KULHAD WALE PALAK CHANA CHAWAL

 

Preparation time: 30 minutes

Cooking time: 1 hour

Serves: 4-6 

Ingredients:

250 gms kabuli channa /white chick pea washed and soaked overnight

1 bunch spinach/ palak

1 big onion finely chopped

3 tomatoes pureed

1" ginger finely chopped

8-10 cloves of garlic finely chopped

2 green chilies

2 tbsp oil

2 tbsp desi ghee/clarified butter

1 tsp cumin

1/4 tsp hing/asafetida

1/2 tsp degi mirch powder

1 tsp each of dhania powder and garam masala

2 tsp channa masala

1 tsp kasuri methi /dry fenugrik leaves

1/2 tsp black pepper powder

1 black cardmom

1 tej patta

4-5 cloves

1 stick cinnamon

1 tsp sugar (optional)

1 tbsp curd

1 tbsp fresh cream

salt to taste

 Method:

1. Clean, chop and wash the spinach thoroughly.
2. Blanch the spinach and puree it using water as required. Keep aside.
3. Wash the soaked chickpeas and put them in a pressure cooker along with 4 cups of water ,black cardamom, tej patta, cloves, cinnamon and salt. Close the lid and switch on the gas. 
4. Pressure cook the chick peas till 4-5 whistles or till they become tender. Keep aside.
5. Take a kadahi/wok heat some ghee along with oil and add asafetida and cumin to it.
6. When the cumin start to crackle add finely chopped onion ,ginger and garlic and cook till they become brown in color.
7. Then add finely chopped green chilies and pureed tomatoes and cook till the oil separates.
8. Add dhania powder, garam masala powder, channa masala, degi mirch, black pepper powder, sugar and kasuri methi and stir for a while.
9. Add curd along with some water so that the spices don't get burnt.
10. Now add this masala to cooked chickpeas and close the lid and cook on low flame for 10 minutes. Then turn off the gas.
11. When the pressure releases add pureed spinach and cook further for 5-10 minutes. Add fresh cream and give it a nice mix. 
12. Serve it along with plain rice or jeera rice. You can sprinkle some chopped onions and green chilies over it for crunch and fragrance.

 

  

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BROCCOLI SURPRISE CHEESE BALLS

 

Ingredients:

2 large potatoes boiled

100 gms cottage cheese

1 green chili de-seeded and finely chopped

1/2 tsp chili flakes

1/2 tsp pizza pasta seasoning

1 tbsp finely chopped coriander leaves

1 small onion finely chopped

salt and pepper to tase

12 bite size broccoli florets blanched  

3 tbsp cornflour 

2 tbsp all purpose flour

1 cup pranko bread crumbs

oil for frying

Method: 

1. In a mixing bowl mix mashed boiled potatoes, grated cottage cheese, green chili, red chili flakes, pizza pasta seasoning, coriander leaves, onion, salt, pepper and one tbsp. cornflor , mix well and keep aside.
2. In another bowl mix two tbsp each of corn flour and all purpose flour , slat and pepper and make a slurry of coating consistency by gradually adding 14/ cup to 1/2 cup of water.
3. Take bread crumbs in another bowl.
4. Divide the dough in 12 portions.
5. Take one portion in your hand and make a ball then flatten the ball and keep one broccoli floret in the center. Gather the edges and make a ball again hiding the broccoli inside the ball.
6. Dip the ball in the slurry then take it out and roll it into bread crumbs.
7. Repeat the same with rest of the balls.
8. Deep fry the balls in hot oil and serve hot with a dip of your  choice. 

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BROCCOLI AND CHEESE SALAD

 

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 10 minutes

Serves: 3-4

Ingredients:

1 head broccoli approx. 750gms  

150 gms cottage cheese

1 tbsp. olive oil or butter

3-4 cloves of garlic finely chopped 

salt and black pepper to taste

2 tsp lemon juice

Method:

1. Cut the broccoli into bite size pieces and put it in boiling water with 1/2 tsp salt for 2 minutes.
2. Then drain out the excess water and wash it with cold water.
3. Cut the cheese into cubes.
4. Heat the oil in a pan and add chopped garlic to it sauté for a while then add broccoli and cook on high flame till it become a bit tender but don't let it loose its crunch. Or toss the broccoli with garlic and oil and bake it in the oven for aprox. 7-8 minutes on 200 C.
5. Add salt, pepper, cheese cubes and lemon juice stir a while and the salad is ready to be served. 

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BLUEBERRY SAUCE

 

Ingredients:

1/2 cup blue berries

4-6 tsp sugar or as per taste

1 tsp corn starch dissolved in 2 tbsp water

1/2 lemon juice

1 cup water

Method:

1. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine the blueberries, water, sugar and lemon juice. Stir frequently, and bring to a boil.
2. In a small bowl, whisk the cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of cold water.
3. Slowly stir the cornstarch into the blueberries, taking care not to crush the blueberries. Simmer until the blueberry sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a metal spoon, about 5 minutes.
4. Remove from heat .
5. If you want a clear sauce then crush the berries with the help of a blender and strain the sauce through a strainer.
6. This sauce can be used over pancakes, cheesecakes,  waffles and to make blueberry icing or blueberry ice cream.

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BLUEBERRY MUFFINS

 

Ingredients:

1 cup maida(refined flour)
4 eggs
1 cup coaster sugar
1/2 tsp baking powder
5-7 drops vanilla essence
1 cup or 100 gms refined oil
100 gms. blue berries

Method:

1. Sieve maida along with baking powder two to three times.
2. Switch on the oven (OTG) for preheating at 200* CG or 400* F.
3. Break the eggs in a bowl and beat them with a blender.
4. Mix oil and sugar and blend it till the sugar dissolves completely.
5. Mix beaten eggs mixture with oil sugar mixture.
6. Add one after one spoon of maida mixed with baking powder in the above mixture using cut and fold method with a wooden spoon(do not use blender now) .
7. When the batter is ready add essence and mix with light hand. Dust blue berries with some maida(flour) and add them to the prepared batter and mix .
8. Grease the muffin molds with some oil, and pour in the cake batter.
9. Bake the muffins for 5 minutes at 180*CG or 350*F and and after that for 15-20 minutes at 150* or 300* F. 10.Check it with knife if these are not baked completely then bake them for 5 more minutes.
10. Let them cool and then bring them out of the moulds and the muffins are ready to be served.   

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BLUE BERRY FROSTING

 

Ingredients:

15-20 blue berries

2 tbsp sugar

1/2 lemon juice

1 cup whipping cream

Method:

1. Add sugar and lemon juice to blue berries then add 1/2 cup of water and cook for 5-10 minutes on low flame till the sugar dissolves and berries are crushed completely .
2. Let it cool completely then blend it in a blender and strain through a sieve. 
3. Whip the cream in a bow using a whisk or electric beater  till you get soft peaks then add the prepared sauce and mix well.
4. Blue berry frosting is ready to be used. 
5. You can use it to dress muffins,cakes ,waffles etc.

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BLUEBERRY SHAKE / BLUEBERRY SMOOTHIE

 

Ingredients:

10-15 blue berries

2 cups milk

3 tsp sugar

1 banana (optional)

2 tbsp crushed ice

whipped cream or vanilla ice cream and mint leaves for garnishing

Method:

1. Put all the ingredients in a mixer or blender and churn well till you get a smooth texture.
2. Pour in the glasses and top with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream ,fresh blue berries and mint leaves.
3. To make blueberry smoothie replace milk with yogurt.

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BEL KA SHARBAT / STONE APPLE JUICE

 

Ingredients:

1/2-1 kg bel fruit / stone apple or wood apple)
4 cups water
12 tablespoons sugar or as per taste or natural sweetness of the fruit you are using

1/2 teaspoon of roasted cumin powder (bhuna jeera powder)
1/2 tsp black salt or as per taste
1 lemon juice (optional) 

10-15 mint leaves

Method:

1. With a rolling pin (belan) hit the bel fruit all around. 
2. Outer hard shell will crack. Discard the hard shell and collect the pulp in a bowl with the help of a spoon by scooping out the soft pulp.
3. Then add 1 cup water.
4. Mash the pulp using your hand or a potato masher. Mash very well. If the pulp is hard then soak it in 1 cup water for 1/2 an hour then mash.
5. Then using a strainer, strain the mashed pulp in another bowl. Add one more glass of water to the residual pulp in the strainer mash well  and strain again till all the pulp is squeezed out.  
6. Once the mixture is strained, add sugar.Mix well.
7. Then add mint leaves,lemon juice ,roasted cumin powder and black salt.
8. Mix very well.Add ice if needed.
9. Pour in glasses and serve bel sherbet chilled. You can make the bel sherbet thin or thick by adding more or less water.

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BEETROOT HALWA

Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time : 15 minutes
Serves: 4

Ingredients:
3 cups grated beetroot
1 cup mawa/koya
1.5 tbsp pure ghee
1/4 cup sugar or as per taste
1/2 tsp cardamom powder
dry fruits as per taste (cashews,almonds,raisins and pistachios)

Method:

1. Wash, peel and grate the beetroots.
2. Heat the ghee in a wok add grated beetroots and cook till the beetroot becomes soft.
3. When the liquid present in the beetroots evaporates add mawa,sugar and cardamom powder and cook further till the water released by sugar also evaporates.Don't make it completely dry, it should be of semi solid consistency. 
4. Add chopped nuts of your choice, stir well and cook on a low flame for two three minutes.
5. Beetroot halwa is ready to be served.

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BANANA SHAKE / SMOOTHIE

Preparation time: 10 minutes
Serves:2

Ingredients:
1 glass milk for shake / 1 glass yogurt for smoothie
1 banana peeled
2-3 tsp sugar or as per taste
6-8 soaked and peeled almonds
1/2 glass ice
Method:

1. Combine all the ingredients in a blender and blend well.
2. Pour into the glasses and serve chilled.

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