Paneer Pakoda

Paneer pakora or cheese pakora is a true rainy day comforter. Since its monsoon time in India, pakoras with hot cup of tea makes for a treat. It’s not that every day we eat deep fried goodies but its okay once in a while.

Ingrediants:

250 grams paneer (cottage cheese)

1 1/2 cups besan (gram flour)

Salt to taste

1/2 tsp red chilli powder

1-2 green chillies- chopped

1 cup water

2 tsp oil

Oil to deep fry

1 tsp chaat masala

Method:

1. Cut paneer into thick cubes. Sprinkle chaat masala on them and keep aside.

2. Mix rest of the ingredients in a bowl except water and oil to deep fry. Slowly add water to this, stirring, so that no lumps are formed. Adjust the quantity of water to get thick pouring consistency. Beat this batter in a blender so that air is incorporated and pakoras turn out fluffy. You can also beat with a big spoon or using a hand blender. Set aside the batter for 15-20 minutes.

3. Heat oil in a heavy bottomed vessel (kadhai). You can find out if the oil is sufficiently hot by dropping a small portion of the batter in the oil. If it sizzles and comes to the surface, your oil is hot enough. Turn the heat to medium.

4. Dip the paneer cubes in the batter and drop gently in the oil. Deep fry pakodas from both sides till golden brown.

5. Drain on an absorbent paper towel by using a slotted spoon (pauni/ chhari). Serve hot with tomato sauce or coriander chutney.

Quick Bhelpuri

You can munch on this bhel puri as an evening snack or anytime when hunger pangs hit without bothering about your waist line. This is a low calorie healthy snack. If you have ready made bhel puri chutney like that made by Smith and Jones, available at a nearby store, then this bhel can be made in a jiffy.

Ingrediants:


2 cups murmura (kurmura/ mamra/ puffed rice)

1 small potato- boiled, peeled and cubed

1 small tomato- chopped

1 small onion- chopped

2 green chillies- chopped

1 tbsp peanuts (moongphali)

1/2 tsp chaat masala

1/2 tsp salt or to taste

3 tbsp meethi chutney (see the recipe below)

2 tbsp green chutney

Method:

1. Dry roast the peanuts in a heavy bottomed vessel (karahi). Take them out and in the same karahi, dry roast the murmura on medium heat stirring continuously till they begin to change color.

2. In a large bowl, mix all the above ingredients and serve immediately.

Oots Upma

Vegetable oats upma is not the tastiest of dishes but we eat it on a regular basis keeping in mind its health benefits. Also it is very quick and easy to make, packed with goodness. This is an almost instant food without compromising on health.
Healthy Bytes- oatmeal is a rich source of dietary fiber, both soluble and insoluble. Oats are proven to be effective in lowering blood cholesterol. Whole oats also reduce high blood pressure. Fiber in oats helps in regular bowel movement. Oatmeal also helps with weight loss.

Ingrediants:

1 cup oats

Mixed chopped vegetables like carrot, green beans, potato, peas, cauliflower

1 onion- chopped

1 inch piece ginger- grated or chopped

2 green chillies- slit lengthwise

1/2 tsp mustard seeds (kali sarson)

Salt to taste

2 tsp peanuts

2 tsp cashew nuts- broken

1 tsp chana dal (split Bengal gram)

1 tsp urad dal (skinless split black gram)

4-5 curry leaves

1 1/2 cups water

1 1/2 tblsp oil

Method:

1. Take a non- stick pan and dry roast the oats till they leave their whitishness and turn brown. Take them out of the pan.

2. Heat oil in the same pan after wiping off with a dry cloth. Add mustard seeds. When they splutter, add chana dal and roast for 1/2 a minute. Add urad dal, peanuts and cashew nuts. Roast till they become light brown.

3. Add onion, green chillies, ginger and curry leaves. Sauté for a minute.

4. Add vegetables, water and salt. Cook covered till vegetables are tender.

5. Add oats and mix well. Lower heat and cook for about 3-4 minutes, covered. Turn off heat and let it stand for 3-4 minutes.

Aloo Palak (Potato and Spinach)

Ingredients:
3/4 kg spinach-washed and chopped fine
2 potatoes-boiled, peeled and chopped
2 tbsp clarified butter (ghee)
1 tsp cumin seeds
1/4 tsp powdered methi dana (fenugreek seeds)
2-3 whole red chillies
1 tbsp thinly sliced ginger
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar(Optional)

Method: Heat the clarified butter in a heavy-based stainless steel broad pan and add cumin, whole red chillies and the methi. When they begin to darken, add the ginger and saut� till light brown.

Keeping the heat on high, add the chopped spinach and potato, salt and sugar and mix well.

Continue to cook over high heat till the spinach is tender and excess water has dried.

Onion Kulcha

Ingredients:

5 cups whole wheat flour
For the stuffing
3 onions chopped
2 tbsp green chillies
2 tbsp coriander leaves
1 tsp mint leaves
2 tsp ginger-chopped
1 tsp carrum seeds(ajwain)
1 tsp red chillie powder
1 tsp coarsely ground pomegranate seeds
salt to taste

Method: Prepare dough with flour and water (the dough has to be a little hard). Allow to rest for an hour.

Divide the dough into four equal parts and make round balls using dry flour.

To prepare the stuffing, use chopped onions, green chillies, coriander and mint leaves. Add seasoning and carum seeds.

Stuff each ball of dough with a portion of the filling in the middle. Fold the filled balls of dough and pinch the edges to seal the dough.

Roll out the kulcha with a rolling pin. Place the kulcha on a plate and put it in microwave to grill 10 minutes on both sides.

Chatpata Aloo chat

Ingrediants:

6 slices White bread
4 nos.potato
4 nos.Green chillies(slit)
1 piece ginger(small)
1 tsp.Red chilli powder
1 tsp.turmeric powder
1 tbsp.all spice powder
salt to taste
½ bunch coriander powder

For garnishing: Tomato Ketchup Curd Chaat Masala
Method:

1. Boil potatoes in pressure cooker. Keep them aside.
2. In a bowl take some water, add bread and also the boiled potatoes. Mash properly till mixed thoroughly.
3. Add the chopped ginger, chillies, chilli powder, coriander leaves and turmeric powder. Add the mixture thoroughly.
4. Make medium sized balls with you hands and deep fry it in the oil.
5. Then decorate the balls with curd, add some tomato ketchup and chaat masala.
6. Lip smacking aloo chaat is ready.

Mexican Rice

Ingrediants:

• 1½ cup Long grain rice (cooked)
• 1/4 cup Rajma (cooked)
• 1 clove of Garlic, crushed
• 1 Clove
• 2 Onions (finely chopped)
• Cabbage, finely sliced :
• 1 cup Capsicum (finely sliced)
• 1 Carrot (grated)
• 1 Tomato (finely sliced)
• 2 tsp Soya sauce
• ½ tsp Vinegar
• 1 tsp Red chilli powder
• Salt to taste
  

Method:

1. Heat oil in a flat frying pan,and add onion, garlic and clove.
2. Stir fry until the onions are light brown
3. Add capsicum,carrots and cabbage. Stir fry for 2-3 mins.
4. Now add rajma and tomato pieces, and cook on a low flame.
5. Add soya sauce,vinegar, chilli powder and salt. Mix well.
6. Finally add the cooked rice and stir well. Serve hot.
7. You can also add more varieties of vegetables as a variation
   

Chicken kabab

Ingrediants:
3 lbs/1.5 kg Chicken(boneless small cubes)
¼ cup vegetable oil
2 tbsps. onion(crushed)
2 tsps.ginger garlic paste
1 tsp. papaya(crushed)
2 tsps.poppy seeds
1 tsp.salt
5 nos.almonds(ground)
½ cup beaten curd
1 tsp.all spice powder
Method:

1. Marinate chicken with all above masala for two hours.
2. Heat oil on tawa and spread chicken cubes on the tawa, sprinkle a little water on it, cover and cook when water dries and oil comes on top.
3. Remove from flame. Place a piece of onion on top of kabab.
4. Burn a piece of charcoal to red and place on top of onion. Cover it for a minute to smoke the kabab.
5. Serve with Nan or Paratha.

Shami kabab

Ingrediants:

• 1/2 kg mutton(without bones)
• 2 medium onions
• 1/2 bowl channa dal
• 3 tbsps corriander leaves
• 2 tbsps mint leaves
• salt
• 2 tbsps green chillies (finely chopped)
• 1 Egg
• 1 1/2 tbsps ginger,garlic paste
• 1 meduim potato
• Oil for deep frying
• 1 1/2 tbsps garam masala powder

Method:

1. Make sure that the meat is completely boneless. If there are some bones, removing them will be easier after cooking.
   
2. Cook meat with salt, onions cut into 4 pieces, channa dal, peeled potato, and 1 cup water.
3. Boil covering half with a lid, till all the water dries up.
4. Let it cool
5. Mince this meat in mincer twice to get soft mixture.
6. Add corriander leaves, mint leaves, ginger, garlic paste, chillies, eggs, and garam masala powder, mix well. You can add lemon if you want
7. Take a small portion of this mixture and roll into long kababs.
8. Deep fry kababs on high heat.
9. Serve hot with coconut chutney, or red chilly chutney.

Mutton Kabab

Ingrediants:

• 1 lb Lamb meat (boneless - chopped into 1/2 inch cubes)
• 1/2 tsp ginger paste
• 4 tbsp oil
• 1 medium onion
• 2 to 3 green chilies
• 1/2 garlic paste
• 4 Almonds
• 4 tsp plain yogurt
  
• 3 tbsp water
• A few leaves of coriander (finely chopped)
• Salt to taste

Method:

1. First of all grind the almonds and green chillies and mix them with the garlic paste, ginger paste and salt. Now add this mixture to the yoghurt and stir it throughly. Put cubes of meat in a bowl and mixed yoghurt over it. Leave it for 1 hour to marinate.
2. Then pour oil on a tawa or frying pan and spread marinated meat over it. Cut the onions and layer it over the meat. Add 3 tablespoon of water and cover the pan. Leave it to cook for fifteen minutes on a low heat.
   
3. Take the lid off and stir the meat, put back the lid and cook for more 10 minutes. If the meat is golden brown and oil starts to come out, its ready to be served, otherwise cook for further 5 minutes or till you feel the meat is tender.
4. Serve with coriander chutney or ketchup
5. Serves 4