Karlyachi Bhaji(karela sabji) /Bitter Gourd Rings Masala

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There are many ways of preparing this vegetable. But beauty of this dish, it is very simple and yet so yummy.
Following are the steps

1. Cut karela in slices (circular..along breadth of karela) and remove seeds from between so as to form rings. Put them in boiling water for 15-20 mins.

2. After 20 mins drain the rings and coat them with rice flour paste (take rice flour and add water to form very thin consistency). Then heat little oil in skillet (pan) and put these rings and shallow fry till point when they become crispy and start golden browning.
You can skip  this step, and directly go to step 3 if in hurry. But this will make rings crsipy,tasty and add texture to curry.

3. Now in oil in skillet (same oil remained from shallow frying), put mustard seeds(mohari) and asofotida.
Then add chopped onion and ginger garlic paste. Saute for 4-5 minutes. Now add red chilli powder,garam masala powder,tamarind pulp(chinch) ,jaggery(sugar will also do if no jaggery/gud/gul) and salt.Again saute till point all the masala is cooked and you smell it cooked. It may take about 4-5 minutes. If you have rice flour paste left out, you can put it in..this will give smooth texture to masala.

4.Add little water to it , again cook for about 3-4 minutes ,and when this masala is almost done, add crispy rings of karela to it. Coat with masala, cover with lid for 2-3 minutes. Remove lid ,garnish with coriander.

Tasty and not at all bitter gourd rings is ready :)

Kesar Badam Kulfi

<<Back to Sweets/Desserts

Its very simple. Following are the steps.

1. Roast almonds(badams-unsalty ones) lightly. Cool them and dice them to small pieces.
Take saafron in hot milk and keep aside. You can skip this step, if you want plain kulfi.

2. Mix whole milk(4 parts) and condensed milk (1part). Condensed milk is already sweet, but if you like more sweet add some sugar accoding to taste and start boiling. Keep stirring in between and reduce it about 30-40% so mixture has consistency of rabdi or basundi. If you will not stir, milk fat will stick to pan.

3. When mixture is reduced to consistency of rabadi, add roasted diced almonds,saffron(kesar) and cardamom powder to it. Boil for some more time. Cool off the mixture.

4. Take kulfi moulds or plastic cups or ice tray or any plastic cups (in shape you want). But using plastic cups is good as you can tear them if required :). Pour the mixture in the mould and if you like add saffron strands on it as more decoration.

5. Cover the plastic cups with aluminium foil so no ice is formed. You can put in icecream sticks or plastic spoons in mixture by piercing through aluminium foil. For Ice tray you can cover whole ice tray with aluminium foil and insert tooth picks :)

6.Keep in freezer for about half hour. When mixture is settled down after half hour,mix it well again in moulds (so no ice is formed) and keep in freezer again till its freezed properly like kulfi. Ideally  6 hours should be good, but if freezer is advanced you can get same results in 2-3 hours.
While removing kulfi from mould, hold mould in running water for 1 minute. Kulfi will come out easily.

Tip : Same can be achieved using only milk if you dont want to use condensed milk, but you will have to keep boiling and stirring the milk till it becomes 1/4th its original quantity. and then follow the same steps as above.

Versatile Tomato Sabzi

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1. Heat oil in pan. Add mustard seeds, cumin and hing. then add curry leaves.

When all splutter, add garlic,black pepper and greenchilli paste(ground together to it).

2.Add some chopped ginger. when garlic seems a little fried(raw smell of garlic should disappeat), add chopped tomatoes and little salt to it, so that tomatoes start leaving water coz of salt.

3.When tomatoes seem to be cooked a little, add spinach(chopped) to it.. and add red chilli powder and remaining little salt to it. allow it to cook nicely till all spinach is well cooked and all mixture seems watery.

4.To this mixture, add roasted peanut powder a little and cook for 2 mins.Yummy spinach tomato is ready.

Tip :This recipe can be applied for spinach,mung dal(cooked),potatoes (cooked) ,boiled mutter or simla mirch as well. Adding dahi instead of all this will also work very well,but add dahi only in end with flame off.

Egg Fried Rice

<<Back to Rice Recipes

Following are the steps for this recipe.

1. Cut Onion and bellpepper(simla mirch/dhobli mirchi) and 3/4 green chillis(according to hotness required) long sized (elongated).

2. Heat butter/oil in pan, put black pepper  crushed(this is optional, add if you want it spicy and hot) and green chilli(mirchi). Then add onion and bellpepper to it. Saute for 2 minutes till onion starts glazing a little brownish.

3. Then add tomato sauce you have(red hot chilly sauce preferable, but if not available, ketchup or normal tomato sauce may also do) to it in quantity of tangyness you want. Saute for about a minute.

4. Then put 2/3 eggs bulk to it and keep stirring till bulk settles down and starts solidifying. When half solified, put cooked rice to it and mix peoperly. Now keep stirring till point you want the eggs to solidify.
(I like it a little smooth with liquid still oozing a bit).

5. Sauce has its salt and cooked rice as well. But stil you may need to add a little salt for egg and peppers.
Then cover with lid and keep on low flame for about 1-2 minutes so, flavours settle properly.

Simple and easy egg fried rice is ready.

Tip : If you want, you can add green chilli sauce and soy sauce as well , if you have it. It will give more chinese flavour. 

Curd Rice

<<Back to Rice Recipes



3 simple steps.

1. Cook rice with lots of water,little salt and little ghee in it , so it becomes very soft and tasty.

2. Take curd and beat it as paste. To it add finely chopped ginger and green chillis. Add rice to it little by little till point it remains semiflowy. if you have less curd add buttermilk to make it flowy.

3.Temper with mustard , cumin, green chillis , curry leaves, coriander leaves and add add it to rice.

Enjoy simple and delicious curd rice.

Biryani Rice

<<Back to Rice Recipes

1. Ideally Soak rice in  water for 45 mins.and saffron in a cup .If no time, you can skip this step.

2. Boil large quantity of water (compared to rice – 1 cup of rice – 4-5 cups of water). When water comes to boil, add ghee , salt and khada masala like cinnamom, cardamom, laung,pepper and green chillis (1-2) cut in center and boil well.

3.Then add soaked rice to it and keep stirring till rice is 80% cooked. Then strain water in a pot.  Keep drained rice in container and cover with lid so remng 20% gets cooked with steam in rice.

4. Then add saffron to it. 

Tip : You can use the drained water as soup  by adding crushed pepper to it or use it as base in any other vegetable.

Quick Rawa Dhokla/Idli in 30 mins only

<<Back to Snacks

Ingredients

1.  One Cup Sooji/Rawa (fine rawa)
2.  One Cup curd (dahi)
3.  1/3rd cup water
4. Salt and sugar(optional as per taste)
5. Oil
6. Eno / Any unflavoured fruit salt.


This is very simple and fast recipe and ensured tasty recipe. Only follow the directions exact to measure and time.

1. To 1 cup of rawa, add 1 cup of curd, 1/3rd cup of water add little salt and sugar and form paste. Leave for 20 mins.

2. After 20 minutes  add 1 spoon of oil and 1 spoon of eno to it.

3. Grease oil to cooking pan and pour batter to it.

Heat water in cooker and then  put in cooker for 15 mins without whistle. or you can put batter in idli stand and steam like normal idlis.

4. Remove dhokla from pan/idli stands. Let it cool. After about 15 mins and temper it with mustard , cumin, green chillis , curry leaves, coriander leaves and add add it dhokla cut into pieces. Also you can make green mint /coriander chutney.

Enjoy dhokla/idli  in 30 mins :)

Tip : Once you add fruit salt/eno to batter ,batter should not be kept. It should be steamed immediately.

Methi Mutter Malai

<<Back to Veg Main

This has four steps.

1. Grind paste from onion(one),chilli(2-3 as per hotness required),ginger,garlic and cashews(7-8).

2. Boil mutter(green peas) for 10-15 minutes in water so they get full cooked.

3. Heat oil/butter in pan and add one part of  garam masala (powder or crushed pepper,cinnamon,cardamom and cloves) and  paste made in step 1 to it. Stir and cook for 5 mins(raw smell of ginger-garlic should disappear). 
Add cut methi and cooked peas. Stir continuously and cook for 5-7 mins till aroma of methi starts coming off beautifully. Make sure masala does not turn brown, it shoud be white  

4.Add remaining part of garam masala crushed and then add milk to make consistency flowy (if you have milk cream its good, else normal milk will do).  You may add a little water if consistency id too thick.
Cook for another 3-4 minutes on medium low flame. 

Methi Mutter Malai is ready. Mind it..

Tip : This recipe is not sweet. But if you like it sweet add some sugar in paste in step4 when you add milk.

Simple Chicken Curry

<<Back to NonVeg Main

Following are steps.

1. Wash chicken. Marinate it with chicken masala(any brand), haldi,red chilli powder and lemon juice if any.keep in freezer for half hour.

2. Take whole garam masala(peppers, dalchini,bayleaf,elaichi,laung) and mix coarsely in mixer.

3.cut onion finely.and fresh chop fresh ginger and garlic coarsley.

4.In pan, heat oil and put coarsley ground garam masala to it.

Then add freshly chopped ginger garlic  and then add chopped onion to it and cook till it turns golden brown.

5. Now add chicken pieces , salt and little chilli powder(as per taste /hotness required) and start cooking.
After 5 mins, when chicken is half cooked, add spoonful of dahi to it and allow chicken to cook fully with closed lid. Add chicken masala a little if required.

Keep checking and approx in 10 mins wonderful and easy chicken currry is ready.

Methi Chicken

<<Back to NonVeg Main

It has four main simple steps.

1. Marinating , in which take chicken in bowl.add curd(dahi),red chilli (lal mirch) powder,coriander(dhania) powder,turmeric(haldi),cardamom(elaichi),cinnamom(dalchini),clove(laung),pepper(meere),salt and mix well. keep aside for half hour.

2.Grind paste from onion,chilli,ginger and garlic.Use water if reqd to form a smooth paste.

3.Heat oil in pan and add smooth pastejust made  to it. Stir and cook for 5 mins(raw smell of ginger-garlic should disappear). Add cut methi and whole methi. Stir continuously and cook for 5-7 mins till aroma of methi starts coming off beautifully.

4.Now add marinated chicken to it. Mix nicely and cook for 5-8 mins.stir in between.

Then add green chilli (cut in centre lenghtwise) and ginger jubellians and mix well.

Add milk cream (if not only milk) and again cook for 5-7 mins. 

Tip : Allow to cool off. Make methi chicken 1-2 hours before serving as flavours will dip inside the chicken well.

Annapurna

Annapurna.. Goddess of Food..
India,where every aspect which is important to life of humanbeing is respected and worshipped, how can Food remain aloof..
They say, Way to reach a man's heart is through his stomach. I generalise it. easiest way to reach to person's heart (man/woman equally) is no doubt food. There can be exceptions , but as said its generalisation. And many will agree this.
Imagine, you are stuck in heavy rains, you stop in shade of a house,and house owner offers you a cup of tea and parle bisuits.. That moment, I am sure you will be overwhelmed. May be you wont get aquainted further or never meet again.. but you will cherish this memory forever...
No need to say how important food is for life, but not just to live.. food also tells a way of life.... it fascinates almost whole human race.. and will continue to do so... It was that desire for spice, which brought people from world to India...

I was one person who hated food in childhood..One of friends had predicted then that I will be become a real foodie in future and I laughed at her prediction. But as it turned out, prediction came out true..
I am a thorough foodie...

But being lot lazy ,I try to have all the flavours in shortcut..And here I put them as I liked them as  Easy and delicious.. In this blog , I will be writing them down as I try. Needless to say, they are not my inventions.. but sometimes i try to experiment with some ingredients..

Thats why.. its my khaddyasafari.. an  endless journey through province of food.

Do appreciate your comments.. and suggestions..critics..new recipe suggestions etc etc..

I start with seeking blessings from Annapurna..