Tukda

This is a fried snack made with maida( refined flour ) and atta ( whole wheat flour ). I make it mostly with refined flour with just a bit of whole wheat flour thrown in. It is more tasty this way. But it can also be made using equal amounts of refined flour and whole wheat flour. It will definitely be more healthy that way and it will be less oily too. So you've got to decide... whether you want it more tasty or more healthy. I decided on more tasty for this occasion.


Ingredients


cup of maida or refined flour
1-2 tbsp of whole wheat flour or atta
a pinch of chilli powder
a pinch of asafoetida
salt to taste
Oil for deep frying


Method


Take the flours in a bowl. Add the spices. Heat the oil for deep frying. When it is smoking hot, add 1 -  2 tbsp of the oil into the flour mixture. Rub it into the flour with your finger tips. Add enough water to make a really stiff dough. Rest for a few minutes.


Take lemon sized balls of dough and roll out into thin large circles. Cut into small diamond shaped peices with a pizza wheel. 


Deep fry in oil on medium flame until golden on both sides.


Remove and cool.


Store in airtight containers.

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Mullu Thenkuzhal

My amma used to make this mullu thenkuzhal really well. They used to be perfectly golden & crisp & really melting in the mouth. Perfectly spiced with just a hint of asafoetida (hing) and some salt & chilli powder, this crispy snack made from rice flour and a bit of roasted and powdered lentil flour is a perfect example of Tamil Bakshanam ( fried snack ).

The recipe is basically quite simple. Some freshly ground rice flour, some moong and chana dal lightly roasted and ground into powder, salt, chilli powder and some hing. Some butter to give it an extra bit of crispness...thats it. A stiff batter is made using water & is pressed out through a thenkuzhal naazhi into hot oil. 

& Voila....it is ready..........

Ingredients

1 cup rice flour

1/4 cup dal flour 

( for this dry roast moong dal 1 part to 1/2 part chana dal (2:1) ratio, lightly, cool & powder in a mixer, seive & use )

salt to taste

1/4 tsp chilli powder

a pinch of hing 

1tbsp of butter at room temperature

Method

Take all the ingredients except the butter in a bowl. Add the butter & rub into the flour mixture with the fingertips very well. Add enough water to make a stiff dough. 

Heat enough oil in a karahi or pan & press the batter into the hot oil through a thenkuzhal naazhi or chakli press on medium heat until golden on both sides. Remove with a slotted spoon & place on paper to remove excess oil. Remove & store in airtight container until required.

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Its Diwali........

The children are here with me this Diwali .............

So I decided to go all out & make everybody's favourite stuff............

Here are the pictures.

Recipes will follow...

Mullu thenkuzhal
click here for the recipe... http://chittiskitchen.blogspot.com/2011/10/mullu-thenkuzhal.html

Ribbon Pakoda

Mysore Pak

Tukda
click here for the recipe... http://chittiskitchen.blogspot.com/2011/10/tukda.html

Omapodi made from besan ( chickpea flour ) and rice flour

Chocolate and Walnut Burfi

Ribbon Pakoda

Tukda - made with refined flour + whole wheat flour

Recipes will follow soon..............

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Oreo Cheesecake

Oreo Cheesecake

A quick & easy, no-bake cheesecake recipe............

Ingredients :

Biscuit Crust:

1 1/2 cups (100 grams) oreo cookies, without the cream (crushed)

2 tablespoons (30 grams) granulated white sugar

6 tablespoons (85 grams) unsalted butter, melted

Cheesecake Filling:

One 8-ounce (227 grams) cream cheese, at room temperature

1/4 cup (50 grams) granulated white sugar

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 cup (240 ml) heavy whipping cream

Topping:

Some oreo cookies  and whipped cream for decoration

Method : 

Biscuit Crust :  
In a large bowl, mix together the biscuit crumbs, sugar, and melted butter. Press onto the bottom and up the sides of a well greased 8-9 inch (20-23 cm) tart pan with removable bottom. (A spring form pan can also be used. Press the crumb mixture onto the bottom and about one inch (2.5 cm) up the sides of the pan.) Cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator to chill while you make the filling.

Cheesecake Filling:  
In the bowl of your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add the sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat in the vanilla extract. 

In a clean bowl, beat the whipping cream until soft peaks form. Gradually fold or beat the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture. Pour the filling over the chilled biscuit crust and smooth the top. Cover and place in the refrigerator for about an hour. Decorate with oreo cookies and pipe with whipped cream to decorate. Return to the refrigerator to chill for several hours, or even overnight.

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Gatte ki Subzi

Piping Hot Gatte ki Subzi garnished with fresh coriander

I have adapted this recipe from Nita Mehta's "'Recipes from Rajasthan". As the name suggests, this is a Rajasthani recipe with a curd based gravy & besan ( chickpea flour ) dumplings. You will notice that other than the tomato, there is no other fresh vegetable in this dish. Lots of Rajasthani dishes are made in this manner without using too much fresh ingredients. This is because parts of Rajasthan are deserts. The areas are remote & the land & weather conditions are also not conducive to growing fresh stuff. Water is also scare in lots of areas. Hence, the people of this state have over centuries come up with innovative ways to cook with whatever is easily available to them. Hats off to these people, that with these limited ingredients available to them, they have managed to make their cuisine, one of the most popular ones in the country !!!

The gatte or chickpea dumplings are made with besan of chickpea flour, curd and some spices. A soft dough is first made & then rolled into thin finger like cylinders. They are then steamed for a few minutes until cooked. Later on, they are cut and added to the gravy.

The gravy used here is a curd based one and again, besan or chickpea flour is used as the thickener. If the curds are sour, all the better. I recommend using 2-3 day old curds. They are perfect for the gravy. So, sour curds, besan, some wonderful spices like  fresh ginger, jeera, cardamom& cloves, salt & chilli powder....Those are the main things that go into the gravy.

The method is really simple too. Nothing much to it really. Do try & write in to me. 

Wonderful with garam-garam rotis or chawal..........

the dumplings, cut into small bite sized pieces & waiting to be dunked into the gravy

Ingredients

1 cup + 1 or 2 tbsp besan as per requirement
a pinch of soda bi carbonate
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ajwain( carom seeds )
1/2 tsp haldi
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp jeera powder
1/2 tsp saunf coarsely powdered
1/2 tsp dhania powder
1/2 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp ginger paste
3 tsp malai
2-3 tbsp curds
1/2 tsp chilli paste


For the Gravy ( mix together)


1 cup curd
2 tsp besan
1/ 2 tsp haldi
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ginger paste ( optional )
3 tbsp oil
1/2 tsp jeera
8 -10 curry leaves
3-4 cloves
2 moti elaichi
1/2 tsp red chilli pow
1-2 tomatoes pureed and strained
some fresh dhania or coriander for garnishing

Ready & waiting to be eaten !!!

Method

Making the Gattes

1. Mix together all ingredients to get a soft dough (like chapati dough ).

Add more curd if required to get soft dough. Do not add water.

2. With the help of oil smeared hands, roll out thin fingers 3-4 inch long, like cylinders.

3. Boil 5 cups of water. Keep gatte in a stainless steel round strainer and keep on pan of boiling water and cover with lid.

4. Steam gatte for 5- 7 minutes. Cool. Later cut into rounds of 1/2 inch thickness and keep aside.

For the Curry

1. Mix together curd, besan,haldi,salt,ginger paste & green chilli paste.

2. Add 1 cup water. Beat well & seive.

3. Heat oil. Add jeera, when brown, add curry leaves, laung and moti elaichi. Fry for a minute.

4. Add red chilli powder.

5. Add the curd mixture. Go on stirring until it starts boiling.

6. Add pureed tomatoes ( should be very smooth...so strain and add )

7. Give 2 boils. Add the gatte. ( add more water if more gravy is required )

8. Cover , lower heat. Simmer for 4-5 minutes.

9. Serve hot garnished with fresh dhania.

For Paneer Gatte:-

To 1 cup besan, add 1/2 cup grated mashed paneer along with all the other ingredients. adjust seasonings and continue with the recipe.

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Spicy Corn on toast

It's quick, simple & really yummm .......

Ingredients

1 Tbsp - butter
1 cup - milk
2 tsp - maida (refined flour )
1 small tin corn nibblets
1 small onion - very finely chopped
1 cube cheese grated
1 green chilli finely chopped
salt to taste
2 slices of bread

Method

1. Melt the butter in the pan on slow flame.
2. Add the onions & green chillies. Fry for a few minutes.
3. Add the flour & stirr for a few minutes until froth appears. You will get a wonderful aroma .
4. Add the milk gradually stirring all the time until the sauce thickens.
5. Add salt , cheese & the drained corn nibblets . Mix well & switch off the stove.
6. Lightly toast 2 slices of bread. Place on the plate & pour the spicy corn mixture over them.
7. Enjoy !!!

Serves one.

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Chennar Payesh

This is my entry to Khushi's Event :My Diwali My Way.

Check out her site at http://yummyfood-khusi.blogspot.com/2011/09/my-diwali-my-way.html. 

This is the first time I am participating in any of these events & am at a loss as to the procedure. So here's hoping I have done the right thing..............

I have this weakness for all things Bengali. Being born & brought up in Cal, ( as we used to call it then) ensured I love many of the Bangla stuff ....Dhakai saris, Murshidabad silks, the block prints from Kanishka, the lake market, New Market, Park street, shingara, luchi-alu dum & specially the Bong Sweets...........rossogolla, chum-chum, keer-kadam, rajbhog , guder sandesh & everything else !!!! 

So when I saw a programme by Chef Sanjeev Kapoor  on TV showing me an easy way to make my favourite Bong sweet, there was no stopping me !

This is a quick version of the classic Bengali dessert.  It looked so easy that I tried it immediately !!!
It was fabulous!!
& then I tried to get a bit creative & tried making the strawberry chennar payesh too. That was even better. Even if I do say so myself.

Come on. Get going . Try it out just now. You are going to love it!
Here's the recipe..............

Ingredients

fresh paneer - 1/2 cup

( if you make fresh paneer from 1/2 a litre of milk, it will give you 1/2 cup of paneer. Paneer made at home freshly, using either lemon juice or curds works best. Curdle the milk & strain the paneer immediately. Do not let it get hard & rubbery. Soft fresh paneer will give the best result. )

milk - 1 litre ( 5 cups )
sugar - 1/2 cup
almonds - 6-7, blanched & sliced
pistachios - 5-6, chopped


Method

1. Bring the milk to a boil, lower the heat & simmer until it is reduced to half the original quantity.
2. Add sugar & cook until the sugar dissolves.
3. Mash the paneer in a bowl & add it to the milk. Simmer for just another 2 minutes.
4. Sprinkle with nuts & serve cold.

Strawberry Chennar Payesh

For the strawberry chennar payesh............

After step 3. leave it to cool completely.
Then crush some fresh strawberries roughly in a blender & mix with the now cool payesh. About 4-5 of medium sized berries should be enough. Top with chopped strawberry & serve cold.

ENJOY !!!

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