don’t use flour for rolling into thin puris. Once oil is hot, turn the flame on medium and drop the puris . They will puff up, then slightly push them into oil dipping them with back side of spoon. Let the puris stay in oil for atleast 2 minutes .Once golden remove them. They should be crispy.

For Spicy Mint Water:

Grind mint and ginger into paste. Add the rest ingredients and grind again. Add water to paste and refrigerate it for an hour.

For Tamarind Water:

Soak tamarind, dates, jaggery into warm water for 4 hours. Remove seeds from dates. Grind into paste. Add the rest ingredients and grind again. Add water if required for watery consistency.

For Ragda:

Soak white peas overnight. In a pressure cooker, cook peas with turmeric and salt added for 5 whistles. It should be well cooked.

Assembling Pani Puri:

Make hole in puri , add ragda, Bundi , boiled potatoes, sweet water and dip into spicy mint water and have your mouth full.End it up with sukha puri by topping some ragda and boiled potato on non puffed puris (papdi) and sprinkle some chat masala and fine sev on top and enjoy after pani puri…..hmmmmmm!!!!

PANEER MAKHANWALA

This is one of the rich, creamy, famous punjabi preparation. The name itself says it all, paneer pieces in rich butter gravy making it finger licking delicious. This preparation is all time favorite with no leftovers.

Preparation Time: 15 mins

Cooking Time: 15 mins

Serves / Makes: 3-4

 

Ingredients :

2 cups Paneer (cut in big cubes)

½ cup Unsalted Butter

1 Big Onion ( finely chopped)

1 Big  Tomato (finely chopped)

6-7 cloves Garlic (grated)

2 inch Ginger (grated)

1 Bay Leaf

1 tsp Cumin Seeds

2 inch Cinnamon Bark

2 Cloves

4 Peppercorns

2 Green Cardamom

2 tsp Cashew Nuts

2 tsp Poppy Seeds (optional)

1 tsp Chilli Powder

½ tsp Turmeric

1 tsp Coriander Powder

½ tsp Garam Masala

2 tsp Kasori Methi

1 tsp Tandoori Masala (optional)

½ cup Heavy Cream

Salt to taste

oil

For garnishing: Coriander leaves , Heavy cream and grated cheese / Paneer.

 

Method:

1.       Deep fry paneer pieces in oil till they turn golden brown.

2.      In a wok, heat 2 tsp oil , add bay leaf, cinnamon, cumin seeds, peppercorns, cloves, cardamom, cashew nuts. Sauté  for a min.

3.      Now add chopped ginger – garlic paste, onion sauté till they turn golden, then add tomatoes and poppy seeds and cook till they form into sauce. Then let it cool down and grind into paste.

4.      Now in the same wok, melt butter add the paste, add the paneer pieces, add dry masalas , salt and cream.

5.      Garnish with chopped coriander leaves, grated cheese or paneer and drizzle some heavy cream.

6.      Serve it hot with hot naans or tandoori rotis.