MALAI KOFTA

This is one of my favorite vegetarian curry.I wanted to try my hands on this ever since I learnt cooking. I have come across many recipes but any of them was not easy .The thought of getting it right made me stayed way from trying this.one afternoon when I was taking my daily nap, I dreamed of this koftas;).suddenly I woke up and googled the recipe.Adapted from here and there and made it within 30 minutes.It turned out truly delicious. What I love in this recipe is that, no chopping and cutting involves though we need to spend a bit long time in the kitchen. I don’t mind spending some time for something interesting J

Ingredients

For the koftas

1.    Paneer-150gm, grated

2.    Potatoe-2 medium, peeled and squared

3.    Coriander leaves- a few

4.    Cumin powder-1/4 tsp

5.    Chilly powder-1/2tsp

6.    Garam masala-1/4 tsp

7.    Salt

8.    Oil for deep frying

For the gravy

9.    Onion-3medium

10.   Tomatoes-2 medium

11.  Cashew nuts-10 nos, soaked in warm water for 10 minutes.

112   Ginger-1 small piece

13.Garlic-5 pods

14.Chilly powder-1 tsp

15. Coriander powder-3/4 tsp

16. Garam masala-3/4 tsp

17.  Cardamom-3 nos

18.    Fresh cream -1/4 to ½ cup

19   Water  or milk -1cup

20.     Salt

21.   Oil or butter -2tbsp

Method of preparation

1.    Boil potatoes by adding some water and salt. Once cooked, mash it.take a mixing bowl. Add all  ingredients for kofta . Mix well and knead well without lumps. Make small lemon sized balls out of this.

2.    Heat oil in a frying pan. Fry the prepared balls till brown and keep it aside.

3.    For the gravy- grind together onion ginger and garlic to smooth paste. Heat oil or butter in a pan .Add cardamom. When the aroma comes add onion paste. Sauté well until it turns brown.

4.    Meanwhile grind tomatoes in to smooth paste. Once onion, ginger garlic paste is sauted well, add in tomato paste and all powders. Sauté again until raw smell goes and oil ooze out from the masala.

5.    Add water or milk and cashew paste. Once gravy thickens and achieved desired consistency add cream and kasuri methi.Give a nice stir. Switch off the flame. Drop fried koftas and chopped coriander leaves in to the gravy. Keep the curry closed for some time to let the koftas absorb the flavors from the gravy.Garnish with some cream or grated paneer.

Serve with roti or pulav.

EASY CHICKEN DUM BIRIYANI(KERALA STYLE)

Kerala biriyanis are distinct by the dominating flavor of green chilly. This is a spicy, rich biriyani bursting with Kerala flavors.

I already have an easy biriyani here. Though it was flavorful, it was more of rustic style (a thattikootu biriyani). unlike the former this I made it in authentic Dum method. I called this one easy as it requires no sautéing process, the most time consuming process in cooking. Here we don’t need to chop heaps of onion again sparing you from shedding tears. One sad thing is that, it cannot be prepared in a jiffy as the poultry required to be marinated for long hours. That’s not a matter when we don’t need to sweat in the kitchen, right? I was very dubious about the outcome as I never ever imagined a biriyani masala without adding onions. All such misconceptions were just vanished when I tasted it.

It was such a delicious  or even more tastier than the normal one. I would say it is a must try. Once you make this, you will end up in making this again and again

Ingredients

1.    Chicken- ¾ kg ,cleaned and cut into medium sized pieces

2.    Cashew nuts-10nos

3.    Poppy seeds (kus kus)2tsp

4.    Oil or ghee-2tbsp

5.    For the marinade

Ginger-1 big pieces,peeled

Garlic-around12 pods,

Green chilly-7 nos

Mint leaves-one handful

Coriander leaves-one handful

Unsour thick curd-1/4 cup

Biriyani masala powder-2tbsp( I have used eastern brand)

red chilly powder-1tsp

garam masala powder-3/4 tsp

salt

6.    For the Rice

Basmathi rice or jeera rice-2 n ½ cup (around 500 gm)

Whole spices-cardamom 8nos,cinnamon sticks 2,star anise 1,cloves 1nos

Salt

Lemon juice-1tsp

Water of cooking the rice

7.    For layering

Ghee-2tbsp (optional)

Saffron- a pinch soaked in 3 tbsp. of warm milk

Cashew nuts and kismiss-50 gms each

Onion-2 medium, thinly sliced

Chopped mint and coriander – a few

pineapple-chopped,1/4 cup

Method of preparation

1.    Cook rice by adding plenty of water and whole spices. When it is half cooked, add lemon juice and salt. Cook till ¾ th done. Drain it and keep it aside.

2.    Grind together ginger,garlic,green chilly and greens into smooth paste. Mix all other ingredients listed under for the marinade. Take a bowl, add the chicken and the marinade. Massage the pieces well with the marinade and keep it in the fridge for minimum of 2 hours. (should not keep in the freezer.) overnight marination is best.

3.    Grind together cashew and poppy seeds into smooth paste.

4.    Take a biriyani pot or a thick bottomed pan. Heat oil or ghee. Fry cashew and kismiss till golden brown. Also fry onions till brown. Keep this aside for later use.

5.    In the same oil add chicken. Give a nice mix. If required add ¼ cup of water and cook for 5 to 8 minutes. Add cashew and poppy seed paste mix again. Once chicken is half cooked, layer the rice on top of this chicken. Sprinkle all the ingredients mentioned under for layering.

6.    now it is the  time for dum. for that take a sheet of aluminum foil which fits well to cover the pot. Cover the pot with the foil. Carefully pour ½ glass of water over the foil. Now keep the lid over pot covered with foil.(pls chk this link to see how to do dum) Keep it in low flame for 20 to 30 minutes or once the water above foil is really hot you can be sure that the biriyani is done.

8.    Open the lid carefully. Now you can feel the fragrance of biriyani all over the kitchen. Mix the rice and meat very gently. Enjoy with raitha,papad and pickle

GOBI 65

Though it is one of my favorite vegetable, I do not experiment with it. I always end up adding this along with other vegetable in Kuruma or pulav. Since I have been following vegetarian diet, I wanted to make something which resembles a non veg dish ;) .yea I am a hardcore Non vegetarian. To suppress my non vegetarian urge I made this and it did fulfill its  work J. If you have all ingredients on hand, it can be made within minutes. It is an excellent starter or can be served as a snack.

Ingredients

1.    Cauliflower – 1small,florets separated

2.    Turmeric powder- a pinch

3.    Onion-1 small,chopped

4.    Garlic-5 pods,chopped

5.    Green chilly-3 nos,cut diagonally

6.    Curry leaves- a handful

7.    Oil- for deep frying

For the batter

1.    Maida -1/2 cup

2.    Corn flour-1/4 cup

3.    Rice flour-3tbsp

4.    Garlic-4or 5

5.    Ginger- 1 small piece

6.    Chilly powder-1tsp

7.    Salt-as needed

8.    Water- as required to make thick batter

Method of preparation

1.    Wash the florets thoroughly. Cook it by adding plenty of water, little turmeric powder and salt.it should not be over cooked. Drain it in a strainer .

2.    Grind together garlic and ginger. (a tsp od ginger garlic paste can be used) Make thick batter with the ingredients mentioned under for the batter. Put all the florets into this and mix well in order to coat it well with the batter.

3.    Heat oil in a deep pan. When the oil is really hot, fry the florets till brown.

4.    In the same oil fry onions,  garlic,green chilly and curry leaves till onions turns slightly brown .put it over the fried gobi .Give a gentle mix. Serve hot as a starter or as a snack.

RAVA KESARI

This is one of the easiest sweets.it can be done within minutes.do try and enjoy this delicious sweet J

 Ingredients

1.    Rava (semolina)-1/2 cup

2.    Sugar-1/2 cup

3.    Cardamom- 4 no’s (powder cardamom pods with a tbsp. of sugar)

4.    Water-2 n ½ cup

5.    Food color- a pinch (optional)

6.    Ghee-2 tbsp.

7.    Cashew nuts-a few (optional)

Method of preparation

1.    Heat a tbsp. of ghee in a pan. Roast cashewnuts (if using) and keep it aside. add rava into the ghee and fry for 2 minutes.

2.    Transfer the roasted rava in to another plate.in the same pan pour water mixed with food color. Bring it to boil. Add roasted rava into this. Stir well. Cover the pan and cook in medium flame for 2 or 3 minutes or until the water dries up and semolina are well cooked.

3.    Add sugar,remaining ghee and cardamom powder. Mix well. Let the sugar melts and the mix thickens a bit. Switch off the flame. Transfer kesari into a greased plate. Garnish with cashew nuts.

4.    Let it cool a bit. Kesari will set once it cools down. You can either cut into squares or just scoop it with a spoon.

SPONGE CAKE

I always wanted to make sponge cake which is simple, light and airy, that could be used as a base for frosting cakes. I have tried many recipes, all of them was good on its own but didn’t give a satisfactory result when layered. At last I zeroed on this recipe. I got it the same way I wanted it to be. So happy with the result. Also it is butter free so that you will be fee from extra calories. Since the recipe doesn’t call for any raising agent, success of the cake completely lies on the beating of eggs. So make sure the eggs are beaten well for 10 minutes. Here goes the recipe.

Ingredients

1.    Eggs- 3large or 4 medium

2.    Flour-3/4 cup

3.    Sugar-1/2 cup

4.    Vanilla essence- 1 tsp

Method of preparation

1.    Preheat an oven at 180 degrees Celsius for 10 minutes. Prepare an 8” inch round cake tin.

2.    Take a wide and deep bowl. Preferably a glass bowl. Break open all eggs into this. Beat for 5 minutes till it turns frothy. Add sugar and vanilla essence. Beat again for 5 minutes until sugar dissolves and egg mix tripled in volume.

3.    Add in flour little by little. Fold in gently using a spatula.

4.    Pour in to prepared cake tin and bake for 25 minutes or until inserted knife comes out clean