Diet Chole or Channa (Oil Free)

The name of my dish suggests a Sardar on diet or a slim Sardar. But I made these Chole for me health-conscious husband, he really loved it.
 
 

Ingredients:
 
Kabuli channa (chick peas) - 2 cups
Moti illaichi (brown cardamoms) - 2
Laung (cloves) -  3 to 4
Onion - 1 large finely chopped
Garlic paste - 1 tsp
Ginger paste - 1 tsp
Salt to taste
Channa masala - 3 tsp
Red Chilli Powder - ½ tsp
Garam masala - ½ tsp 
Dhania powder -  4 tsp
Imli (tamarind) pulp or squeeze out pulp from 1" ball of tamarind -  3 tsp
Kasuri Methi - a generous pinch
Chaat Masala - ½ tsp

Method:

1. Soak the channas overnight.
2. Put the soaked channas in a pressure cooker. Add 4 cups fresh water. Add finely chopped onion, moti illaichi, laung, garlic paste and ginger paste. Pressure cook to give 1 whistle and keep on low flame for 15-20 minutes.
3. After the pressure drops open the cooker. Add salt, dhania powder, channa masala, jeera powder, garam masala, black pepper, red chilli and the tamarind pulp to the cooked channas. Mash the channas a bit.
4. Again pressure cook to give 1 whistle. Remove from fire.
5. Add Kasuri Methi & Chaat Masala

Tips:

• Serve hot with puris or rotis
• Channa is very good source of protein so can be given to kids as well

 

Shahi Cookies - Cookies with Indian flavours

Hi... usually my husband needs to snack while having his cup of tea or coffee.. Whenever I go to grocery store.... I forget to buy biscuits for him.. This time I thought of making cookies.... It turned our really well...

Ingredients:

Flour (Maida) - 1 cup
Unsalted Butter - 5 tbsp (softened)
Powdered Sugar - 1/2 cup
Pistachios (unsalted) - 2 tbsp (finely chopped)
Almonds - 2 tbsp (finely chopped)
Cashews - 2 tbsp (finely chopped)
Saffron - a pinch (soaked in 1 tbsp of warm milk)
Cardamom Powder - 1/2 tsp

Method:

1. Pre-heat oven at 170 degrees
2. Cream butter & powdered sugar till sugar is dissolved
3. Mix all nuts together and add 3/4 of the mixed nuts to butter-sugar mix
4. Add saffrom milk & cardamom powder.
5. Add Flour to the mix and knead to a soft dough
6. Cool it for 5 mins & make small balls.
7. Flatten each ball, lay it on butter paper of baking tray
8. Sprinkle & press few mixed nuts on top of each flattened ball
9. Bake it for 30 mins till the cookie turns light brown in colour
10. Move to wire rack to cool & store in air tight box once it is completed cooled

Tips:

• Best way to nuts to children who do not eat nuts
• Baking time may vary from oven to oven

Aam Panna - Perfect Drink for Summers

I had one raw mango left out of the Mango Pickle I usually make. I thought of making Aam Panna which a good coolent to beat this summer..

Ingredients:

Raw Mango - 1 medium sized
Sugar - 3 to 4 tbsp
Roasted Cumin Powder - 1 tsp
Roasted Carom Powder (Ajwain) - 1 tsp
Black Salt (Kaala Namak) - 1 tsp
Black Pepper Powder - 1 tsp


Method:

1. Roast the raw mango directly on gas flame till the skin turns black
2. Allow it to cool & peel the skin & scoop out the pulp in a mixer jar
3. Add sugar, roasted cumin powder, roasted carom powder, black salt and black pepper. Blend well
4. Add Chilled water & adjust sugar based upon the sourness of Mango
5. Serve Chilled

Tips:

• You can add mint leaves to add on the flavour
• If the pulp is not being scooped, you can grate the mango once the skin is removed

 

Paneer Fajita - My take

Hi.. I made fajitas today... it is my take on flavours & method of preparing it.. It has few prelimnary steps to before assembling the fajita. Fajita originated from Mexico.. It is basically a wrap with sauce & veggies..

Ingredients:

For Sauce:
Tomatoes - 2 (blanched)
Dried Basil - 1 tsp
Salt to taste
Tomato Ketchup - 2 tsp
Black Pepper Powder - 1/2 tsp
Butter - 1 tsp

For Filling:
Onion - 1 medium sized diced
Paneer - 100 gms diced
Carrot - 1 medium sized diced
Capsicum - 1 medium sized diced
Garlic - 2 cloves minced
Olive Oil - 2 tsp
Red Paprika - 1 tsp
Turmerice Powder - 1/2 tsp
Black Pepper Powder - 1/2 tsp
Salt to taste
Dried Basil - 1 tsp
Dried Oregano - 1 tsp
Cheese - 1 cup Grated

For Fajita Dough:
Flour (Maida) - 1 cup
Wheat Flour - 1 cup
Salt to taste
Black Pepper Powder - 1/2 tsp
Olive Oil - 1 tsp

Method:

1. For Fajita Dough, Knead all ingredients under "For Fajita Dough" and keep aside to rest
2. For Sauce, Grind all ingredients under "For Sauce" except for Butter. Heat butter in a kadai, Add the ingredients & boil for 2 minutes and remove to cool
3. For Filling, heat oil in a wok, add garlic, onion, saute for 2 mins, add carrots, capsicum & paneer. Add all spices & cook for 2 to 3 mins.. (Let the veggies have a cruch!)
4. Make 6 inch diameter Chappatis of the Fajita Dough & cook it on low flame in a Tawa
5. For Assembling, Take the chappati, apply the sauce, arrange the filling along the diameter & generously add grated cheese.
6. Wrap the Chappati, Brush butter on folded side of Fajita, place it on the sandwich maker or tawa, Carefully turn to other side & apply butter .
7. Cook till cheese melts and Chappati turns light brown in color.
8. Serve Hot

Tip:

• You can any veggies like baby corn, zucchini, corn kernels, yellow squash or colored bell peppers
• You use Mozzarella cheese
• It is a single meal that gives you all food nutrients

 

Cheesy Corn Balls

Hi... Today I made Cheesy Corn balls... It was very tasty.. & my family loved it...

Ingredients:

Butter - 2 tbsp
Flour (Maida) - 2 tbsp
Milk - 1/2 cup
Sweet Corn kernels - 1/2 cup (boiled)
Green Chillies - 1 (finely chopped)
Green Coriander - 1 small bunch (finely chopped)
Processed Cheese - 2 cubes (grated) (I used Amul Cheese)
Pepper Powder - 2 tsp
Salt to taste
Chaat Masala - a generous pinch
Oil for deep frying

For Coating:
Flour (Maida) - 1 tbsp
Water - 1.5 tbsp
Bread Crumbs - 1 cup


Method:

1. Heat butter in a Kadai, add flour and roast till it changes color lightly.
2. Add Milk and whisk it without any lumps.
3. Let the sauce boil till it becomes very thick.
4. Add corn kernels, green chillies, coriander, and cheese
5. Turn off the heat and season with salt, pepper and chaat masala
6. Let the mix cool, it will come to a ball consistency (you can shape to a ball)
7. Mix flour & water for coating & spread the bread crumbs on a plate
8. Coat the balls made out of the cheese & corn mix with flour-water & then dust with bread crumbs
9. Deep fry these balls one by one. Each will not take more than 10 to 20 secs. Serve Hot.

Tips:

• It tastes best with Del Monte Chilli Garlic sauce
• You can make your bread crumbs by grinding 2 to 3 slices in a mixer for 30 secs
• It is loved among the kids

 

Paneer Tikka - Easy Method

Hi... I was in a hurry to pack my bags to chennai for a week long vacation... clearing out things from my refridgerator.. there I saw a big block of paneer in my quick chill.. So I thought of making paneer tikka for that day's lunch...

Ingredients:

Paneer - 250 gms (cut into 1.5 inch square pieces)
Onion - 1 medium sized cut into squares like paneer
Capsicum - 1 medium sized cut into squares like paneer
Oil - 2 tbsp

To Marinate:

Hung Curd - 1 cup
Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
Red Chilli powder - 1 tsp
Kasuri Methi - 1 tsp (crushed)
Dhania powder - 1 tsp
Garam Masala - 1 tsp
Chaat Masala - 1/2 tsp
Salt to taste

Method:

1. Mix all ingredients from "To Marinate" and add paneer, onion & capsicum pieces
2. Leave it for 2 to 3 hrs
3. Pre-heat oven for 10 mins at 200 degrees
4. Arrange the pieces (paneer, onion & capsicum) on a aluminium foil on baking tray
5. Drizzle oil on all pieces
6. Roast it for 30 to 35 mins at 200 degrees

Tips:

• For those who do not have OTG, you can use tawa on gas stove to roast the paneer, onion, capsicum pieces with oil. Then, use tongs to pick each piece & roast it directly on fire of gas to give it a tandoori taste..
• Sprinkle chaat masala for that extra zing
• You can use baby potatoes as well

 

Oven Roasted Okra - Bhendi Fry

Hi.. How many times it has been that there was no Gas to cook.. Oven is the best solution for that.. I made this Oven Roasted Okra - Bhendi Fry.. It came out as good as cooking on gas.. This was very easy to make in 3 steps

Ingrediets:

Okra(Bhendi) - 250 gms (cut into long slits)
Oil - 2 tbsp
Salt taste
Turmeric Powder - 1 tsp
Jeera Powder - 1 tsp
Red Chilli Powder - 1 tsp
Dhania Powder - 1 tsp
Chaat Masala - 1/2 tsp
Fresh Lemon Juice - 1/2

Method:

1. Pre heat Oven at 180 degrees. Mix all the ingrediets in a big bowl except Lemon Juice
2. Spread the Mixed okra on Oven tray with an Aluminium Foil
3. Cook it for 40 mins in Oven. Add Lemon Juice to roasted Okra & Serve

Tips:

• It can be served as Starter as well as a Main Course to go with Rice or Roti.
• Cooking time might be long but you can do other work while Okra is getting roasted.