dhokla by my friend Manisha 

• 1 1/2 cup sour yoghurt

1 !/2 cup besan
1 cup water
1 tsp oil
1 tsp green chilly paste
1 tsp ginger paste
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp sodium bi carbonate
1 pouch eno
1/2 tsp lemon juice
turmertic powder 2 tsp
for tempering
2 tsp oil
1 tsp mustard
2-3 green chilly
1/4 cup vineger
1/2 cup water 2 tsp sugar


for garnishing
coriander leaves

Preparation:

• Sieve the gram flour. Mix it with the yoghurt and keep aside for 2 hours.
• Add the ginger and green chilli pastes, turmeric powder, salt to taste, lime juice and sugar and enough warm water to make a batter of pouring consistency. Mix well.
• Divide the batter into 3 equal portions.
• Prepare the steamer and grease a square/ rectangular pan to steam the dhokla in.
• Divide the fruit salt/baking soda into 3 equal portions and add one portion to a portion of the batter. Mix well. Pour this batter into the greased dish and put it into the steamer.
• Cook till done - when you touch the surface of the Dhokla your fingers should come away clean.
• Repeat with the remaining batter, adding the fruit salt/ baking soda to each batch of batter just before steaming.
• Allow the steamed Dhokla to cool slightly and cut into 2" squares.
• To temper, heat the oil in a wide, thick-bottomed pan and add the curry leaves, mustard and sesame seeds and green chillies. Fry till the seeds stop sluttering. Pour these into the warm water. Sprinkle this mixture all over the prepared Dhokla. Keep aside for 10 minutes.
• Garnish with the chopped coriander and serve with Tamarind Chutney 

 pressure cooked chicken

Ingredients:

Oil- 3 tbsp

Onion  - 2 large sliced  thinly

Ginger Garlic Paste - 2 tbps

Turmeric Powder - 1 tsp

kashmiri red Chilli Powder - 2 tsp

Garam Masala Powder - 2 tsp{ 2 cloves 1 " cinnamon and 3 to 4 cardamom finelly grounded } 

Tomato-4 grated

Salt to taste

Chicken - 1/2 kg cleaned

salt to taste 

sugar 1 tsp 

tejpatta / bay leaves 2 to 3

Method:

Take a pressure cooker and heat oil in it. Add tejpatta/ bay leaves

Add  onions and half tsp salt   saute for 5 mins.

Add  ginger garlic paste and mix well.

Now add salt and all the spice powders  except garam masala and mix well.

put the tomatoes and cook till oils comes out from the masala on medium heat.

Add chicken pieces and toss well in the masala.

 Put 2 cups of water if you want it with rice or you can put 1 cup of water if you want it  with roti .

Now cover the pressure cooker and let it cook for 1  whistle.  Switch off the flame and let the pressure go all by itself.

Open the pressure cooker and add garam masala and mix well.

Serve with rice or roti. Note if you use broiler chicken then 1 whistle  if it is desi murgi then 2 to 3 whistle depending upon the size. Some times I put aloo and carrot with this

Almond Chicken

Almond Chicken

Chicken                                   1 kg

Dahi/ curd                                3oo gms or 3 tbsp

Garlic  paste                             8 to 9 pods

Salt                                          according to your taste

Soaked almond                         8 to 10 finely pasted

Kashmiri lal mirch powder         4 tsp

Pepper powder                         3 tsp

Sugar                                       2 tsp

Soya sauce                               3 tsp

Tomato sauce                           3 tsp

Oil                                            3 tbsp

Method -    Put the oil in a wok. When the oil is heated put the garlic paste and fry it . Then put the chicken pieces and put little bit of salt cover it for ten (10) minutes in low flame. When the pink colour disappeared from the chicken put the beaten dahi (curd), lalmirch/red chilly powder, pepper powder, almond paste and all the sauce & stir it firmly.  Add a small quantity of water gradually, about half a cup of water and cook till the chicken tenders.  Serve hot with rice or roti.         

Pumpkin fitters (Kumro R bora)

Pumpkin fitters   (Kumro R bora)

Ingredients for the recipe -

Pumpkin              Cut in long flat pieces

Salt                      to taste

Sugar                             3 tsp

Haldi                      2 tsp 

Besan                     4 tbsp

Rice flour               2 tbsp

Water                     3 cups

Kalonji/ kalojeera  1 tsp

Sugar                     1 tsp

Mustard oil                    for frying

Method   -     beat the besan and rice flour with salt, haldi (Turmeric), kalojeera (Onion seeds) and water. Keep it aside. Marinate the cut pumpkins with salt, haldi and sugar. In a wok put the mustard oil and heat it. Put the pumpkin pieces in the besan batter and fry it till the colour turns into little bit golden brown.  Serve hot.

(This recipe prepared by my little daughter Suhana who is only 10 yrs old. I am proud of my little chef)

Moong Dal with Spinach

Moong Dal with Spinach

Ingredients for Moong Dal with Spinach -

Moong dal -         100 gms. (1 small bowl)

Spinach -             250 gms. (separate the stems)

Tomato -              2 whole

Green chili -         2

Ginger -               1 inch long piece.

Ghee -                   1 table spoon.

Cumin seeds -      1/2 tea spoon.

Turmeric powder - 1/4 tea spoon.

Red chilli powder - 1/4 tea spoon.

Salt -                              3/4 tea spoon (according to the taste)

Method - How to make Moong Dal Palak Recipe

First dry roast the Moong dal in a Wok and then let it rest for ten minutes.  Soak the dry roasted moong dal for half an hour in the water after washing it thoroughly with water.

Wash the spinach leaves twice and strain the water. Now chop the leaves with the help of a chopper or with a knife.

Make a paste of tomato, green chilli and ginger.

Heat ghee (Clarified butter) into the cooker and cumin seeds into it. Put turmeric powder, red chilli powder into the cooker once the cumin seeds turn brown. Stir with the help of a spoon and put tomato & ginger paste into it. Roast the masala until the oil separates. Put moong dal and spinach into the masala and roast for 2-3 minutes. Pour 2 small glasses of water and close the lid of the cooker. Pressure the cooker for upto 1 whistle. Turn off the flame and open the cooker once the pressure is over.

Moon dal with spinach is ready. Take it out in a serving bowl and pour 1-2 tea spoon ghee on the ghee and gar nish with coriander leaves. Serve the dal with naan, chapati and parantha.

(This recipe  was prepared by my little daughter Suhana who is only 10 yrs old. I am proud of my little chef)

Chicken casserole

Chicken casserole

Ingredients for the recipe -

Chicken                500gms

Onion                   3 to 4

Ginger                  3 inches

Garlic                   5 to 6 pod

Haldi                   2 tsp

Red chilly powder 3 tsp

Salt                       to taste

Curd                     3 tbsp

Capsicum             2 big deseeded and cut into pieces

White oil               2 tsp

Method         marinate the chicken with curd, haldi (turmeric) , red chilly powder, onion paste,  ginger garlic paste for half an hour. In a microwave proof bowl put the marinated chicken with 2 tsp of oil and salt and microwave it for 15 minutes. Give standing time to it. Put the capsicum pieces and stir the chicken pieces and microwave it for another 15 minutes. Give standing time and your chicken is ready.

(This recipe  is made by my little daughter Suhana who is only 10 yrs old. I am proud of my little chef)

Chingri R tel jhol

Chingri R tel jhol

Ingredients for the recipe -

Prawn   medium size        500 gms

Mustard oil                      4 tsp

Green chilly                     6 to 8

Haldi                               1 tsp

Red chilly powder           1 tsp

Salt                                 according to taste

Water                             2 cups

Method :     In a wok put prawns, green chilly  , haldi, redchilly powder, salt and water. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes . Give standing time  and put the raw mustard oil after you putting  off the gas. Eat it with hot rice.

This recipe is dedicated to my Dida (Maternal Grandmother) who was a great cook and is my idol in cooking.