Coconut Barfi

          Whenever you visit lot of temples and you have fresh coconut as a result, the best way to consume it is making barfi. We even call it khobri mithai (khobri is coconut and mithai is sweet in kannada). This sweet is made only with three ingredients and the fourth is optional. So here is the recipe..

Ingredients:

Coconut (scraped) - 1 cup

Sugar - 1 cup

Milk - 4 tbsp

Cardamom powder - 1/2 tsp (optional)
Ghee - for smearing the plate

Method:

Mix both coconut and sugar and leave this mix for half an hour. The sugar leaves water and the mix turns out little watery.

Take this mixture in a heavy bottom pan and heat it on a low flame. Add milk to it and mix well. Let it cook in its own time. Keep stirring occasionally. Once the sugar dissolves and starts forming syrup, turn the heat to medium flame and mix continuously. Once the coconut mixture leaves oil from sides, add cardamom powder and mix. 

Grease a plate with ghee and pour onto it. Flatten it and cut into pieces when it is semi hot. 

Enjoy this whenever you have sweet cravings. This remains fresh for a week, but I promise it will be emptied within minutes. :)

Note:

1. Use only freshly scraped coconut for this.

2. Dip your knife in cold water before cutting into pieces. The pieces come out neat and clean.

Enjoy Cooking :)

Paneer Butter Masala

    The most sought after side dish in restaurants. Whenever you visit a new restaurant and are skeptical about ordering the dishes, you can always rely upon this one. I am sure this tastes good in any restaurant you visit.

Ingredients:

Paneer (cubes) - 1 bowl

Tomato - 3 to 4

Onion - 2

Ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp

Cashewnuts - 8 to 10

Honey - 2 tsp

Cardamom - 2

Cinnamon - 1" piece

Cloves - 2 to 3

Coriander powder - 1 tsp

Cumin powder - 1 tsp

Garam masala - 1tsp

Kashmiri Chilli powder - 2tsp

Turmeric - 1/2 tsp

Kasuri methi - 2 tsp

Cream - 1 tbsp

Butter - 1tbsp

Oil - 2tsp

Salt to taste

Method:

        Heat oil in a pan. Add roughly chopped tomatoes, onion and ginger garlic paste to it. Fry till tomatoes turn soft and mushy. Add cashews to it. Now add chilli powder and turmeric to it. Mix well and turn off flame. Once cool blend the mix to smooth paste.

        Heat butter in a pan. Add cloves, cardamom and cinnamon. Now add paneer cubes to it and fry for a minute. 

        Add the gravy to the pan. And saute. As the gravy is already cooked it doesnt take much time. Add water according to consistency if required. 

        Now add all the dry masala powders cumin, coriander and garam masala. Mix well. Crush the kasoori methi between your palm and add to it. Add salt and honey to it. Mix well.

            Garnish with cream and serve hot.

Note:

1. Adding chilli powder and turmeric directly to oil gives gravy nice colour.

2. You can even deep fry the paneer and add to the gravy.

Enjoy Cooking !!

Lasooni Dal Palak

One of my favourite recipes and best compliments with jeera rice or chapathi. On a lazy cold winter day you will definitely relish this. That doesnt mean you cannot eat it now :) So, here are the ingredients...

Ingredients:

Toor dal - 1 cup

Palak (spinach) - 1 large bunch ( two cups chopped)

Garlic - 3 to 4 pods

Onion - 1 small

Jeera (cumin seeds) -  1 tsp

Green chillies - 3 to 4

Butter - 1 tsp

Oil - 2 tsp

Garam masala - 1/2 tsp

Cumin powder - 1/2 tsp

Coriander powder - 1/2 tsp

Lemon juice - 1/2 lemon

Salt to taste

Method:

Pressure cook the toor dal for three whistles. Heat butter in a pan. Add oil to it.  When it is hot, add jeera. Once the jeera splutters, split the green chillies length wise and add to it. Now add garlic and and chopped onion to the pan.

Once the onion turns translucent, add palak to it. Fry for a minute, till the palak reduces in size. Add little water to it just enough to cover the palak. Cook for a minute or two.

Now add the cooked dal to it. Mix well. Add salt and all the dry masala powders to it. Mix well. 

Reduce the flame and cook for a minute. Switch off the flame and add lemon juice to it. 

Serve hot rice or chapathi..

Enjoy Cooking !!!!

Jeera Rice

     The most easiest dish made with basmati rice. U can make it with other rice varieties too, but i like it with basmati rice. On the days when you feel like eating basmati, but bored of cutting vegetables to make biryani or pulao, jeera rice comes to your rescue. Team it up with paneer curry that i posted earlier and you are ready for a delicious meal.

Ingredients:

Basmati rice (cooked) - 1 cup

Jeera - 1 tsp

Green chillies - 2 to 4 (slit length wise)

Onion - 1 (chopped)

Cashewnuts - 8 to 10

Curry leaves - 1 tbsp

Coriander chopped - for garnishing

Butter - 1 tbsp

Oil - 1 tbsp

Salt to taste

Method:

           Heat a tbsp of oil in a large pan and fry the cashewnuts. Keep it aside. In the same pan, add butter and let it heat. Now add jeera. Once it splutters, add curry leaves.

            Now add green chillies and onion and fry till onions are translucent. Add the cooked basmati rice and mix well.

            Add the fried cashews and salt. Mix well. Lower the flame. Close the lid and turn off the flame. Keep the lid closed for a minute or two. Garnish with coriander and serve hot with any side dish of your choice or dal.

Enjoy cooking.... :)