Kathal Kofta.. (Jack-Fruit Dumplings In a Tangy Yoghurt Curry)

Kathal Kofta.. I had heard of this curry before but never eaten in my life before marriage and blogging.. When I had gone to visit my In-Laws place, there I had this curry and I was not knowing till they told me, that curry was made out of jack-fruit. I thought that is mutton kheem, because it was not at all looking like jack- fruit and it was tasting like mutton only. When I asked my elder co-sis then she told me that curry was not mutton kofta curry it was jack-fruit kofta curry. I was shocked and I had no words to say, then I told my MIL to bring again jack-fruit tomorrow so that even I can learn to make this curry.

From then I have cooked this curry in many other version and my H loves it... Actually there in my In-Law's house they only cook one type of green curry, some how I don't like that curry much so only I keep trying other recipes too... This recipe is the best so far, it has got a tangy taste of yoghurt and lovely reddish color...

Ingredient's For Kofta.

250 grams jack-fruit (peeled and chopped in chunks)

A pinch asafoetida

1/2tsp ginger garlic paste

1/2tsp garam masala powder

3tbsp besan (ground bengal gram)

1/4tsp red chili powder

1/4tsp salt

Oil for frying.

Ingredinet's For Gravy.

2 medium onions (grated)

1 medium tomato (grated or finely chopped)

1 tsp ginger garlic paste

1/2 cup beaten yoghurt

1/2 tsp red chili powder, 1/4 tsp turmeric powder, 1 tsp coriander powder

1/2 tsp garam masala powder

1½ - 2 tbsp oil

1 pinch asafoetida 

1/2tsp cumin seeds

Salt to taste

2 cups water

2 tsp fresh chopped coriander (for garnish).

Cooking Method For Koftas:

Boil the jack-fruit with a asafoetida till it is tender. ( pressure cooked them till one whistle escaped)

Smack them by using fork or hands. Add the besan along with the rest of the kofta ingredients to the jack-fruit, gently mix everything together. Make balls and keep them aside on a greased plate.

Heat oil and fry kofta balls in batches on a medium low heat till golden brown. Remove on a kitchen towel and keep aside.

Cooking Method For Gravy:

Heat the oil and add asafoetida and cumin seeds. Once they crackle, add the onions and on medium heat fry till they turn goldenish brown.

Add 2-3 tbsp of water and add the ginger garlic paste. Fry till the masala becomes aromatic and brownish again.

Add the tomato and rest of the gravy ingredients. Fry them on low heat till the oil separates.

Add water and let the masala come to a boil. Add koftas and cook further for 3-5 minutes on medium low heat. Then add beaten yoghurt and swtich off the flame.

Garnish with chopped fresh coriander and Serve hot with chapatti or rice.

Lemon Zest And Vanilla Muffins..

Lemon Zest And Vanilla Muffins...I baked this muffins on Monday just to get my hands on oven, because I have been always using OTG not oven and I was very scared to try also it took me a long time to start baking here... I have baked this muffins many times but I have not got the result as this muffins gave me, evenly raise and perfect colour. Now I know why people prefer Oven then OTG. I have made myself very clear once I go back to India (i don't know when will that happen) I'm going to buy a oven first... I started enjoying my baking again and very happy with results...

Yeilds: 8 to 9 medium Muffins

Preparation time: 10minutes

Baking time: 20 minutes.

Ingredient's.

1/2+1/4 cup all purpose flour

1/4 cup butter

1/3cup sugar 

1tsp vanilla essence

1tsp baking powder

1/3 cup milk

1tsp lemon zest

1egg.

Baking Method.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Line your cupcake tin with liners and set aside.

In a small bowl, mix together the flour, lemon zest and baking powder, set aside. 

In a mixing bowl, cream together the sugar and butter. Add the eggs, vanilla and cream together until you get a smooth mixture.

Add the dry ingredients and with the speed on low mix together and slowly add the milk and just mix everything to combine. DO NOT OVERMIX! Make sure you give everything a good stir with a spatula from the bottom to incorporate any bit that wasn't mixed.

Scoop the batter into your lined cupcake tin, make sure it's only filled ¾ of the way up because they will rise. Bake for 20 minutes and let cool for sometime.

Lemon Curd Rice..

Lemon Curd Rice... Usually I cook curd rice for my H lunch box and keep little for me to for my lunch.. When I cooked this time, I did not keep it for me thinking that will cook something else later.. But I ended up cooking curd rice again, with a touch of lemon. It was just a experiment and I never thought this will taste very good. I had keep little lemon curd rice for my H too and after eating he said next time you make this curd rice only, it taste much like a lemon rice with curd... If you like adding more lemon and less curd go head and cook. I'm sure it will taste awesome..

Ingredient's

1cup cooked rice

1 1/2cup curd

1 onion, 2 green chilli (finely chopped)

1tbsp lemon juice

2tbsp chopped coriander leaves

Salt to taste.

For tempering

1/2tsp mustard seeds

2 red dry chilli

8 to 10 curry leaves

1/4tsp channa dal

1/4tsp urad dal

2tsp oil.

Cooking Method

In a large mixing bowl, add all the above ingredients (except tempering ingredients) and mix them nicely and set it aside.

In a tempering pan, add oil, when the oil is hot, add channa dal and urad dal, when they start turning golden, add mustard, red chilli and curry leaves, fry for 2 to 3sec. Then mix it with curd rice mixture nicely...

Serve with Pickle and Papad...

Channa Dal And Garlic Paratha.. (Indian Flat-Bread)

Channa Dal And Garlic Paratha... This paratha is very close to my heart, not because this is garlic mixed paratha but there is a very big story behind this. I don't think so i have so much of patience to sit and Wright everything. I don't know some how after coming to UK i don't have enough ideas what to cook in breakfast. I will be keep eating my hubby's head to tell me what to cook in tomorrow's breakfast and he only replies. You don't take so much of tension I will just eating cornflakes or bread and butter or bread and omelette. Even I feel it is good for him only as he has to leave home at 6:45am. So even I stop my self by experimenting.... But on weekends i try a lots of recipes and never feel like taking pictures and posting, because as soon as the food is cooked I start feeling hungry...

It had been a long time I had cooked this paratha and there was a soaked channa dal already in my fridge. That was the main reason to cook this paratha for yesterday's breakfast...

Serves: 2 people

Makes: 6 Paratha

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 10 to 15minutes.

Ingredient's

1cup wheat flour

1/2cup soaked channa dal

2 garlic cloves

2 green chilies

Salt to taste

Oil as per requirement.

Cooking Method

In a mixer jar, add soaked channa dal, garlic, green chillies and salt. grind it to a smooth paste (don't add any water while grinding)

In a large mixing bowl, add wheat flour and grounded paste and knead a soft dough, by adding little water if requires. Then keep the dough aside for 2 to 3 minutes.

Then divide dough into 6 lemon sized balls and and roll out an a flat surface like a paratha. Sprinkle dry flour when making parathas.

Heat a flat frying pan or tava. Reduce heat to medium and cook parathas till golden brown, on both the sides. Apply oil on both sides.

Serve hot with Tea or Pickle and Curd.

Instant Almond Chocolate..

Instant Almond Chocolate!!! After getting a new laptop my life has again become so easy, I can't forget those 3days without laptop how i survived :) Though I din't get all my data back but still what ever I got i'm happy with it. To celebrate my happiness i made this almond chocolate at home.. This picture i had taken in India so only i din't bother to take a new picture again...

Coming back to the recipe, this is a easy to make chocolate at home of your choice and shape.. All you have to do is just melt chocolate with some almonds and put it into a mould of your choice and refrigerate for 2 to 3hours and delicious chocolate is ready to eat...

Ingredient's

250 gram chocolate (of your choice)

50gram finely chopped Almonds

2tbsp unsalted butter.

Method.

Take the chocolate bar and chop it finely, set it aside.

In a non-stick pan add butter, melt the butter on a very slow flame, when the butter is melted. Then add chopped chocolate and almonds and wait till the chocolate is melted completely. (You can even melt the chocolate in a double boiler also)

Then allow the chocolate to come to room temperature and pour the chocolate mixture to moulds and refrigerate for 2 to 3 hours..

Delicious chocolate is ready. Store them in a airtight container and Enjoy..