MounasKitchen An Indian Food Blog

Ingredients

• •Brinjals,small 250 grams
• •Peanuts 2 tablespoons
• •Sesame seeds (til) 1 1/2 tablespoons
• •Poppy seeds (khuskhus/posto) 3/4 teaspoon
• •Dried coconut ( khopra),grated 1 tablespoon
• •Oil 4 tablespoons + for deep-frying
• •Onion ,sliced 2 medium
• •Mustard seeds 1/2 teaspoon
• •Cumin seeds 1/4 teaspoon
• •Fennel seeds (saunf) 1/4 teaspoon
• •Onion seeds (kalonji) 1/4 teaspoon
• •Fenugreek seeds (methi dana) pinch
• •Curry leaves 10-12
• •Ginger paste 1 tablespoon
• •Garlic paste 1 tablespoon
• •Green chilli paste 1 teaspoon
• •Turmeric powder 1/2 teaspoon
• •Coriander powder 1 1/2 teaspoon
• •Cumin powder 1/2 teaspoon
• •Red chilli powder 1/2 teaspoon
• •Salt to taste
• •Tamarind pulp 2 tablespoons
• •Jaggery (gur),grated 1/2 teaspoon

Method

• Dry roast the peanuts in a non stick pan till lightly browned. Set aside to cool. Similarly dry roast the sesame seeds, poppy seeds and dried coconut separately and set aside to cool. Grind the roasted ingredients with half a cup of water to a fine paste.
  Make one slit along the length of the brinjals from the bottom and one from the top near the stem – this way the brinjals will get cooked well. Take care that they are held together at the stem.
  Heat sufficient oil in a kadai. Add the brinjals and deep fry three to four minutes. Drain on absorbent paper and set aside. Add the onions to the same oil and deep fry till golden. Drain on absorbent paper and set aside.
  
• Heat four tablespoons oil in another non stick pan. Add the mustard seeds, cumin seeds, fennel seeds, onion seeds and fenugreek seeds and sauté till lightly browned. Add the curry leaves, ginger paste, garlic paste and green chilli paste. Stir and sauté till the oil separates from the masala.
  Add the browned onions, turmeric powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, red chilli powder and salt and stir. Add the tamarind and jaggery and mix well. Add the coconut paste and cook till the oil separates.
  Add the fried brinjals and one cup water and mix. Cover and simmer for fifteen to twenty minutes or till the oil surfaces.
  
• Serve hot with roti, chapatti or parantha.

Ingredients

• Red pumpkin (bhopla/kaddu),peeled and grated 800 grams
• Ghee 2 tablespoons
• Sugar 100 grams
• Khoya/mawa,grated 70 grams
• Cashewnuts 10-12
• Raisins 10
• Pistachios 8-10
• Green cardamom powder 1 teaspoon

Method

• Heat the ghee in a non-stick kadai. Add the pumpkin and sauté on low heat till soft. Add the sugar, mix well and cook till the sugar melts and the moisture evaporates.
  Add the khoya, cashewnuts, raisins and pistachios and mix well. Cook for five minutes, stirring continuously. Remove from heat and sprinkle green cardamom powder. Serve hot.
  

Dal makhani as it is popularly known in the punjab, with its smooth flavour is a delicacy that is very much a dish of the punjab.
Preparation Time: 15 mins.
Cooking Time: 40 mins.
Ingredients:
3/4 cup whole urad (whole black lentil)(for 2 hours add some amount of baking soda on that)
2 tbsp rajma (kidney beans)
salt to taste
3 tbsp butter
1 tsp cumin seeds (jeera)
2 green chillies , cut lengthwise
2 cloves (laung / lavang)
1/2 cup finely chopped onions
1/2 tsp ginger-garlic (adrak-lehsun) paste
1 tsp chilli powder
1/4 tsp turmeric powder (haldi)
1 1/2 cups fresh tomato puree
1/2 cup fresh cream
2 tbsp chopped coriander (dhania)
1 tbsp fresh cream for the garnish
Method:
Clean, wash and soak the whole urad and rajma overnight(or you can soak it for 2 hours by use of baking soda)
Drain, add 2 cups of water and salt and pressure cook for 7 whistles or till the dals are overcooked.
Allow the steam to escape before opening the lid.
Whisk till the dal is almost mashed. Keep aside.
For the tempering, heat the butter in a deep pan and add the cumin seeds.
When the cumin seeds crackle, add the green chillies, cinnamon, cloves, cardamoms, and onions and sauté till the onions turn golden brown in colour.
Add the ginger-garlic paste,chilli powder, turmeric powder and tomato puree and cook over a medium flame till the mixture leaves oil.
Add the dal, salt and approx 2 to 3 tbsp water if required and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes.
Add the cream and mix well. Simmer for 2 to 3 more minutes.

Spinach is one of my favorite veggie dishes because it is full of nutrients and health benefits. Here is one more way of preparing it. I have mixed potato cubes in it, but the recipe can be adapted and used with lightly fried paneer cubes to make palak paneer.
INGREDIENTS
1 big bunch of spinach (it shrinks a LOT during cooking)
1 medium onion, grated or chopped finely
1 large potato, peeled, cubed and boiled until tender (or 125 gm paneer, cubed and fried)
1-2 tomatoes, chopped
1 tsp. jeera/whole cumin
1-2 green chilies
½ tsp. garlic paste
½ tsp. cumin powder
½ tsp. coriander powder
pinch of turmeric powder
pinch of garam masala
salt to taste
1 tsp. lemon juice
water
2-4 tbsp. oil
some coriander for garnishing
INSTRUCTIONS
Take your bunch of fresh spinach. Wash/clean and get the leaves off the stems. Discard stems and drain the leaves then chop them into very thin slices.
Heat some oil in a pan, add the cumin seeds and allow them to splutter. Next add the chopped onion and fry to a nice light brown, then add a green chili with slits and the garlic paste. Fry for a bit then add the chopped tomatoes and sprinkle the cumin and coriander powders. Cook until the tomatoes are soft and mushy and you can see the oil being released from the sides.
Next add the spinach, give it a stir then cover and let this cook, giving it an occasional stir every few minutes. Add the cubed boiled potatoes at this point so they can absorb the flavors properly.
The spinach will reduce drastically in amount. Do not cook it for too long, you will lose all the nutrients from it otherwise. About 10 minutes should be good enough. You can add water to help it get done if it dries up too quickly.
Once it’s done to your liking, sprinkle the garam masala, squeeze in the lemon juice then garnish with coriander and serve.
TIP: If you are using fried paneer cubes, add them in at this last stage just before turning off the heat.

 

 
Preparation Time: 30 mins.
Cooking Time: 40 mins.
Makes 16 rasgullas.

Ingredients For the rasgullas :
1 recipe chenna
1 tsp plain flour (maida) for dusting
For the sugar syrup:
5 cups sugar
1/2 cup milk
Other ingredients :
2 tsp plain flour (maida)
Method
For the rasgullas : Divide the chenna into 16 equals parts and roll each part into a ball, taking care to see that the there are no cracks on the surface
Dust the back of a flat plate (thali) lightly with the flour and place the rolled chenna balls on it.
For the sugar syrup :
Combine the sugar and milk with 3 cups of water in a large pan approx. 200 mm. (8″) in diameter and 150 mm. (6″) in height and heat while stirring continuously till the sugar dissolves.
When the syrup comes to a boil, the impurities in the sugar will begin to float on the surface, forming a grey layer.
Heat over a medium flame to allow the grey layer to float. Do not stir at this point as the layer will break and it will not clarify the syrup.
After about 5 minutes, slowly drizzle 1 cup of water form the sides of the pan with the help of a ladle. Water added at this stage will bring down the temperature of the sugar syrup and will not allow it to boil and break the grey layer.
Continue to simmer the syrup over a medium flame for about 10 minutes and then gently remove the grey layer using a slotted spoon.
Bring the syrup to the boil once again and then slowly drizzle another cup of water from the sides of the pan using a ladle. remove all the remaining impurities from the syrup, again using a slotted spoon.
Increase the flame and boil vigorously for 1 to 2 minutes. Keep aside.
How to proceed :
Mix 2 teaspoons of the plain flour with 3/4 cup of water to make a flour solution. Keep aside.
Heat the sugar syrup in a deep pan over a high flame and allow it to boil vigorously.
When it boils, sprinkle half the flour solution in the sugar syrup and then add the chenna balls by upturning the plate on which they are kept. (Do not touch the chenna balls at this point as they are fragile).
When the flour solution is added, a frothy layer is formed on the surface of the syrup.
If the frothy layer begins to subside, sprinkle the remaining half portion of the flour solution.
After this, keep on sprinkling water (minimum 1 cup) on the surface of the sugar syurp. Ensure that the syrup froths all the time while cooking the rasgullas.
Cook for about 15 minutes, continuously sprinkling water to enable the froth to form.
Check if the rasgullas are cooked. This is determined by touch. If the rasgulla springs back and retains its shape when pressed, it is cooked. Another way of checking is to drop a rasgulla in a pan of cold water.
If it sinks to the bottom, it is cooked.
Remove form the fire.
Transfer the rasgullas to a bowl along with 2 ladles of sugar syrup and 1 cup of water.
Cool and chill for approx. 3 to 4 hours before serving.
Tips:
Rasgullas should always be cooked on a very high flame.
While cooking rasgullas, the sugar syrup must froth continuously.
The pan should be approximately 200 mm. (8″) in diameter and 150 mm. (6″) in height and the sugar syrup should fill about 1/3 of the pan.
While making rasgulla shapes (see variation below), always ensure that there are no cracks on the surface of the shapes.
While cooking, rasgullas expand to at least 4 times their original size.
While sprinkling water on the syrup when the rasgullas are cooking,
make sure you sprinkle a little water at a time (approx. a teaspoon at a time using your hands) and not large quantities.

Tandoori chicken is a popular South Asian (also very popular in UK) dish consisting of roasted chicken prepared with yogurt and spices. The name comes from the type of cylindrical clay oven, a tandoor, in which the dish is traditionally prepared.




Ingredients:

• Chicken leg pieces - 12 no ,  clean & skinned out
• Ginger garlic paste - 4 tsp
• Curd - As required for marinating
• Lemon juice - 2 tsp
• Chilli powder - Add as per spice
• Paprika powder - 1 tsp( Gives the red color naturally )
• Salt - As required
• Turmeric powder -  2 tsp  

Preparation:

1. 1. Take the skinned out chicken, add turmeric powder to it and soak for an hour .The turmeric removes the raw Smell from Chicken.
3. 2. Then Prick / slit the chicken legs with knife on both sides.
5. 3. After it is done, add ginger garlic paste, curd, lemon juice, chilli powder, paprika   powder and salt .
7. 4. Mix thoroughly and leave the marinated chicken for at least an hour or so.
9. 5. Then turn on the convection oven and put it in broil and set the temperature to 375F and preheat it.
11. 6. Arrange the chicken legs in the oven.
13. 7. Turn around all the sides allowing it to be cooked evenly so that all the fat and water from chicken trips down
15. 8. The cooking generally takes about 45 min to an hour  . After it is cooked well turn off .
17. 9. Now the tasty Spicy tandoori chicken is ready.
19. 10. Sprinkle little lemon juice and enjoy this with Cilantro chutney .

• 1 kg carrots, chopped into small pieces
• ½ tin evaporated milk plus ½  cup milk
• ¼ cup milk with a few strands saffron dissolved in it for boiling the carrots
• ¾ cup sugar
• cardamom powder and some crushed almonds/pistas for garnishing
• 3 heaped tbsp. butter or ghee
• 1 tbsp. oil.

1. Boil the carrot pieces in the quarter cup of milk and saffron for 10 minutes, then grind in a food processor.
2. Heat your pan and add the butter/ghee plus the oil, then add the crushed carrots and fry on medium heat for about 5minutes.
3. Lower the heat and fry the mixture until it starts getting dry and begins to stick to the bottom of the pan. You have to keep on stirring.
4. When it's quite dry and has started releasing some of the oil, add the sugar and cardamom. Keep on stirring and cooking on low heat until the sugar dissolves. Then add the evaporated milk and the half cup of milk and cook for about 5 more minutes.

Ingredients:

12 Pav buns
2 Onions
3 tsp Dhania Powder
5 Tomatoes
2 tsp Jeera Powder
3 Potatoes
2 tsp Chilli powder
1 cup Peas
4 tsp Pav Bhajji masala
1/2 cup Carrot
Salt to taste
1/2 cup Beans
1/2 cup Coriander for garnish
1/2 cup Cabbage
2 tsp Lemon Juice
1/2 cup Capsicum
1 cup Cauliflower
1' piece Ginger
Garlic optional
2 Green chillies finely chopped

Preparation:

1. Heat a pan with oil & add the onions. Fry till translucent. Add tomatoes,salt,add all the powders and fry till the oil floats on top. 
2. Steam all the other vegetables seperately & add them to the onion mixture. 
3. Add a cup of water & let it cook to boiling consistency. Then With the help of a potato masher keep mashing the mixture till it cooks nicely. 
4. When all the vegetables are cooked thoroughly garnish with coriander & lemon juice and serve with Pav. 

Ingredients:

To make puri:

• 1 cup Semolina (Suji)
• 3 tblsp Fine Wheat Flour (Maida)
• 1/4 tsp Baking Soda
• Oil to deep fry

A versatile ingredient that lends itself to various dishes,ranging from simple to exotic.

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups (500 ml) full fat milk
1 tsp lemon juice

Method
1. Put the milk to boil. When it starts boiling, switch off the gas and wait for a while.
2. Add the lemon juice and when it curdles, strain using a muslin cloth.
3. If you want solid paneer, put some weight on the drained paneer and leave it on for some time.
4. Use as required.

Tips
1. You can also use vinegar or citric acid crystals instead of lemon juice.
2. 1/2 cup Paneer by weight is 70 gms

Egg Bhurji is the most popular Indian dish which is prepared with eggs, onions, tomatoes and other spices. It's also referred as Indian style scrambled spicy eggs. It tastes awesome with Chapati's or Roti's. If you are new to the cooking world , do try this out and you will love it. It's an all time favorite dish for us. My father loves it the most. Its one of the few dishes which he loves to demand.


So here's the quick recipe for Egg Bhurji

Ingredients:

Butter chicken or Murgh makhani is dish from the Punjab region.  You might have already had the recipe for butter chicken as it is a well know recipe but  the actual flavour can vary from recipe to recipe and way it is cooked. Butter chicken is usually eaten with naan, roti or steamed rice.
You might have tasted chicken butter in resturaunts but making it by yourself is a rewarding and tasteful experience. So here is a recipe for butter chicken for butter chicken lovers.
Ingredients 

2 to 3 tablespoons of butter
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 onion chopped
¼ teaspoon of cinnamon
2 teaspoons of crushed garlic
2 teaspoons of crushed ginger
½ teaspoon of ground turmeric
1 to 2 teaspoons of chilli powder
1 tablespoon of coriander
2  boneless chicken thighs or breasts
2 tablespoons ground almonds
225 gram / 8 oz can of whole peeled tomatoes with juice
1 tablespoon of tomato paste
½ cup of unsweetened yoghurt
salt and pepper

Let’s start cooking!
Trim and cut the chicken into small cubes, season it with salt and pepper and put aside.  Heat oil in a large saucepan or frying pan and add the chicken. Fry the chicken for 3-4 minutes untill it is golden brown. Remove the chicken and put it aside. Melt the butter in the same frying pan. Add onions and cinnamon and stir well. Add all the remaining ingredients garlic, ginger, chilli powder, almonds, tomato and tomato paste and yougourt. Stir them well. Bring it to boil and let it cook for 5 minutes. Add the chicken and cook further for 5 minutes. Serve on rice with a salad and naan bread.