Jowar Rotti (from the past)

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

The art learnt is never out of your mind. There is a saying in Kannada : "Vidye kalitu mareyabeku"

Thats what I checked it today. It was a regular cooking for me to make Jowar rotti when I was in UAE. But after I came back to India, I totally stopped making it as there is an old lady who makes it everyday. But today I thought of trying it whether I have forgotten to make or what. And I could make rottis very well.

Look at the photo:

I prepared nice soft and thin rottis.

Link for the recipe is Jowar rotti(Jolada rotti)

Keep Smiling,

Kashmiri Dum Aloo for ICC

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

Potatoes!!!! I love to eat in any form. Few days back, a blogger friend Ria Mary Mathew shared the status on FB "Y didn't God make potato rich in Iron and Butter rich in Vitamins? Y God Y? So true! I too feel the same way. 

Few years back I was not a potato person, but  during second pregnancy, I got this craving for potatoes. I always wait for something to cook with potatoes. And when Srivalli gave  this month's  Indian Cooking Challenge, I was very happy because the recipe  is Kashmiri Dum Aloo. This recipe is from the site IndianFood.

I enjoyed preparing the dish and eating it too. And my kids loved it with soft Chapatis.

But!

I used only 1/4 th qty than the original recipe. The original recipe was for 1 kg of potatoes but as we are only 2 persons to eat, I prepared only 1/4th qty.

Please click here for the recipe, 

Baby potatoes taking cold bath.

 

Masalas mixing up for potatoes

 

Masala bath tub for potatoes.

Potatoes taking Masala tub bath.

Potatoes after bath and fry!

Hing and Clove powder with Hot water for potatoes.

Keeping to make aloo dum, the last stage for the potatoes to get ready to go to the dining table.

I am sorry for not giving detailed recipe. As I prepared only the little qty from the original recipe, I felt its not good to give the full details, as the photos and the given qty will not match.

I am enjoying this ICC event.

Keep Smiling,

Cheese and Onion stuffed Paratha

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

This is second time happened with me in this week. I started making something and ended up with other.

Day before yesterday, I kneaded the atta to make Phulkas. Mom was cutting onions for making Gram flour omelet. And suddenly I remembered I had to switch off the fridge, as next day the technician was about to come for  a minor repair. I had a full big cheese ball inside the freezer. That is why I changed my plan from making phulkas and omelet to Onion and Cheese Paratha. It is a common recipe, but I love to have it any time as it is healthy and keeps  you full for longer time.

Coming to the recipe,

Ingredients:

Wheat flour - 1 cup

Oil - 1 tbsp

Curds - 1 tsp

Sugar - 1/2 tsp

Salt - 1/4 tsp

Water to knead the dough.

Mix all the ingredients in a vessel or plate except water. Keep on adding water to make it in to soft dough. Keep it aside for 10 to 15 minutes.

For stuffing:

For masala:

Onion - 1 big, chopped finely

Oil - 1/2 tbsp

Salt to taste

Red chilly powder - 1 tsp

Coriander powder - 1/2 tsp

Heat oil in kadai, add onion and fry till light brown. Add salt, red chilly powder and Coriander powder. Fry for another half a minute.

Cheese(Mozzarella) - 1/2 cup, grated

Oil to roast paratha(1/2 tsp for each paratha)

Method:

1. Divide the dough into small equal parts.
2. Take two balls for one paratha. Roll these into small chapati size.(Can see in the photo below)
3. Keep one chapati on a rolling board.
4. Take one tbsp of onion masala and spread it on the chapati
5.  
6. Spread one tbsp or more(if you love cheese!) grated cheese on it.
7. Cover it with one more ready chapati. Press on the sides.
8. Roll into little bigger paratha so that the stuffed masala spreads equally.
9. Heat tawa and fry the paratha on both the sides with little oil.

Serve with pickle or just roll it and give it to kids. 

My both the kids enjoyed the rolls a lot.

Keep Smiling,

From Priyas Kitchen to My Kitchen(for T&T)

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

As I always tell you about the blogs I love to visit often and love to try the recipes, today is the day to write about one more blog like that. It is Priya's  Priya's Easy N Tasty Recipes. 

She has amazing collection of recipes. She is a real friend in blogging world. She puts her real effort and creativity to participate in most of the events by other blogger friends. Hats off to her and her work.

I always thought that if I get a chance to host Tried and Tasted event, I will choose Priya's blog only, but PJ took the chance choose her blog. I am happy to participate in her event.

I have tried many recipes from her blog, but unfortunately I have not taken the photos of all the recipes.

Here are the few recipes which I clicked the photos.

Going to send these to PJ's event

First one is  Cheesy Oats Paratha recipe which I have already posted it in my blog:

Here is the link for it:

Cheesy Oats Paratha from Priya 

The second one is

Beets & Oats Kootu 

 

Third One is Microwave Tandoori Paneer I love paneer and this quick Tandoori Paneer is very tasty. 

I have prepared it many times and sometimes I skipped red chilly powder. The photo below is without red chilly powder.

The fourth one is Soya Chunks Pakodas :  

In this only change I did was, I used Soya granules instead of chunks.

Few more I remember from her blog which I tried were Paneer Butter Masala, Orange Ginger Lemonade.

These are going to 

Pj's ongoing event Tried and Tasted 

originally started by Zlamuska and now carried on by Lakshmi of Kitchen Chronicles

 Keep Smiling,

A Bengali sweet : you name it!

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

Some times, you will fail when you are overconfident. Last night, this was what happened with me.

After preparing Rasagulla, Jamoon and Rasmalai many times, I was  very confident that Sandesh will come out perfect. But Man proposes with his ego,  and  God disposes!! 

I started making Sandesh and ended with something else. You have to name it because I do not know what to name it.

You see the photo and name it.

As usual I browsed many sites and blogs. All the recipes were same. 

Ingredients:

Paneer - 1 cup(prepared with half litre of milk, the quantity will be less but good if you are trying for first time)

Fine sugar - 1/2 cup

Rose essence - 1 drop

Saffron strands - 2 to3 (soaked in 1 tbsp of warm milk)

 

Method:

Take paneer and knead it to remove lumps. 

Add sugar and mix gently till both are blended nicely.

Transfer it into thick bottomed kadai and cook on low flame till it becomes soft. 

Add rose essence and  saffron milk. Mix well.

Remove from heat and give desired shape.

This is what the recipes say.

But may be I over cooked the paneer mix, It came out very dry.

So again I added little milk and cooked for some more time. But in vain.

It came out more dry!!

I transferred it into a plate and gave it the burfi shape.

Now all of you give the name to this sweet. It almost tasted like kalakand but it was too dry! 

I am sending this to 

PJ's event

Celebrate Sweets-Bengali Sweets which is started by Me.

with a doubt will she accept it???

(to know, please check the roundup in her blog!) 

And

Food palette series White and giveaway winners

Keep Smiling,

Bafa Dhoi

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

One more sweet from Bengal. Many times I came across this sweet but never thought of trying it only because I was lazy. And yesterday I decided to make it and today its ready. Its so simple and easy to make and the taste is too good.

I followed the recipe from Tarla Dalal's website.

I used very little quantity as I was not sure about the taste. But I am going to make it again very soon as my mom liked it a lot. I too enjoyed it chilled.

Ingredients:

Milk - 1 cup

Condensed Milk - 1 cup

(I used  the small tin of 90gm and the same amount of Milk and Curds)

Fresh Curds - 1 cup

(Take equal quantity)

Method:

1. Take all the ingredients in a vessel.  Mix it thoroughly. 
2. I used hand mixer.
3. Prepare a double boiler.
4. Boil the mixture in double boiler for 10 to15 min.
5. Pierce knife and if the knife comes out clean, Bafa Dhoi is ready.
6. Make it cool outside and keep in the fridge overnight or 4-6 hours.
7. Enjoy the chilled bowl of Bafa Dhoi.

PJ's ongoing event  

Celebrate Sweets-Bengali Sweets which is started by Me.

 

Will be back with one more Bengali sweet :-)

 

Keep Smiling

Payesh(Rice Kheer)

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

I always wait for a chance to prepare sweets and have it too.This week is Bengali sweets week for me.  I am already late in my entries to PJ's event. I do not want to loose this chance to try new sweet dishes from Bengal.

Here is one simple yet yummy sweet which I really loved to eat. My younger daughter loved it.

I browsed many sites for the recipe and I got the same recipe from all. There were 2 recipes. One with sugar and another one was with condensed milk.

I went for sugar one. 

Here goes the recipe:

Ingredients:

Basmati Rice - 1/4 cup

Milk - 1/2 litre

Sugar - 1/4 cup or more

Cardamom powder - 1/2 tsp

Saffron Strands - 2(soaked in 1 tbsp warm milk)

Bay leaf - 1

Chopped nuts - 2 tbsp(Soaked in warm milk)

(I chopped the nuts very fine, as my kids do not like if I put whole)

Method:

Soak the rice for 15 min to half an hour. Drain it and keep aside.

Keep the milk to boil. 

When it is boiled for few minutes, add the drained rice and bay leaf.

Cook the rice till it is boiled 3/4th on low flame (It may take around 25 to 30 minutes).

Keep on stirring in between.

Add the sugar and cardamom powder. Mix well. Add chopped nuts and keep on cooking till the rice is cooked.

Add the saffron strands and cook for a minute.

Allow it to cool.

Serve with some  more chopped nuts.

Serve chilled if you like.

Sending this to 

PJ's ongoing event  

Celebrate Sweets-Bengali Sweets which is started by Me.

Keep Smiling,

Milk Rabdi in MicroWave

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

My very last minute entry to three events. When I was searching for Karah Prashad, I got this recipe and was trying to adjust the time to make it. And today I was so much tempted to make it as its the last date for 2 events, as soon as I came from work, I prepared this one. This is again the famous desert in Punjab.

A very quick desert(but need time to chill the rabdi) and very tasty too.

Coming to the recipe, I got the recipe here.

I added one extra ingredient i.e., Chopped almonds.

Ingredients:

Milk - 1 cup

Grated paneer - 1 cup

Condensed milk - 1 cup

Cardamom powder - 1 tsp

Saffron strands - 2

Chopped almonds - 1 tbsp

Original recipe says to add ghee but I skipped it.

Method:

Add all the ingredients in a M/W Safe bowl.

Keep HIGH and cook for 5 minutes.

Allow to cool, 

Serve chilled.

Two things I want to change in this are:

1. Do not use frozen paneer, Use fresh and soft paneer as the taste differs a lot.

2. You can add nuts to the rabdi which gives nice crunchy taste.

Sending this to three events :

Pari's event Flavours Of Punjab an Event Announcement  

which is started by Nayna  of simply.food

 

Priya of Priya's Feast's Microwave Cooking-Sweets event

 which is started by  Srivalli.

 

And

Priya (Yallapantula) Mitharwal's

 Bookmarked Recipes - Every Tuesday - Volume 19

Keep Smiling,

Rasagulla and Dry Jamun-Reposted for the event

Tried and tasted by Nivedita 

Hi All,

You have already read about my weakness about Bengali sweets. I love any bengali sweets. May be because my name is Bengali: Nivedita, :-),

Here are the links for those lovely recipes which I tried at home. 

Re posting the link for those recipes for 

PJ's event  

Celebrate Sweets-Bengali Sweets which is started by  me.

First one is :

Rasagulla

 Second one is  

Dry Jamun

Keep Smiling.

Choley Bhature

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

Choley is very famous in Punjab. Choley and Bhature are the great combination, which goes well for breakfast or lunch. Its a heavy food. Do not eat and drive!

 

I prepared this on my second daughter's birthday. It was a hit, every one liked it so much and the aroma of the Choley masala was everywhere in my area.I did not had time to prepare masala at home as the menu was for almost 50 people. I was not sure about the taste if I made the masala at home. 

Thanks to Kwality Choley Masala product. 

For Bhature, I took the recipe from Sailu.

Check her blog for the recipe.

For Choley:

I followed the recipe given on Kwality choley masala packet which goes like this:

Ingredients:

Kabuli chana - 100gm

Onion - 2 chopped

Chilli Powder - 1 tso

Coriander powder - 1 tsp

Kwality choley Masala - 1 tbsp

Tomato- 1 big, chopped

Green chillies - 2 slit

Ginger - 1/2", sliced

Salt to taste

Kasuri methi - 1/2 tsp

Oil - 3 tbsp

                    

Method:

Soak the chana overnight.

Cook and keep aside in the morning.

Fry chopped onions till golden brown in a kadai in oil.

Add the coriander powder, chilli powder and Kwality Choley masala.

Fry for 3 minutes.

Add tomato, green chilli, ginger. Fry for few minutes.

Add boiled choley. 

Add salt and cook for 5 minutes. 

Add Kasurei methi and cook for 2 more minutes.

Sending this to 

Pari's event Flavours Of Punjab an Event Announcement  

which is started by Nayna  of simply.food

Keep Smiling,

Karah Parshad

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

Most of us go to the temple to pray to God to fulfill our wishes.Many times, we make a deal with God that if our wish comes true, we will offer him many things!!!  But, believe me,I go to temple only to have parshad. Yes, I am fascinated(!!!! is this the right word??) about the food that is distributed in the temples. Even though its simple and limited, the taste is divine.

The same thing I feel with baby's food. The food prepared for babies or small kids, is very tasty and if we make the same food for ourselves, it won't taste the same.

Today I tried this sweet or halwa which is distributed in Gurudwara. I always tasted this in Dubai Gurudwara. And thought of trying it my self. I started browsing the net and got  This.

The taste was good, but there were two things which went wrong:

One is I was late in adding the water and second is I felt the ghee is too much for the quantity.

 My parshad came out dark in color but the taste was good.

 The Karah Parshad what Sindhi's make is dry but in this water is added.

Lets go to the recipe:

 Ingredients:

Wheat flour - 1 cup

Ghee - 1 cup(But I feel 3/4th cup is enough)

Sugar - 1 cup

Water - 2 cup

Method:

1. Take a thick bottomed pan and roast the wheat flour till light brown.
2. Add ghee and sugar and mix well.
3. Keep on stirring or else the halwa will get burnt.
4. Stop cooking once the halwa starts leaving the sides.
5. You can add cardamom powder or nuts to these. But usually it is served plain like this in Gurudwara.
6. I am not sure how has this come out and want to apologize if there is any mistake in it.

Sending this to 

Pari's event Flavours Of Punjab an Event Announcement  

which is started by Nayna  of simply.food

Keep Smiling,

Entries to 30 Best Recipes of 2010

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

Don't you all think that its difficult to judge ourselves!! I am sitting in front of my system, reading all the posts in the blog to choose the best two recipes, but so much confused. These are my babies, how can I choose only two  the best posts!! For me each post is good and the best!  

But, I have to choose only two as there is a rule in the event to choose only two. After thinking for a long time I have taken these down two for the event.

Tri Colored Chapatis and Tomato Chutney!  I love these chapatis because of the colors and I feel so happy to see my kids enjoying eating these. These are good for breakfast, for traveling, for kids, for parties.....

and  Tomato Rasam Cubes These cubes are feathers to my cooking talent. I was so happy when I thought about this recipe and I got it right and perfect.

I am sending these two babies to 

Chako's Kitchen's ongoing event :

‘THE 30 BEST RECIPES OF 2010′ 

Wish me all the best. And my other blogger friends too.
 

Keep Smiling,

Bitter Gourd Chutney Powder(Food Remake)

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

This powder has become common in my house and I am totally in love with it.

Any one going for Bitter gourd chutney powder??? I am sure you all will say a big NO!! But try this powder and you also will fall in love with it. Yes!!! 

Its simple, healthy and perfect side dish with hot rice or with chapati. Do you believe I eat it just like that.

Have it to believe it.

And Tons of thanks to Pratibha of THE CHEF and HER KITCHEN for sharing such a wonderful recipe.

Kakarakaya Podi / Bittergourd Powder

I have copied the recipe exactly from her. Even the down written recipe is from her blog(I did not get better words to write it in my own) Visit her for many wonderful recipes and tips.

Ingredients:
Bittergourd - 1/2 kg 
Onions - 4 big,very finely chopped
 Dry coconut - 1 heaped cup grated
Curds - 3 tbps
Red chillies - 15,fiery hot one's
a gooseberry sized tamarind
Regular oil - 1/2 cup apprx.
salt to taste
Method:

• Grate the bitter gourd with a grater.
• Add salt and curds to it and mix well and leave it aside for 1 hour.
• Squeeze the water completely from the bitter gourd and keep it aside.This step is mandatory in order to ease the process of frying the bitter gourd and storing the powder,it will also remove 60-70% of the bitterness.
• Cut the tamarind into small pieces and slightly dry roast the red chillies and tamarind for few seconds.This step is however optional if your red chillies are softer and tamarind is slightly damp.
• Grind the red chillies,tamarind,dry coconut with salt to a slight coarse powder.
• In a thick bottomed kadai heat oil(1/2 cup approximately) add squeezed bitter gourd and fry on a very low flame until it is slight golden in color(75-80% done),it approximately takes 15-20 min.This step is very important and it is to be on very low flame.
• Now add the very finely chopped onions to the bitter gourd and fry on a very low flame until the onions and bitter gourd is deep golden in color.It takes around 15 to 20 minutes.
• Add the ground spice mixture to it and mix well and keep stirring on low flame for 3-4 min and remove it from the stove.
• Cool the powder completely and store it in air tight container.You can store it for 2 weeks also.
• When you taste it, you will start thinking where the bitter gourd has disappeared!!!!
  

 I am sure all of you will enjoy this and you are going to try this at home, (if not  tried before), for those, who  have already tried this, they know the taste.

Keep Smiling,

Boiled beans Sabji

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

First thing to do is to apologize for not being regular in my posting. Second thing is to Thank everyone for being with me here when I am not. I love you all for supporting me and request you to be with me.

Today I am going to post a recipe which is in my draft from past one year (Almost!!) Yes! These few simple preparations makes our life so easy. I got busy with other special dishes and forgot about this simple but healthy side dish which goes well with Chapati or rice. 

I love to make this often as it is quick,easy and healthy and can be kept with rice and dal in a cooker till my cutting job is done.

Ingredients:

Green beans - 200 gm, cleaned, cut and boiled in a cooker or outside till soft

Onion - 1 big, chopped

Tomato - 1 big, chopped

Oil - 1 tbsp

Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp

Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp

Curry leaves - few

Crushed garlic - 4 to 6 cloves

Salt to taste

Turmeric powder - a pinch

Sugar - 1 tsp

Gurellu Chutney(Niger seeds,ಗುರೆಳ್ಳು) powder - 1 tsp(optional, I add it because its common in my house)

You can use white sesame seeds(crushed) instead of it. But the taste differs a lot.

Method:

1. Take oil in a kadai.
2. Add mustard seeds, wait to splutter and add cumin seeds.
3. Add curry leaves, garlic and saute for half a minute.
4. Add chopped onion and fry till change in color.
5. Add tomato and all the dry powders. 
6. Mix well. Boil till tomato is tender, by adding little water(I take the water  from boiled beans)
7. Now add the boiled beans. Cook for a minute.
8. Garnish with fresh coriander(Here, I have missed it) before serving it with chapati or rice.

Will be back with new thing soon.

Keep smiling,