Kesar Shrikhand. (Low Calorie Yogurt Dessert)

Kesar Shrikhand is healthy Indian dessert made from strained curd. This is a low calorie, rich and creamy yogurt. Shrikhand is generally flavoured with saffron, cardamom and dry fruits even it is served with fresh fruits or as a standalone dessert... I was not knowing what is shrikhand and how it taste, I had heard about it but never tasted before I meet my H, I still remember that day when he had got a pack of Haldiram's shrikhand and I told him that why did you get such a expensive curd, you should have just bought a pack of curd which will not cost more then 10rs. He look at me and said you don't know what is this? and I told him yes ofcourse I know this some weird color curd. He started laughing and said this is shrikhand my dear and I can't belive you have still not tasted this and my reaction was ohhh this is shrikhand from then I know what is shrikhand and how it taste like..

I made this dessert last week and it tasted better then the store bought and I did not get the perfect color of saffron while I was taking pictures and I did take the pictures soon just because I knew that it will be over and I was not sure when I will make this dessert again.. After 2 hours I had got the perfect saffron color and it was looking beautiful... Do try this wonderful low fat dessert and serve as you like...

Ingredient's.

2 cups yogurt

1/2 cup powdered sugar (add more if you like)

10 to 15 saffron strands

3tbsp finely chopped dry fruits (pistachio, almond, raisin and cashew)

2tsp milk

Pinch of cardamom powder.

Method.

Spread clean muslin cloth on a big plate. Place yogurt in the center. Wrap and tightly tie muslin cloth.

Hang yogurt for 2 to 3 hours or until all water is drained off from yogurt. It should become very thick.

After that untie muslin cloth and transfer thick strained yogurt to bowl.

Add sugar and cardamom powder and mix well until smooth.

Dissolve saffron in milk and add it to the yogurt mixture and mix well. Then refrigerate for at least 1 to 2 hour before serving.

Garnish it with dry fruits nuts and serve chilled.

Fried Egg And Potato Curry.. (Aaloo Aur Anday Ki Sabji)

Fried Egg And Potato Curry.. This is a authentic North Indian curry, which goes very well with Plain or Jeera Rice. This is very often cooked in my In-Laws place in a little different way, even I follow the same steps but with my own touch and little variation... I prefer this curry as rich and spicy but this days I'm not eating that spicy food so I cooked with less oil and less spicy. I have already posts of Egg curry, which is almost a same procedure, you can change or add ingredients according to your taste...

Ingredient's.

4 hard boiled eggs

2 potato (cut into big chunks)

2 medium size onion, 2 green chilly, 2 medium size tomato (finely chopped)

1/2tsp turmeric, 1tsp coriander powder, 1tsp red chilly powder, 1tsp garam masala

1tbsp ginger garlic paste

1/2tsp cumin seeds

1 green cardamom, 1 clove, 1 cinnamon stick

2 bay leaves

2 dry red chillies

3tbsp oil + 2tbsp for frying eggs and potato

Salt as per taste.

Cooking Method

In a non-stick pan, add 2tbsp oil and fry the eggs and potato to golden brown and keep it aside.

In a pressure cooker add oil, cumin, bay leaves, dry red chillies, cardamom, cloves and cinnemon, when they splutter, add onion and chilly fry till it become’s golden brown, add all the masala powder and ½ cup water fry till it starts leaving oil, add tomato and cook till all the masala has come together, that will take about 5 to 6 minutes.

Then add fried eggs, potato, salt and mix. Add another 2cup of water, cover the lid and cook for 3 whistle (1 in high flame and 2 in low flame).

Garnish with coriander leafs

Serve with Ghee Rice, Plain Rice or Jeera Rice and Roti.

Salli Murgh. (Parsi Chicken Curry)

Salli Murgh. Spicy Parsi Chicken Curry. This is basically yoghurt base chicken curry and served with fine fried potatoes straws, but this time I have tried with little thicker fried potatoes and saved the thin potato straws recipe for the later... I got this recipe from Vahchef on youtube and it was so easy to cook and the way he was eating my mouth started watering. Without wasting a minutes I cooked this curry and my hubby also loved it. When my hubby finishes his full potion of non-veg dish what I have served him, that means it is worth trying new dishes in non-veg... It is always a good idea to serve different dishes to our loved ones...

Ingredient's.

1/2kg chicken (cut into medium pieces)

1 large onion (finely chopped)

2 whole green chillies

1 cup yoghurt

1tsp red chilly powder, 1/2tsp turmeric

1tsp coriander powder, 1tsp chicken masala

1tsp ginger garlic paste

1/4tsp cumin seeds

1 green cardamom, 2 cloves, 1 cinnamon stick

2 bay leaves

Salt to taste

3tbsp oil.

Ingredient's for Potato Straws.

1 large Potato (peel and cut into thin or thick straws)

Oil for deep frying

Pinch of salt.

Cooking Method.

In a deep frying pan add the oil and deep fry the potato to lite golden brown and set it aside for later use.

In the same frying pan leave 3tbsp of oil and take the rest. When the oil is hot, add cumin, bay leaves, cardamom, cloves and cinnamon, when they start crackling, add chopped onion, whole green chilli and fry to golden brown, add ginger garlic paste, chicken and salt, fry the chicken for 2 to 3 minutes.

In a small mixing bowl add yoghurt, red chilli, turmeric, coriander and chicken masala and blend the nicely. then add into the chicken and give a good mix and cook on a medium flame for another 20 to 25 minutes.

Take out in a serving bowl and garnish with fried potatoes straws.

Serve hot with Roti, Nan or even with Rice.

Aval Payasam.. (Jaggery And Poha Kheer)

Aval Payasam. Last week I saw many blogger's cooking this sweet for the Ganesh Chaturthi, even I thought why not try this Aval Payasam for the Ganesh festival.. I had cooked this on Ganesh festival but din't get the time to post it on the same day... I usually cook this payasam using sugar or just add poha and sugar in warm milk and eat. Actually for me eating sweet is bite difficult but this sweet was so tasty with jaggery I really enjoyed eating it :)

Ingredient's.

1cup poha (beaten rice)

1/2cup jaggery

3tsp ghee

2cup milk

1cup water

A pinch of cardamom powder

1/4cup mix dry fruits.

Cooking Method.

Heat ghee in a pan and add dry fruits, fry till golden brown. Keep aside. Fry poha in the remaining ghee by keep stirring regularly for 2-3 minutes. Once they turn light brown turn off the flame. In a other vessel fill 1 cup of water along with jaggery, cook on low flame for few minutes.

Strain the jaggery syrup to remove any dirt or waste particles. In the same syrup add roasted poha and put it on low flame. Add milk into it and keep stirring in between to avoid getting it burnt from the bottom.

After 8 to 10 minutes add cardamom powder, fried dry fruits and mix well. Turn off the heat when you get right consistency.

Serve warm or cold.

Kasuri Meethi Chicken Curry..(Dired Fenugreek Leaves Chicken Curry. Pressure Cooker Version)

Kasuri Meethi Chicken Curry!!! I have taken this picture almost a year back and never post it.. When ever I plan to post this but some how I use to end up posting some other recipe. As I'm fully prepared to clear all my draft, so this was the first recipe to come up on my blog.. 

Kasuri Meethi has lots of medicinal value and I'm not very good at explaining but I know it is very good for health and I always make a point to add few leaves in my veg or non-veg dishes.. I really love the taste of kasuri meethi. This chicken curry is often asked to cook in my family and I'm sure once you people get the taste of it you can't stop yourself cooking this atleast twice a month..

Ingredient's.

1/2kg chicken (cut into medium size pieces)

2 medium onion, 1 large tomato (finely chopped)

2tsp ginger garlic paste

1tsp red chili powder, 1/2tsp turmeric, 1tsp coriander powder

2tsp chicken masala

2tsp kasuri Meethi (dried fenugreek leaves)

1/2tsp cumin seeds

2 bay leaves

3tbsp Oil

Salt to taste.

Ingredient's To Grind.

3 green chilli

1 black cardamom, 2 cloves, 1 cinnamon stick

1 green cardamom, 1 star anise

Handful of chopped coriander leaves.

Cooking Method.

In a mixer jar, add all the grinding ingredients and make a smooth paste by adding little water and set it aside.

In a pressure cooker, add oil, when oil is hot, add cumin and bay leaves, when they crackle. Add onion and fry to golden brown. Add the grounded paste along with red chili powder, turmeric, coriander powder, chicken masala and ginger garlic paste. and fry till the raw smell goes.. Add the tomato and fry till the oil start separating.(keep smashing the tomato in between)

Then add chicken, kasuri meethi, salt and 1 to 2cup of water and close the pressure cooker and cook for 2 whistle on a medium low heat.. Allow the pressure to escape before opening the cooker.

Garnish with some more fresh coriander leaves.

Serve hot with Rice or Roti..

Mutter Paneer Makhanwala (Buttery Greenpeas With Cottage Cheese Gravy)

Mutter Paneer Makhanwala!!! I have eaten this curry once in Delhi and it was very yummy and buttery and after that i never got a change to eat again out side. So only i thought of trying it at home with less butter... Usually everybody cooks mutter paneer very often but some how in my family we are not that much fan of paneer.. I cook mutter paneer in some occasions only and this time i tried with only butter to give a buttery taste and different to. I tried to use very less butter as possible but you all know if you have to make something tasty you have to use right amount of ingredients.. This curry is one of those curry, once you start cooking you will never forget to cook in any occasions or parties...

 

 

Ingredients:
250gm paneer cubed
100gm green peas
1small cardamom, 2 cloves, 1small cinnamon stick
2 large onions, 3 medium tomatoes, 2 green chillies
1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
1tsp red chili powder,1tsp coriander powder
2tsp garam masala, 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
6 tsp Butter
1 1/2 cups water
Salt to taste
Coriander leaves chopped fine to garnish.

 

 

 

Cooking Method
Grind onions and green chili into a fine paste. Keep aside. Next grind tomatoes into fine paste and keep aside.
Heat 2tsp of butter in a pan and gently stir-fry the cubes of paneer till lite golden. Remove onto a paper towel and keep aside.
In the same vessel heat 3tsp of butter and add the cinnamon, cloves, cardamom and onion paste. Fry till it turns light brown. Add tomato paste, ginger and garlic paste and fry for another 2minutes. Add the red chilli, coriander, turmeric and garam masala powders, stirring continuously till the oil begins to separate from the masala.
Add the peas to the masala and fry for 2-3 minutes. Then add the paneer, water and salt, reduce flame to a simmer and cook till the gravy thickens.
Garnish with coriander leaves and left over butter and serve.
Mutter paneer Makhanwala tastes great with parathas, naans and even jeera rice.

 

 

Qubani Ka Meetha (Stewed Apricot Dessert) SNC Challenge For The Month Of May2013

Qubani Ka Meetha. Though I'm from south india but never heard of this sweet before. One more thing just want to add I don't like apricot at all. When i saw my email this was the challenge for this month, for some time i thought i will skip this month challenge. But my hubby told me without trying how can you give up and it was a real challenge for me to cook this sweet. I asked my hubby will you eat this if i cook and he replied "You are asking me will i eat sweet". Then suddenly i realize OMG, he can eat sweet in any form and i should not be worrying so much to cook this... Belive me my whole flat was smelling of this sweet only while cooking and i did not like the smell, but my hubby was really enjoying. I serve with vanilla ice cream and it turn out to be the hit in my family. It was tasting so good even i was tempted to have one bite.... All thanks to Roha from Hyderabadi Cuisine for hosting this month challenge and give me opportunity to try out some thing new and yummy..

 

 

This is the wonderful thing in SNC group, where you get to try every month new new varieties. Thank you Divya Pramil for stating this group and making every one proud to be a part of this group.

 

 

 

Ingredients
½ Cup Dried Apricots
3 tbsp Sugar- As per taste
2 Crushed Green Cardamom( Elaichi)
1 tsp Lemon juice.

 

 

For Garnishing
Apricot kernels
Slice of roasted and blanched Almonds and Pistachios
½ Cup vanilla ice Cream.

 

 

Cooking Method
In a deep bowl wash and add dried Apricots cover with water and soak overnight.
Once the apricots is moist and swollen, remove apricots with a slotted spoon and then drain the apricots from the soaking liquid water aside.(The soaking syrup is used for preparing the meetha)
Then de-seed and keep aside.
Do not throw away the Apricot seed/pit crack the seed remove the (Apricot Kernels) for garnishing
In a non-stick saucepan at a medium heat, Add soaking liquid and plump apricots.
Allow to boil for 10- 15 minutes.

Add sugar and stir until it has completely dissolves. At a low heat add few drops of lemon juice to prevent caramelisation , add the crush cardamom.
Stir often to prevent burning, if required, sprinkle little water or milk to prevent from burning.
Meanwhile crack the seed with a nutcracker to extract the nuts and blanch nuts in boiling water for 1 minute and remove the skin and keep aside.
Then mash apricots with spoon occasionally, Do not cook on a high heat, stir occasionally until apricots are soft and pulpy and mushy if needed add water or milk. Remove from the heat when it reaches the desired thick consistency or into thick Compote.
Allow Qubani to cool.
Garnish with apricot kernels, Almonds and Pistachios and with ice cream.
Serve warm or cool and Enjoy..

 

Paal Kolukattai.. Rice Dumpling In Sweet Coconut Sauce

Everyone is aware of this wonderful event running by Divya Pramil of You too can cook Indian Food . If not please click the link here to join. I'm very happy and excited to participate in this challenge. I would like to thanks to Divya Pramil  for giving me a chance to be a part of this wonderful SNG group.

Paal Kolukatti... This name was very different and the recipe is very new to me, though i'm from south India , but i have never heard of this recipe. When i came to know this is the challenge for the month February, i was very excited to cook this and serve it to my family. They all just love it very much. Thanks to Sasi from the Tamil Kitchen for giving this wonderful challenge and delicious recipe to learn..

Ingredient's.

2 cups Rice flour

1 big sized Coconut

1 cup Sugar

1/4 tsp Cardamom powder (optional)

Salt 1/2tsp.

Cooking Method.

Shred the coconut and extract the coconut milk. Take one glass of the first thick milk and keep aside.Then extract the rest as thin.

Take the flour in a wide bowl and add required salt for the flour and use enough water to make a soft dough.(Don’t make it hard else it will be hard to roll to kollukattai . If you made it sticky you can cover it with a cotton cloth to observe excess water.)

Spread a cotton towel. Apply oil on your palm and take a small amount of dough in your hands and roll them in to kolukattais (as shown in the picture). Roll the rest as same and as small as possible in desired size, if you roll it in to big size then it may taste bland when cooked in coconut milk.

Allow the rice balls to dry in the room temperature, it will take 2 hrs ( Don’t let them dry under the fan or in sunlight as it will make the rice balls harder and will not cook easily. Just keep in room temperature for few hours)

Transfer the rice balls in to a plate. Set everything ready to make pal kolukattai.

Take a kadai and pour the thin coconut milk and allow it to boil.

Keep in medium flame and add half of the rice balls and don’t disturb them for 2 mins and slowly use a laddle.

Now add the rest of the rice balls and let it boil for another 2 mins and stir it with a laddle. 

Allow them to boil in medium flame for 7-8 mins (untill the rice balls get cooked , stir in between to avoid sticking).

Now add the sugar and a pinch of salt and allow to boil .

The sugar will dissolve and the consistency will become thin , allow to boil for another 8 mins untill you get a thick consistency, Stir in between to avoid burning .

Now pour in the thick coconut milk and give it a stir and switch of the flame.

Serve cold or warm.. I prefer warm..

Sheer Khurma. (Sevai And Milk Sweet)

Sheer Khurma. This is one of the very famous sweet dish in every muslim family's. I still remember when ever any festival comes my elder sis use to cook sevai first and then other things, and that is the first dish we all use to eat in the breakfast. I always use to fight with my sis why do you serve sweet first, as you know i don't like sweet and her reply use to be start the day with sweet so that your day is good as sweet. I have already one post of sheer khurma, that is the thick version. To make it little different from the usual one, I have added more milk and khova so that it can been serve as a cold sevai drink...

Ingredient's

1/2 thin sevai 

1/2ltr milk 

5tbsp sugar 

2tbsp khova 

1 cardamom, 1 clove

3tbsp ghee 

4 to 5 tbsp dry fruits (almond, cashew, Rinsin)

Cooking Method

In broad pan, add ghee, when the ghee is hot, add cardamom, clove and 2tbsp of dry fruits. fry them to the lite golden brown.

Add khova and fry till the khova is melted, then add milk, mix it and bring to boil 

When the milk is boiling, add sugar, low the flame and add sevai, allow them to cook for 2 to 3mintues, keep stirring in between. 

Take sevai of the stove, and add left over dry fruits and cover the lid. allow them to cool it down. 

Sreve Warm or Cold.

Chicken Dum Briyani..

Chicken Dum Briyani. I had cooked this Briyani on my 3rd year marriage anniversary. From that time i had kept this in draft but never got the right time to post it. I think now i can't make this post to wait for any more, because for me tomorrow never comes. I used to think cooking Dum briyani is difficult then the normal briyani which is cooked by mixing every things together, but it is not right. They both take same effort and same time.. Now I prefer dum briyani because it taste better then the normal briyani... I have not used deep fried onion in this recipe, i have saved it for one more recipe of dum briyani. Do try and let me know.

Ingredients.

1/2 kg Basmati rice 

Chicken 1/2 kg

Few strands for saffron 

2 big size onion, 4 tomato (finely chopped)

3 green chilly (chopped) 

4 to 5tbsp of chopped coriander and mint leafs

2tbsp Ginger, garlic paste

2tbsp red chilly powder, 1tbsp turmeric powder 

1tbsp coriander powder, 1tbsp garam masala 

1cup curd, 2tbsp lemon juice

Salt as per taste.

For Tempering.

2 bay leafs, 1 cinnamon stick, 2 green cardamom

2 cloves, 1 big black cardamom, 2 star anise

1tbsp shah jeera 

Oil as per your requirment.

Cooking method.

Wash and soak the rice in enough water for 20 to 30 minutes. In the same time soak the saffron also in warm water. 

Heat the deep frying pan add oil, when oil is hot, add all the tempering ingredients and leave till it become's brown. 

Then add onion, ginger garlic paste fry for till the onion becomes lite golden brown, then add chicken, turmeric, and salt, fry it till the chicken starts leaving oil. 

After that add red chilli powder, coriander powder and garam masala, give a quick stir, then add tomato, curd, lemon, green chilly, and cook till the tomatos becomes soft, then add 2tbsp of mint and coriander leafs and mix it well.

Half boil the rice in a seprate pan. add water in to rice as per it required's. Then in a separate big pan add one layer of chicken and one layer of half boiled rice. Then sprinkle from top saffron water and left over mint and coriander leafs. (you can make as many as layers you like, but i have made one 2 layers). Cover the lid and cook till the rice is completely cooked in a medium flame.

Serve hot hot with (Raita)