Semolina kheer or Sujir payesh

Yes, I am back. It was a very hectic time. Even though sometimes I cooked something different from everyday’s routine but could not pen them down. In this period, I really did not indulge into anything very complex. Oh! Ok, now if somebody is reading this or reads my blog regularly, knows that I really never go for complex things.

Most of the blogs and food groups are featured with saliva tempting photos of different matured, complex food items. Both the picture and the recipe describe its intrinsic quality. It also defines the expertise of the writer as a cook and a photographer.  

But I am an amateur cook and a poor photographer and equally a poor writer. Neither of these are my expert areas.  As I mentioned in some of my earlier posts, that it is R who inspires me to cook. Before she was there in our life I hardly cooked. But now I just love to response to her demands. I wait for her reactions. And what a 3.5 year old girl can ask for! so, mostly my dishes move around different types of sweets and simple veg and non-veg items. I write down these recipes so that I do not forget them and also for people like me who are not expert cooks.  I believe there may be at least one in the audience, who is like me- a little bit of kitchen-phobic, not that passionate of cooking, yet has to cook.

 It was during my college days, I was watching Sanjeev Kapoor’s Khana Khazana, once. That day SK was teaching how to cook bottle-gourd (lauki). I was with one of my very senior friend. I was surprised to see SK teaching that lauki dish which Ma used to cook at least once in a week. I expressed it to my friend. Now, my friend who had just started her family life a year back, said me that even these are needed for the first time cooks. However, I was not convinced till I faced the situation. I would really be very happy if my recipes are useful to anybody.

Today the recipe that I will share with you is a sweet dish. 15 days back once when I returned from office, my daughter asked me to feed her with luchi (puri) and suji (semolina) and payesh (kheer). It was already 8 o’ clock. R does not want any vegetable with luchi but the husband man needs. So, altogether 4 dishes within 45 minutes- prepare ata for luchi, peel vegetables and cook, suji and kheer. No, that was not possible. So, I decided to club suji and kheer into one and came up with semolina kheer or sujir payesh, one of my childhood favourite, Ma used to cook very frequently. Here’s how  I did.

Ingredients

Milk 1 ltr

Semolina/suji 1 cup (50-75 gms)

Sugar 1 cup or as per taste

A pinch of salt

Condensed milk 4-5 tbsp

Ghee: 1tbsp

Cashew

Raisins

Green cardamom 1

Bay leaves, cardamom powder

Method                                                                                                                               

In a deep bottomed pan take semolina and dry roast till its golden (approx 5-7 minutes). Keep stirring continuously or it might burn at the bottom.

Boil the milk and divide it into 2 equal shares.

Take out the semolina and soak it in one part and keep apart the other share. Soak the semolina for at least 20 minutes or it softens. After 20 minutes, if you see that it has soaked all the milk then slowly add some warm water to it.

Now add heat the pan and add ghee. Add the bay leaves and the green cardamom. Add cashews and fry till golden.

Now add the soaked semolina. To this one by one add the sugar, pinch of salt, condensed milk and the raisins. Add the separated milk slowly.

Mix well with a heavy spatula and cook in a low flame for 5 minutes. Add the cardamom powder.

Remove it from heat. Remember this will thicken after being cold. So, remove it little watery.

Serve at room temperature.

Chili Prawn

All the 3 of us love prawns. I make it too often with many variations. Some are pure Bengali dishes and some are just fusions. This time it’s a type of Chinese preparation, but really not observing all the Chinese cooking norms or using all the Chinese cooking ingredients. This is a readymade version for working mothers. This goes well with roti or Chowmin or any kind of fried rice.

Presenting before you- another dish of prawn- Chili Prawn (my version)

Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

Medium sized Prawns (20 pieces)

Salt as per taste

1 big onion and 1 big capsicum cut into dice shape (you can add any vegetables like carrots, French beans etc.)

4-5 garlic cloves cut into halves from length

Green chili cut from length (quantity as per your tolerance)

1 tsp soya sauce

1 tsp green pepper sauce

1 tsp red pepper sauce

1 tsp chili vinegar

Red chili powder as per taste (optional)

Salt as per taste

water

oil

Method

Clean, wash and pat dry prawns. Rub them with salt and chili powder and keep aside

Heat a pan with oil. Add the diced onion, capsicum and garlic. Add a pinch of salt. Cover and cook for 5 minutes

Now add the prawns and the green chilies. Continue to cook until all the ingredients become soft.

Now add all the sauces and vinegar and mix well and cook.

Add half cup of water and bring to boil.

I love this dish semi dry. You can remove the dish from heat when you get the required consistency of the dish.

Baked Prawn

Today’s dish is on the view of the festive season ahead. This has been made long back but was lost amidst other recipes. I started browsing through my recipes to post something new on Food Mood and More…’s wall and I found 2 prawn dishes yet to be posted. Here, is the first one. A very simple, less time consuming dish- easy to prepare, easy to digest and with a great taste; you do not have to spend too long in the kitchen. So, here comes my first dish of today- Baked Prawn.

Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 7 minutes

Ingredients

Medium sized Prawns (20 pieces)

Salt as per taste

1 tbsp lemon juice

1 big onion sliced

1 cheese cube grated

½ tsp oregano

olive oil or any other oil [this dish requires very little oil]

Method

Clean, wash and pat dry prawns. In a microwave safe bowl put the prawns marinated with salt, lemon juice and 1 tsp oil. Keep for 10 minutes.

In the mean time heat a wok with 1 tsp oil and shallow fry the onions with a pinch of salt. Remove onion slices from heat when they are soft.

Mix the fried onions with the prawns. Now add the grated cheese.

Preheat the microwave. In convection mode bake the prawns for 5 minutes.

Then bring the bowl out and turn prawns to the reverse side. At this time you can check if the prawns are cooked or how much is left to be cooked. Depending on that you can time your baking. I did it for 2 minutes more. Do not overcook prawns.

 Sprinkle oregano and serve.

Fried Baby Potatoes

In this post I am sharing the recipe of fried baby potatoes. This I made randomly. Since, long time was having these potatoes at home, needed to be cooked at the earliest. As dum aloo is a dish that is frequently cooked, I thought of some other variation. This dish came out very tasty and was liked by everyone. A simple and easy making dish.

Ingredients

Baby Potato 20-25 pieces peeled and cut into halves

Salt as per taste

½ tsp Turmeric powder

1 tbsp roasted ground nut powder

1 tbsp grated coconut

A pinch of whole mustard seed

Whole Red chilly 1-2

5-6 curry leaves

Coriander leaves (for garnishing)

Method                                                                                                                               

In a pan, heat oil. When the oil is heated add the mustard seeds and the whole red chilly.

Now add the peeled, washed potatoes.

Add salt and turmeric powder.

Cover and cook in low flame.

Fry till the potatoes are brown in color.

Now add the ground nut powder, grated coconut and the curry leaves.

Mix well and fry for five minutes.

Garnish with coriander leaves and grated coconut.

Note: If you want you can add chilly powder or green chilies.

Kheer and Ground Cashew nut Sandesh

Image Courtesy Google

Vijaya Dashami, a day when we bid adieu to Ma Durga. As per Bengali tradition, Ma Durga is regarded as the daughter, who comes to her ‘Baaper bari (maiden home)’ with her children to spend 4 days. In Kolkata, these four days are the best spent days in a year. The air is vibrant.

Image Courtesy Google

As daughter comes to baper bari, so there should be a tone of happiness everywhere. She should get the feeling that back at her maiden home everything is going very nice and people are happy. As per myths, she is offered the best food from Saptami to Navami. Then on Dashami, she is served with panta bhat (previous day’s rice mixed with water) and Kochur saag (colocassia), so that she can go and say to Shiv bhagvan how poor people are at her maiden’s place. In the evening of dashamis there is ‘thakur baran’.  Married ladies in this occasion fill plates with pan ‘betel leaves’, a coin, a lump of mud, coriander seeds, ajwain seeds, a book,  sindoor and sandesh ‘sweets.’ All these are made touched to Ma Durga and all others who accompany her. After the ritual of baran, married ladies put the offered sindoor on each other’s forehead and bangles. The idols are now ready for immersion. After the immersion, younger people touch the feet of elders, friends embrace each others, greeting Shubho Bijaya. Sweet is distributed.

Since, childhood, I have always seen Ma and dida busy on these days with cooking. As everybody had a vacation at this time, they used to make their special dishes. Baba used to do the necessary sabji and machli shopping mostly by Shashthi. From Saptami onwards the grand feast was on till Dashami. Then on Dashami afternoon, post lunch, Ma and dida used to sit for making ‘narkol-er naru (coconut laddoos)’. In those days ‘narkol-naru’ were must serve sweets for anyone who comes for Bijaya.  In our childhood days, people used to go to every friend and relative’s place to do Bijaya. Places which were not readily accessible there post cards were sent, saying ‘Shubho Bijaya’. Narkol Naaru, ghugni and gaja or nimki were the dishes which were the common items for ‘bijaya’. Very simple items-  yet very tasty.

The simple things of those days are not common now. Time, place, lifestyle had created obstacle in many rituals. May be we cannot do it like our mothers but still we try to give these essences to our next generation.

My Dashami special sweet was- Kheer and Ground Cashew nut Sandesh. This was really loved by everyone who tasted.

Ingredients for 40 pieces

Milk 2 ltr

Cashew Nuts 50gms

Sugar 20 gms

Pinch of cardamom powder/ or cardamom pods

Method                                                                                                                               

In a deep bottomed pan start boiling milk adding cardamom pods. As it gets heated lower the flame and keep reducing the milk.

Reduce till its consistency becomes semi solid.

Grind cashew nuts.

Add ground cashew nut and sugar with the milk and cook in a low flame till the mixture comes to a binding state.

Cool the mixture in a plate.

In a bowl take water. Wet your hand. Take a little amount of mixture and make balls out of it slowly, then flatten it with your palm.

Decorate it with kishmish.

Mahalaya Special

Mahalaya sets the starting of Devipaksh and end of Pitripaksh. An auspicious day, marked with Tarpan ‘an event of paying homage to ancestors ’.  This is also the day when Ma Durga starts her journey from Kailash to Martya. As per Bengali traditions she reaches on the 6th day, i.e., Panchami and our Durga puja starts from the next day- Shashthi.

Since, my childhood I have always waited for this day. This was a very busy day, starting at 4 A.m with the Chandipath of Shri Birendra Krishna Bhadra in radio- Akashvani Kolkata. Baba used to wake us up for this event. I always slept in the middle of the program and finally used to get up at my usual time.

This was also the day when we used to go for our puja marketing. Ahh such a special day!!! new dress, new shoes. Unlike today’s time, in our childhood chances of having new dresses were not so frequent-few occasions included were Puja, poila boishakh, shashthi and birthday. Among these, puja was very special. There was an option of more than two dresses, new shoes, ribbons, bangles etc. and not only that, the actual excitement for me was to go to Kolkata and do the marketing, then eating outside- Nahus, Amenia, Puntiram etc. Now, this offer is not something that you get regularly.

Post childhood, it was boudi (sis-in-law) and me shopping- from north to South, from new clothes to food products, from Mahalaya to Panchami.

I am out of Kolkata for 12 years now and in these 12 years, it was only once when I could make it for Durgapuja. Since these 12 years, every year I wake up early, listen to Mahalaya, and then crowded with the nostalgic feelings start my Devipaksh.

As I have always seen Ma cooking something special for this day, even I do try.

This time my Mahalaya special was a mixecd thali of Maharastrian and Bengali Cusine. I made Bharli Wangi (Stuffed Brinjal), Paneer Fritters and Rui Mach-er Kalia.

The Recipe for Bharli Wangi  is as follows:

Ingredients

8-10 Small Baingan or Brinjals

2  medium onions finely chopped

Green chilies  (3-4 or as per your tolerance)

Garlic Paste 1 tea spoon

Any vegetable oil 3 tbsp

Salt as per taste

Turmeric 1tsp

Dry Spices:

Jeera powder 1tbsp

 Dhaniya powder 1tbsp

lalmirch Powder as per taste

Groundnut powder 3tbsp

Sugar ½ tsp

Dry coconut powder (optional) 1 tsp or as per choice

Whole spices: jeera and mustard

Curd 2 table spoon

Water ½  cup

Kari patta and coriander leaves for flavor

Preparation

Wash the Brinjals properly and cut the stem a little from length and make 4 slits. Remember the Brinjals will remain intact so while slitting them be careful not to cut the whole.

Make the groundnut powder. Dry roast the groundnuts till they are brown. Remove the peels and let it cool down. Now ground them. Keep the powder coarse.

Now mix all the spices together.

Cooking                                                                                                                               

Heat a pan with oil and lightly fry the brinjals with salt and Turmeric. When they are soft remove from heat and cool them.

Now in the oil add the whole spices and kari patta.

Add the chopped onion and fry light brown. Add the garlic paste and fry for some more time.

Now, with the help of a spoon carefully stuff the mixed spices into the brinjals.

Add the brinjals to the fried onion, cover and cook in simmer for some time.

Add salt and sugar.

Add sliced green chilies.

Add the dry coconut powder.

Now mix them properly and cook for some time.

Now add water and let it dry. It is a thick gravy dish.

Now beat the curd and add.

Mix properly and switch off the gas.

Garnish with Coriander leaves and serve hot with roti/paratha or rice.

Now, the Rui Macher Kalia. This is also a thick gravy spicy dish of Rohu.

Ingredients

Rohu medium pieces 6-8

2  medium onions finely chopped

Green chilies slit (as per your tolerance)

1 big onion pasted

1 medium tomato pasted

Garlic Paste 1 tea spoon

Ginger Paste 1 tea spoon

Salt as per taste

½ teaspoon sugar

Turmeric Powder

Jeera Powder 2 tea spoon

Red chilly Powder as per wish

Oil

Ghee 1 teaspoon and garam masala

Method

Wash the fishes and rub with salt and turmeric. Fry them lightly.

Add whole jeera, 2-3 cardamom pods, 2-3 cloves, 1 inch cinnamon, 2 bay leaves. Add the onion paste and fry. Now add the garlic and tomato paste and fry for some time.

In a small bowl take all the spices and ginger paste and make mixture with water.  Add this to the fried onion and tomato paste. To this add the green chilies. Cook till the spices are fried and the oil comes up. Add the sugar.

Add the fishes and Add 1-1/2  cup of water. Allow the fish to be cooked.

When the gravy is dry add ghee and garam masala and stop.

Serve with rice.

Paneer Fritters

Ingredients

Milk 1 litre

Vinegar 2 tbsp

Carrot, Capsicum, onion, green chili and tomato cut into small pieces

Bread

Salt

Oil

Method

Boil the milk. Add vinegar and make the paneer. (You can avoid this step and use readymade paneer. I love the taste of homemade paneer). Remove water from paneer and make it semi dry.

In a pan, heat oil.  Add the finely chopped vegetables and add salt and cook. When the vegetables are cooked add the paneer. Cook for some time till paneer is mixed finely with the vegetables. Cook till oil comes out.

Take the cooked paneer after cooling it. Divide it into 8-10 equal portions. Roll with your hands and give desired shapes.

Have water in a small bowl. Wet your palms and then take the breads. Cover the paneer balls from all side. Once done Deep fry them. 

Baked Chanda Mach (Chanda Fish)

These days were totally a messed up sort. I have mentioned in my earlier post about our shifting and R’s ill health. These were accompanied by the absence of the aunty who used to be with us and take care of R and helped me in cooking and household. This phase went for 2 months. R is keeping well now (fingers crossed) and the aunty is back. A sigh of relief!!!

R is demanding for many dishes now from Rasgulla to cup cakes to luchi.  I made luchi, alu matar-er sabji and halwa for Ganpati Bappa’s bhog. This I will post some other day. Today’s posted dish is actually made quite back, on Independence Day. Due to lack of time and mood could not post it. I will do it today.

After we shifted, this was for the first time Kda and Idi wanted to come. On those days there were frequent visit to the doctor- for both my father and R, then- tests, medicines etc. Neither S nor I could find time to go to the market.  So my fridge was almost empty. But then, Kda are more like a family. So never matter if the pantry is full or not. I checked and found that I have 1.5 kg chicken and 12-15 pieces of Chanda fish, half k.g or so Parawal. I thought of preparing plain rice, roti, alu parwal ki sabzi, chicken curry and baked fish. Rest can be ordered from outside.

This was for the first time that I had experimented baking with Chanda fish. Infact, for the first time I was cooking this fish. This variety was not very much available in Kolkata. I found this one more like any other sea fish, say pomfret. The fish was easily cooked and very soft. The taste was perfect. All of us enjoyed the fish- the drink- the music and of course the adda.

Ingredients

Chanda Fish 15 pieces

2 tbsp garlic paste

2 tbsp ginger paste

2 tbsp lemon juice

Salt as per taste

1tsp Turmeric powder

Red chily powder as per tolerance level

2tbsp olive oil

Method

Clean the fish wash and pat dry them. Rub the fish with all the ingredients and keep marinated for 2-3 hrs.

Preheat the oven in 180 degree and bake the fish for 10-12 minutes. Take them out carefully to see if they are properly cooked and soft. If not, bake for 5 more minutes.

Serve hot with salad of your choise or Mayo dip.

Rakhi Special

I have not expected and planned much about this year’s Raksha bandhan. R being down with fever for almost a week has made me less enthusiastic and low. It is almost a month now that my darling is not keeping well. It started with cold and cough, then stomach upset and now this fever! Since we shifted to our new home, it is everyday something or other that is troubling including, electricity, water supply, domestic help, small (actually crucial) carpentry, plumber related, gas-supply related problems and finally an unwell kid. To add to these was S’s back sprain on Saturday. Fully exhausted!!! and could not plan anything for Rakhi.

Rakhi is a day when only veg meal is served at my place. I had nothing at home- no vegetables nothing. Only I had 2 ltrs of full cream milk. At around 9 pm on Saturday, my sis-in-law called and said that she’s making malpua and will bring for tomorrow’s occasion. Finally, after that call I sat to decide what to make. Outside food was not an option as R was not well. I wanted to go for easy and tasty but those items that my family would love.  

I thought of making something different but easy with the milk. Payesh or kheer was not the option because that I have made for many times now. So, I thought for Bhapa sandesh/ steamed Sandesh- a low sweet soft Bengali desert. But this is the dessert- I have to plan for the starters and the main course menu as well. Dahi vada was the only thing that I could think of as a starter. A famous way of having malpua in Bihari style is to have it with alu matar or dam aloo type sabzi. Accordingly, I thought of making alu matar paneer (potatoes, peas and paneer) ki sabzi. This will be absolutely well if accompanied by rice. I also needed to make a bhujia (sabji cooked in low flame, less oil and no water). But I could not think of that. Then Rai, my niece, was there. She said she would love to make a cake. With this, I initiated the celebration atleast.

I made the bhapa/ steamed sandesh on previous day night. This is made out of chana, i.e., curdled milk. This is how I made it.

Ingredients for 15-20 pieces bhapa/ steamed sandesh

Full Cream milk 2 ltr

2tbsp vinegar

8-10 tbsp sugar

Pinch of cardamom powder/ or cardamom pods

Method                                                                                                                               

Boil the full cream milk in medium flame and stirring often.

Lower the flame, when the milk is boiled and add vinegar.

Switch off the gas and stir the milk and leave for 2minutes.

Place the curdled milk on a strainer and separate the water. Keep it for at least 10-15 minutes to allow the extra water to be strained. But remember not to make it dry. In this dish we want the chana to be moist. That would give soft sandesh.

Now, add cardamom powder/pods and sugar and mash and mix well.

When it is done grease a covered bowl that would go into your pressure cooker. Place the mixture in the covered bowl. Put little amount of water in the cooker. Be careful about the quantity of water, as it should not enter into the bowl while steaming. Remove the weight form the cooker and close the lid. Cook in a low flame for 15 minutes.

After that open the lid take out the steamed chana on a plate. It looks more like a cake now. Cut it in desired shape and serve or refrigerate for an hour and serve.

Note: I have read many where to run the chana in cold water to avoid the smell and/taste of the vinegar. But I had never done that. My chana dishes had no effects smell or taste wise without this step.

The picture is not good at all but the outcome was good. None of the pieces were left J This pic was taken before refrigeration. 

This is the Picture of my starters and deserts- Dahi wada, steamed sandesh, malpua (made by sis-in-law),  cake(neice) and Laddu(store bought). 

Lentil Soup

Now, the Bottle gourd soup was quite a hit. So last night’s dinner was accompanied by Lentil soup. Give the credit to the cold weather of Pune or my culinary skill whatever, even the lentil soup was also a success. So here goes the recipe of this simple soup.

Courtsey Google Image

Ingredients

Orange/Red lentils 100 gms

1 big onion sliced

3-4 fat garlic cloves sliced

3-4 coriander sprigs

Salt and black pepper to taste

Butter (as per your choice)

Method                                                                                                                               

Wash the lentils.

Add salt and butter and pressure cook the lentils with onion, garlic slices and coriander leaves. Give moderate amount of water.

After 4 whistles remove from heat and let it cool down.

Now, separate the stock and in a blender blend the cooked lentil.

Heat the stock in the pressure cooker and mix the blended part.

Add black pepper.

Add salt if required.

Remove from heat when the consistency is thick.

Serve hot with  butter and pepper. 

Oil less Cream Drop Bottle Gourd/ Lauki Soup

These days I am going through a somewhat hectic/ stressed days. There are different reasons. Shifting to a new house and making R adjusted to that being the primary one. As usual I was engrossed with my own problems- cursing, crying and what not of my luck. Then I heard some of my friends and colleagues discussing the odds of life. Realized once again and thanked the Devine Mother to make me remember how Beautiful Life actually is.

Why I said all these things here…No, actually I do not know. My only intention was to give the readers (if anybody actually read this blog J or else just a self declaration) the excuses behind my long absence.

Well, in spite of these stressed days, the only relief is this that my parents are visiting me now and my mother is around. Such a relief!!! Shifting all my worries to her I am happily coming to office and doing my daily chores. Thanks to the Devine Mother once again for making ‘Mothers’. She is actually my Matri Rupena Samsthita (I see the form of Devine Mother within her).

The rain has regained its lost power in Pune and it is raining almost continuously for the last few days. R was not too well and my parents need some well cooked vegetable in curry or dal to dip the roti for dinner. There were not too many vegetables with me and I did not want to make dal as it was already there for lunch. A hot soup will actually serve all my purposes. A soup from bottle gourd was my idea. 

Following is the recipe-

Ingredients

Bottle Gourd/ Lauki  300 grams cut into small cubes

1 big onion sliced

3-4 fat garlic cloves sliced

Salt to taste

½ tsp oregano

2 tbsp cream

Method                                                                            

                                                   

Pressure cook the Bottle gourd cubes, onion and garlic slices with salt with moderate amount of water. After 3-4 whistles remove from heat and let it cool down.

Now, separate the stock and in a blender blend the cooked Bottle gourd cubes, onion and garlic slices.

Heat the stock in the pressure cooker and mix the blended vegetable.

Add oregano.

Add salt if required.

Add 1 tbsp of cream when the consistency of the soup is moderate.

Remove from heat and add the other tbsp cream in drops.

Serve hot. 
You can add butter and pepper. 

Mango Flavored Kalakand

First of all please forgive me as I could not post this recipe within due time. I had made it when mangoes were happily present in the market. There were lot of mangoes at home and all three of us were bored of having juice, mango shakes and so on apart from having them as whole fruits. So this was the idea.

Ingredients for 10 pieces

Full Cream milk 1 ltr

Milkmaid 200gms

1 ripe mango

½ tsp butter

Method     

                                                                                                                          

Make paneer out of the full cream milk.

Peel the mango and take out the pulp.

Add the paneer, milkmaid and the mango pulp and mash with hand till all the ingredients mix well.

Now heat a deep bottomed pan and in medium heat cook the mashed mixture till oil comes out.

Let the mixture cool.

Grease a plate or square box. Put the mixture and cut it into squares.

Refrigerate for atleast  3-4 hrs to set the mixture.

Eggless Whole Wheat Banana Cup Cake

Baking is my recent addiction. I do not have any professional training and I am an amateur. The same thing goes for my cooking as well. The only advantage to the latter is that I have watched my mother and grandmother (no less than the professional cooks when it comes to taste) and developed that taste bud. Mummy is the only one of whom I can think of when I get stuck while cooking anything. But baking! Nobody ever did that in my family. So with the readings from different professional cooking blogs and different beautiful posts on FB this was my first attempt to make an eggless whole wheat banana cup cake.

The cakes turned out soft and spongy and were finished within a day by my hubby and daughter. The result was inspiring of the first baking and maybe I will try some new things as I get time. For now here’s the recipe.

Ingredients

1 cup whole wheat

1 cup curd

1 tsp baking powder

½ tsp baking soda

4 tbsp butter

½ cup sugar powder

3 ripe bananas

Method

In a blender, blend the bananas. Melt the butter. Sift and mix whole wheat, baking soda and baking powder. Add butter and the wheat mix to the blended bananas. Now add curd and sugar to this and mix well.  There should not be any lumps.

Preheat the oven in 250 degree C. Pour the mixture in the cake moulds. If you do not have moulds, add the mixture in a microwave safe bowl. In the convection mode bake it for 30 minutes in 200 degree C. 

Baked Vegetables with Cheese and Pepper

Last time when we had a party at our place with K da  I made this dish as veg starter. Since then it’s due to be blogged. This is another easy and less time consuming yet, a tasty and healthy dish. Kids will love this dish.

Normally in a gathering, like ours, I always have to think a lot for the choice of vegetables. Certain vegetables do not go at night, certain vegetables kids do not prefer, so it is always either cabbage or cauliflower or capsicums. I had a cauliflower dish for main course and was looking for a starter option. I had some baby potatoes. Initially I thought of baking the baby potatoes. Then I found some mushroom and baby corn waiting on my refrigerator, for some experimentation. So from baking baby potatoes I shifted to baking baby potatoes, mushroom and baby corn.

Here goes the recipe.

Baked Vegetables with Cheese and Pepper (10 people)

Preparation time: 20-30 minutes
Cooking-15 minutes

Ingredients

20-25 baby potatoes, cleaned and skin peeled

20-25 button mushrooms cleaned

10-15 baby corns cleaned and cut into halves, lengthwise

1 Big onion cut into cubes

4-5 bug fat garlic cloves crushed

Salt as per taste

Black Pepper coarsely ground

Oregano

Any vegetable oil 1 table soon (I have used olive oil)

2-3 cheeze slices

Method                                                                                                                               

Take the baby potatoes and prick on all the sides with a fork.

Brush a microwave safe bowl with oil. Add all the vegetables, onion pieces, crushed garlic, salt and oil. Mix well. In a microwave + convection mode bake for 8-10 minutes in 600 degree. After 10 minutes, carefully bring out the bowl and check. If the vegetables are cooked then add the pepper, oregano and the cheese slices and bake for 2 minutes in 200 degree.

After 2 minutes switch off the microwave and keep the dish to be cooled normally.

Garnish with some shredded cheese if you want. 

Baked vegetables

Chicken Khichdi/ murgir khichuri

Every time I try to have something new for dinner. This is mostly because I love to have new varieties with food. I want the same thing to repeat with R, so that she picks up the taste. So, this time when I came across this recipe of Khichudi or Khichdi with chicken on facebook in a cooking group, I instantly decided to make it for dinner. The ingredients were available with me and the dish sounded tasty yet simple, typically of my type. The original recipe is not mine and I made some changes to the original recipe. 

Here’s my recipe.

Chicken Khichuri (4-5 persons) 

Ingredients

150gms boneless chicken cut into biting pieces

¼   cup moong dal

¼ cup masoor dal

½  cup  basmati rice

2 medium potatoes cut into cubes

1 large onion diced into cubes

1 small onion finely cut

1 medium tomato cut into slices

1-2 green chilies

1 tsp ginger and garlic paste each

1 ½  tsp turmeric, coriander, cumin, red chilli powder each

Salt to taste

Punch of hing powder

1 tsp fenugreek, mustard, cumin seeds each

1 bay leaf

1 whole dried red chily

½  tsp white pepper (whole)

1 Tsp ghee

2 Tsp mustard oil

Preparation

Wash the chicken pieces thoroughly and mix with 1 tsp of garlic, ginger, red chilli powder and turmeric powder. Add a pinch of salt and keep inside the refrigerator for half hour

Cooking   

                                                                                                                           

In a non stick pan roast the moong dal until a good aroma comes out but doesn't burn.

Let it cool and after it's cooled down, wash thoroughly and keep it aside. Wash the rice and the masoor dal thoroughly and keep it aside.

In a deep bottomed pan, heat 2 Tsp oil and a little ghee. Add the potatoes with pinch of salt and turmeric. Fry till it is golden in color and keep aside.

Fried Potaoes

Now in the same oil, put the hing, fenugreek seeds, mustard seeds, cumin seeds, dry red chily and bay leaf and let the seeds splutter for a while.

Put the finely chopped onions and fry till brown in colour. Put the chopped tomatoes and mix very well and put chilli powder, coriander powder, cumin powder and turmeric powder and then put the chicken pieces and mix and keep frying until oil comes out and onions and tomatoes are well mixed with the chicken.

Now add the dal and the rice and keep frying for 2 mins.

At this time add the cubed onion pieces, the golden fried potatoes and add 3 cups of water. Cover the pan and reduce the heat to low.

After 10 minutes check whether the ingredients are cooked or not.

If it is cooked then switch off the gas and keep it covered.

If you think more water is needed to cook the rice and the dals, then add some more water and cover and cook for some more time.

The consistency of the dish is neither too runny nor too dry.

Chicken Khichudi

Once cooked, serve hot with omelette or papad. You can simply have the Khichdi as well.