Krishna Janmashtami Special - Rasgulla

Rasgulla is an Indian sweet dish - easy to make and requires very less ingredients. What can be a best occasion to indulge in them than the celebration of birth of Shri Krishna.

Ingredients:

Milk - 1 ltr

Sugar - 1 cup (approx 200 gms)

Water - 4 cups

Lemon Juice - 3 to 4 tsp

Cardamom - 2

Almonds or Pistachios - 2 to 3 

Method:

Heat milk in a pan. Keep stirring as to avoid sticking to the bottom. Once the milk comes to boil, lower the flame and add lemon juice to it.

Stir continuously till the milk curdles and water separates from the milk completely. 

Place a muslin cloth over a large bowl and pour the curdled milk in it. The milk separates from water. Wash the milk with cold water to remove the smell of the lemon. Squeeze the excess water from the cloth completely. The thickened milk is paneer.

Now take the paneer into a bowl and divide it into small parts about the size of small lemons. Take each part, knead well and make small round balls. Keep it aside.

Mix sugar and water in a pan and heat it. Keep stirring so that the sugar dissolves completely. When the water starts to boil drop the paneer balls into it carefully. Grind the cardamom into powder and add it to the pan. 

Cover the pan with lid and let the rasgullas boil in the sugar water for around 20 mins on medium flame. 

The Rasgullas double in size after they soak the sugar syrup. Remove them from flame and allow to cool down. Once they are completely cooled, refrigerate them.

Serve them chilled garnished with chopped almonds or pistachios.

Note: 

1. You can also cooked them in the Pressure Cooker for one whistle.

2. Vinegar can be used in place of Lemon juice.

3. Wash the curdled milk properly in cold water so that the rasgullas don't have the smell of lemons.

Enjoy Cooking.. :)

Gobi Manchurian

     The super liked food in every Indian family. This is what is the best way to describe Gobi Manchurian. There are many other varieties that we make from Potatoes, Paneer and even Mixed Vegetables, but Gobi Manchurian stands out the best because of the unique taste of Cauliflower.

Ingredients:

Cauliflower (Gobi) - 1/2 med size cut into florets

Maida - 1 cup

Rice flour - 1 cup

Corn flour - 1/2 cup

Chilli powder - 1 tsp

Onion - 1 med chopped

Garlic - 4 to 5 pods chopped finely

Coriander - 2 tsp chopped finely

Soya sauce - 3 tsp

Tomato Ketchup - 4 tbsp

Vinegar -1 tsp

Oil for frying

Salt to taste

Method:

Heat water in a pan and add 1 tsp salt and 1 tsp oil to it. When the water starts to boil, add Cauliflower florets. Allow them to boil for five minutes. This helps them to get cooked and also to clean them.

Once they are boiled, strain them and wash them in cold water and keep aside.

Mix maida, rice and corn flour in a bowl and add chilli powder to it. Add one tsp salt and mix. Add enough water to make a thick batter like Pakoda.  

Heat oil in a pan for frying. Once the oil is hot, dip the florets in the batter and fry them on medium flame till they are golden brown. Remove them and keep aside.

Take another wok (or a large pan) and add 3 to 4 tsp oil to it. Keep it on a high flame. Add the onions and garlic and fry till they are shallow. Now add the fried cauliflower florets to the pan and add soya sauce, tomato ketchup and vinegar. Add enough salt and mix well for another 2 minutes.

Serve it hot garnished with coriander.

Note: 

1. You can use spring onions for garnishing instead of coriander or you can use both. :)

2. Fry the Cauliflower on medium flame or else they become very soggy and not crisp. They also take time to get fried.

3. Add little salt when mixing the fried cauliflower with onions and garlic since the salt has been added before too.

4. You can also use red food colour when frying the cauliflower but it is not required. The tomato ketchup gives it the required colour.
5. This dish serves two to three persons.

Enjoy Cooking.. :)

Red Orange and Mint Punch

I am very much fond of Red Orange juice and I would never miss a chance when it is available. Recently I tried to make few additions to it (more or less experimenting) and it turned out to be super tasty. Here is the recipe.

Ingredients:

Red Orange Juice - 200 ml (Approx 2 Glass)
Tropicana Orange Juice - 20 ml (4 tsp)
Lemon Juice - 2 tsp
Dried Mint(crushed) - 1 tsp
Lemon Slices - 2
Sugar - 1/2 tsp
Salt to taste

Method:

Mix all the contents well and pour the drink into two glasses. Sprinkle crushed mint leaves over it.

Decorate it with the lemon slices and serve chilled.

Enjoy Cooking.. :)

Aloo Tikki

Aloo tikki is a very famous chaat recipe and can be used in various other dishes like veg burger, aloo tikki chat or aloo chole. Very easy to make and a quick recipe.

Ingredients:

Potatoes - 3
Coriander chopped - 2 tbsp
Mint chopped - 1 tsp
Chilli powder - 1 tsp
Coriander powder - 1 tsp
Cumin (Jeera) powder -1 tsp
Garam Masala - 1 tsp
Corn flour - 2 tsp
Bread crumbs - 4 tsp
Oil  -  3 tsp
Salt to taste

Method:

Boil the potatoes and mash them. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well.

Divide them into small balls (approx the size of a lemon).  Make tikkis out of them (flatten them). Mix cornflour and bread crumbs. Roll the tikkis in the bread crumb mix and keep aside.

Heat oil in the pan and shallow fry the tikkis till they are golden brown on both the sides.

Serve them hot with mint chutney or tomato ketchup.

Note: 
1. You can make variations in the recipe like stuffing mashed paneer (cottage cheese) inside the tikkis.
2. The above ingredients make around 8 tikkis

Enjoy Cooking.. :)

Chole Pulao

Chole or chickpeas are a rich source of protein. If you like to add proteints to your diet, then here is a easy recipe for it - Chole Pulao.

It is a wholesome meal and also a very good lunch box recipe.

Ingredients:

Kabuli Channa(Chole) -  1/2 cup
Cooked Rice -  2 cups
Onion - 1 large chopped
Ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp
Cardamom- 2
Cinnamon - 1" piece
Clove - 3
Oil - 2 tsp.
Green chillies - 3 slit lengthwise
Cashew nuts - 10 approx
Salt to taste

Method:

Soak channa overnight. They almost double in size. Cook them in the pressure cooker for one whistle. You can also cook it in a vessel but it takes longer time. Drain water and keep them aside.

Heat oil in a pan and add the cardamom, cinnamon and cloves to it. Once they start to release aroma, add chopped onion and green chillies to it. Now add the ginger garlic paste after the onions have turned translucent. 

Add cashews to it and fry for a minute or too. Once they turn golden brown, add the boiled chole to it. Mix well and fry for another minute on low flame for channa to soak the flavours.

Now add the rice and mix well. Also add salt. Close the lid and let it cook for another two minutes. Serve hot with some roasted papad.

Enjoy cooking.. !!!