Monday, October 20, 2014


SO ITS DIWALI TIME....EVERYBODY IS BUSY COOKING...AND TRYING TO MAKE THEIR SURROUNDINGS LOOK THE BEST. AS I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN BAKING CAKES,COOKIES,BREADS AND SAVOURIES THIS DEEPAWALI I THOUGHT OF GIVING A TWIST TO MY COOKING SKILLS.
                                        



AFTER FLIPPING OVER LOTS OF PAGES OF INDIAN SWEETS AND IGNORING THE FACT OF MAKING MALPUAS,GULAB JAMUN,KHEER,PHIRNEE,LADOOS I FINALLY DECIDED ON MAKING GULKAND FILLED KAJU ROLLS.

IF ITS DIFFICULT TO ROLL THEN MAKE KAJU BALLS WITH FILLING INSIDE.

AS IT WAS MY FIRST TRY THE COVERING OF KAJU GOT A BIT STICKY,BUT SOON MY DAD HELPED ME TO THE SOLVE THE PROBLEM AND IT TURNED OUT AMAZING. FOR ALL THE INDIAN DELICACIES MY DAD IS MY INSPIRATION!!


                                                  GULKAND FILLED KAJU ROLLS
GULKAND KAJU ROLLS


INGREDIENTS (FOR CASHEW ROLL)



  • 400 gms CASHEWS
  • 200 gms SUGAR
  • 1/2 CUP MILK
  • 2 TSP GHEE
  • GREEN FOOD COLOUR FEW DROPS
  • SAFFRON STRANDS
  • 1 TO 2 TSP OF CORNFLOUR(TO BE USED ONLY IF DOUGHT TURNS OUT TO BE STICKY)
  • 1 TO 2 TSP OF MILK POWDER
INGREDIENTS FOR THE FILLING:

  • 4 TBSP FRESH GULKAND
  • 2 TBSP CHOPPED ALMONDS
  • 1 TBSP CHOPPED PISTCHOS
  • STRANDS OF SAFFRON
  • SUGAR AS PER TASTE(TOTALLY OPTIONAL)
METHOD:

  • SOAK CASHEWS IN MILK FOR AN HOUR. ONCE SOAKED BLEND CASHEWS AND MILK IN A BLENDER TO A FINE PASTE. ADD SAFFRON STRANDS
  • TAKE 1 TSP GHEE IN A HEAVY BOTTOMED PAN PREFERABLY IRON BASE.
  • MIX PASTE AND SUGAR ,ONCE THE MIXTURE STARTS THICKINING,THIS WILL TAKE APPROXIMATELY 5 TO 10 MINUTES ON LOW FLAME KEEP ON TOSSING IT.
  • CONTINUE STIRRING OVER LOW HEAT TILL THE MIXTURE LEAVES THE SIDES OF THE PAN AND BECOME DOUGH LIKE PASTE.
  • IT SHOULD NOT BE STICKY. IT GATHERS INTO A MASS.
  • REMOVE FROM HEAT ON A GREASES TRAY.
  •  AND WHEN COOL ENOUGH TO HANDLE ADD 1 TSP GHEE ,FEW MORE SAFFRON STRANDS AND YES IF ITS STILL STICKY ADD 1 TO 2 TSP OF CORNFLOUR POWDER AND 1 TO 2 TSP OF MILK POWDER.
  • MAKE A SOFT DOUGH ,BUT REMEMBER ALL THIS SHOULD BE DONE WHEN THE DOUGH IS STILL WARM
  • NOW FLATTEN THE DOUGH AND PLACE ON A GREASED ROUND TRAY. START ROLLING IT WITH A ROLLING PIN WITH BUTTER PAPER OR ALUMINIUM FOIL ON TO A TO GET A SMOOTH FINISH.
  • ROLL TO A THICKMESS OF 4 MM
FOR THE FILLING:

  • MIX IN ALL THE INGREDIENTS AND MICROWAVE FOR 2 TO THREE MINUTES ,SO THAT GALKAND MIXES UP NICELY WITH THE NUTS.
MAKING OF ROLL:

  • TAKE A SPOON OF GULAKND FILLING AND PLACE IT OVER CASHEW NUT ROLLED RECTANGLE SHEET. ROLL UP THE CASHEW SHEET ENCLOSING THE GLKAND MIXTURE. 
  • USE BUTTER PAPER OR ALUMINIUM FOIL AS A BASE
  • REFRIGERATE FOR SOME TIME AND CUT INTO PIECES.
  • CAN DECORATE WITH SILVER WARQ
CASHEW PASTE

ON LOW FLAME


DOUGH WITH COLOUR
GULKAND MIX






 
SOME IMPORTANT TIPS:

  • IF YOU WANT TYPICALLY MARKET TYPE TEXTURE ADD 80 GMS KHOYA OR MAWA TO CASHEW PASTE AND FOLLOW THE SAME PROCEDURE OF ROASTING ON ALOW FLAME TILL ITS GETS DOUGH LIKE CONSISTENCY.
  • AVOID CORFLOUR,AS IF WE ARE COOKING AT HOME THE RECIPE BE SHOULD BE AT ITS PUREST FORM.
  • IF ITS NOT EASY TO MAKE ROLLS TRY MAKING BALLS FILLED WITH GULKAND MIXTURE INSIDE.
  • KEEP REFRIGERATED.


             WISH YOU ALL A VERY AND HAPPY AND PROSPEROUS DEEPAWALI!!
 
 
 




Saturday, October 18, 2014





ITS ALL ABOUT BEING A VEGETARIAN!! AFETR VISITING SO MANY RESTAURANTS AND TASTING THE HUGE NUMBER OF KABABAS MY PALLETE STARTED RELISHING THESE KALA CHANA KABABS. SO AFTER EXPERIMENTING AND SPOILING N NUMBER OF TIMES I FINALLY FOUND A PERFECT RECIPE. THE BEST PART IS I THAT LEARNT IT FROM ONE OF MY HOUSE HELPS IN LUCKNOW THE CITY OF 'KABABS'.

SO HERE IS THE RECIPE TO THE AUTHENTIC CHANA KABABS.FULL OF NUTRITION AND OIL FREE.MADE WITH MY FRIEND ROHINI AZAD DEWAN.

                                                        KALA CHANA KABABS


 
CHANA DAL KABAB

 
                                      


INGREDIENTS:

  • 250 GMS BLACK CHANA
  • 4 TO 5 CLOVES OF GARLIC
  • 2 " OF GINGER
  • 3 TO 4 CHOPPED GREEN CHILLIES
  • 2 TSP GARAM MASALA
  • 4 TSP CHAAT MASAL
  • SALT AS PER TASTE
  • 1/2 TSP RED PEPPER POWDER
  • 1 TSP DRY MANGO POWDER(AMCHOOR)
  • CHOPPED FRESH CORIANDER LEAVES
  • OIL FOR TEMPERING(DESI GHEE PREFFERED)
ONIONS FOR GARNISHING

FOR MINT CHUTNEY

  • 1 PACK OF FRESH CORIANDER LEAVES
  • 1/4 PACK OF MINT LEAVES
  • 1/2 CUP HUNG CURD
  • 1/2 TSP LEMON JUICE
  • 1 GREEN CHILLI
  • SALT TO TASTE
  • 2 TO 3 PINCHES OF SUGAR
METHOD:

  • SOAK THE BLACK CHANA OVERNIGHT OR FOR ATLEAST 4 TO 5 HRS. DRAIN AND RINSE NICELY. PUT IT IN PRESSURE COOKER WITH GARLIC,GINGER,SALT,GREEN CHILLIES.ADD WATER AND PRESSURE COOK
  • DONT ADD MUCH WATER,ONLY AS MUCH REQUIRED FOR BOILING. THAT IS 4 TO 5 CUPS. PRESSURE COOK TILL SOFT.
  • NOW OPEN THE PRESSURE COOKER LID AND LET THE EXCESS WATER EVAPORATE. THE CHANA SHOULD NOT TURN TOO DRY. ELSE IT WILL BE DIFFICULT TO MASH THEM IN MIXER.
  • NOW LET THE MIX COOL DOWN.
  • TAKE A MIXER AND  MAKE A THICK PASTE OF IT,BY CHURNING.
  • KEEP PATIENCE IT WILL TAKE SOME TIME.
  • DONT ADD TOO MUCH WATER AS IT WILL BE DIFFICULT TO MAKE KABABS OTHERWISE.
  • IF IT GET WATERY CAN ADD A BIT OF BESAN
  • YOUR BATTER IS READY,ADD CHAAT MASALA.DRY MANGO POWDER,FRESH CHOPPED CORIANDER LEAVES,1 CLOVE OF CHOPPED GARLIC(IF REQUIRED) AND RED PEPPER POWDER.
  • MIX IN NICELY.AND MAKE TIKKIS OUT OF IT.
  • ADD MINIMUM OIL REQUIRED ON A NON STICK PAN AND SERVE ONCE GOLDEN BROWN IN COLOUR.
MINT CHUTNEY:
  •  WASH CORIANDER,GREEN CHILLIES AND MINT LEAVES
  • PUT IN A MIXER AND PUREE IT NICELY
  • NOW ADD HUNG CURD,SALT,DROPS OF LEMON,SUGAR AND JUST CHURN IT ONCE MORE.
  • SERVE CHILLED,WITH KABABS.
GARNISH WITH ONION RINGS SOAKED IN LEMON,SALT AND BLACK PEPPER.

TASTES BEST WITH ROOMALI ROTI OR LACHA PARATHA.