Sooji ka Halwa

                       Sooji also known as Rava and Semolina in English is widely used to make breakfast dish called Upma but, another famous dish that can be made using it is a dessert called the Sooji ka meetha or Sooji ka halwa.

                      Sooji or semolina is high in protein, rich in B vitamins like folate and thiamine and also has large amounts of Selenium, that works as an anti-oxidant and helps in strengthening the immune system.

                       Sooji ka halwa is quick to prepare and very easy to make. The most crucial step in the recipe is the browning or roasting the sooji which involves continuous stirring. Dry fruits are added to give an additional taste, cashews, almonds and raisins are the ones that are generally used although I have skipped adding raisins for personal taste. Here, comes the detailed recipe :-

Ingredients:

1. Sooji/Rava/Semolina - 1 cup
2. Water - 1 cup
3. Sugar - 3/4th cup
4. Cashews - few
5. Almonds - few
6. Ghee - 1 tsp (clarified butter)

Method:

• Soak almonds and cashews in water for 20 to 30 mins or boil them if you are running short of time. Sliver almonds and cashews very finely.
• Heat ghee in a pan. (You can alternatively use oil)
• Add the dry fruits,  fry till light brown in colour and remove to a plate.
• To the same pan with the remaining ghee add sooji.
• Stir continuously and roast the sooji till it starts changing colour and you smell a nice aroma. (Darkening the sooji at this step gives a darker shade to the halwa).
• Add water. The sooji begins to thicken. 
• Add sugar. First add only half a cup of sugar and increase the amount as per your liking. Mix well.
• Now add the fried dry fruits preserving some for garnishing. Mix well to combine. Turn off the heat.
• Garnish and serve warm.

                       

              You may also like to try Gajar ka Halwa, Bread kaja, Bread Rasmalai, Oats halwa and Aloo ka meetha from My Mom's Kitchen.

Hope you give it a try. Will love to listen from you.

 Happy Cooking!!!

 

Khatta

                  Khatta literally means sour. And this sourness like in other Hyderabadi dishes comes from tamarind, it being the main ingredient in this recipe.

                    Khatta is traditionally served along with Hyderabadi khichidi which in turn has other accompaniments like Kheema curry and Pyaaz ka anda (onion omelette) .

                    The extracted tamarind juice is seasoned with salt and red chilli powder and sliced onions are added. That's it! That's the basic recipe of khatta and it involves absolutely no cooking.

Ingredients:

1. Tamarind - fistful
2. Water - as required
3. Onion - 1 no
4. Red chilli powder - 1 tsp
5. Salt - to taste

Method:

• Soak a fistful of tamarind in water for 15 - 20 minutes.

                                             

• After 20 minutes use your finger tips to gently squeeze out the juice. Transfer this extract to another bowl (serving bowl preferably).
• Again add some water to the tamarind and continue extracting the juice. Again transfer this extract to the previously extracted juice.
• Repeat the second step twice or thrice till you have extracted all the pulp and then discard the tamarind waste remaining.
• Season with salt and red chilli powder. Mix well.
• Add finely sliced onion. Stir and serve.

 

You can also add mint and coriander leaves and also very finely chopped green chillies for taste. 

Also check out Til ka char, Hyderabadi bagaare baingan, Maiqalya, Hyderabadi khatti dal and Dalcha from My Mom's Kitchen.

Hope you like it 😃 and if you do, let us know by mentioning it below in the comments section.

Happy Cooking!!!

Achari Chana Pulao

                     Achaar means pickle and achaari means pickled taste. This Chana pulao has a pickle like taste and hence the name achari chana pulao. It can be made for parties or also be packed for lunch box as it is high on nutritional value and is easy to prepare.

                            

                     While most of the recipes call for the use of actual pickle being used my recipe does not involve any real pickle but, the taste comes from the use of amazing seeds that give the flavor of pickle and they are mustard seeds, cumin seeds, nigella seeds and fenugreek seeds. These are also used in Hyderabadi bagaare baingan, do check it out! And these seeds are also used in vegetable preparations like that of bhindi, aloo and gobi yielding achari bhindi, achari aloo and achari gobi respectively.

                     The other main ingredient in this dish is kabuli chana or chickpeas. Chana vegetable biryani was a recipe that I posted long, long ago that tastes equally delicious, do try it. This achari chana pulao can be eaten all by itself but tastes best with Dahi ki chutney (raita) .
Now, to the recipe :-

Ingredients:

1. Chickpeas - 1 & 1/2 cup
2. Rice - 500 gms
3. Onion - 1 no (large)
4. Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
5. Cumin seeds - 1tsp
6. Nigella seeds - 1 tsp (kalonji)
7. Fenugreek seeds - 1 tsp (methi dana)
8. Ginger garlic paste - 1 tbsp
9. Red chilli powder - 1 tsp
10. Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
11. Garam masala - 1 tsp
12. Coriander leaves - few
13. Salt - to taste
14. Oil - 1 & 1/2 tbsp

Method:

• Soak chickpeas for 4 to 5 hours or overnight in water.
• Drain the water and pressure cook chickpeas for atleast 3 whistles with little water and salt. Keep aside.
• Wash and soak rice grains for 15 to 20 minutes. Drain water and keep aside.
• In a cooking vessel, heat oil.
• Add all the seeds.
• Once they crackle, add onion and fry till soft and translucent.
• Add ginger garlic paste. Mix well.
• Add the cooked chickpeas along with the remaining spices - chilli powder, turmeric powder, garam masala and salt to taste.
• Add the soaked rice with just about enough water for cooking. You should be able to stir freely.
• Cover and cook on medium to low flame till no water remains while stirring occasionally.
• Cook on low flame for another 5 minutes.
• Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot.

If you feel that your chickpeas have turned really soft and might get mushy during cooking then add them towards the end, i.e. after adding the rice.


                      You may also like to try  Bagaara khaana, Mixed fried rice, Lobia chawal, Boot pulao and Fitni pulao from My Mom's Kitchen!

Here's wishing you a great day and

Happy Cooking!!!

                  

Lobia baingan masala

                       Last year, I had posted one of my Mom's special recipe called the Kheema Baingan Masala which became an instant hit with the readers but sadly it catered only to a few, as it is a non vegetarian recipe and the vegetarians were deprived of the deliciousness. Well, to fulfil that, here today is Lobia baingan masala. Lobia (black eyed peas) substitute the green peas & the minced meat in the recipe.

                  Lobia or black eyed peas are a power house of protein, good source of soluble fibre and helps in preventing anaemia. On the other hand, the baingan or eggplants are a good source of dietary fibre, copper and also a rich source of various Vitamins which include Vit C, K, B1 and B6. It also contains phytonutrients and it's skin is rich in antioxidants. And here comes the detailed recipe :-

Ingredients:

1. Lobia/black eyed peas - 1 cup
2. Eggplant / Baingan - 250 gms
3. Potato - 150 gms
4. Onion - 2 nos
5. Coriander leaves - 1 bunch
6. Green chilies - 5 nos
7. Ginger garlic paste - 1 tbsp
8. Red Chili powder - 2 tsp
9. Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
10. Salt - to taste
11. Oil - 3 tbsp

Method:

• Soak and then pressure cook lobia with little water and salt. Drain the excess water and keep aside.
• Chop Eggplant into small pieces. Keep them soaked in water with a pinch of salt till ready to use.
• Slice and similarly preserve the potatoes too.
• In a pan heat oil and add the chopped onions. Saute them till they turn soft and translucent.
• Add ginger garlic paste, salt, turmeric and red chilli powder. Mix well.
• Now add the drained potatoes and eggplant or baingan. Combine.
• Add the cooked lobia. Stir well.
• Add half a cup water followed by coriander leaves and slit green chillies.
• Cook covered on low flame for 5 to 7 minutes and turn off the flame.
• Serve hot.

                  You may also like to try Aloo bhindi fry, Eggplant & potato curry, Cabbage sabzi, Sweet corn curry and Gobi matar from My Mom's Kitchen!

Do try the recipe and spread the joy of taste with your loved ones...

Happy Cooking..!!!

Dal Kadhai

                   Today's recipe is Dal Kadhai using chana dal or split bengal gram. It's a dhaba style curry dhaba being small traditional hotels along the highways in India. They serve really spicy food so one has to proclaim while placing the order to make the food less spicy if that is what one wants to have.

                       Kadhai in Hindi means a deep vessel with two handles on either side just like the one in the picture above. A dish having kadhai in its name suggests that it is made in a kadhai and by default served in one.

                       Speaking of the chana dal curry in today's post it is a mildly spiced curry (I withheld the amount of red chilli powder you can increase or decrease it to suit your palate). The tomatoes form the basis of the curry giving it a slight gravy like consistency and not keeping it completely dry and therefore it pairs beautifully with any type of chapatis or pooris. It also tastes great with another famous dhaba dish called the Jeera rice.

                       Here comes the detailed recipe :-

Ingredients:

1. Chana dal / split bengal gram - 1&1/2 cups
2. Tomatoes - 3 nos
3. Ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp
4. Red chilli powder - 1 tsp
5. Coriander powder - 1 tsp
6. Black pepper powder - 1 tsp
7. Cumin powder - 1/2 tsp
8. Green chillies - 3 nos
9. Coriander leaves - few
10. Salt - to taste
11. Oil - 2 to 3 tbsp

Method:

• Wash and soak chana dal in water for atleast 30 minutes. Pressure cook with very little water and keep aside.
• Heat oil in a kadhai. 
• Add chopped tomatoes and cover and cook till soft and pulpy.
• Add ginger garlic paste, coriander powder, red chilli powder and salt to taste. Mix well.
• Add black pepper powder followed by cumin powder. Give a good stir and mix till everything seems well combined.
•  Now add the chana dal and mix well.
• Slit and add green chillies. 
• Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot.

      
                            If you are looking for more easy dal recipes then do check out Dry Urad dal, Dalcha, Meethi dal, Dal bhaji and Khadi dal (lentils with dill) from My Mom's Kitchen.

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Write to us in the comments section below. We will be glad to hear from you.

Happy Cooking!!!

Mango milkshake

           Summer's long gone but can one have enough of mangoes within the short span they are available in? Definitely not! So, here's a very simple Mango milkshake from the last of the season's mangoes.


         

                   Extremely simple to make and being an absolute fuss free and involving fire less cooking this mango milkshake is a glass of delight with every sip being overloaded with freshness of juicy mangoes. 

                    Mango is a fruit rich in fibre and great source of Vitamins A and C. It contains a little of calcium, folate and Iron while also being a good source of antioxidants. They are naturally sweet and so you might take care while adding sugar during preparation. So, here comes the detailed recipe:-

Ingredients:

1. Mango - 2 nos
2. Milk - 2 cups
3. Sugar - 3 tbsp
4. Ice cubes - 3 nos
5. Saffron - a pinch

Method:

• Remove mango pulp of the mangoes and discard the stone.
• In a blender blend together the mango pulp, milk, sugar and ice cubes till smooth.
• Transfer to glasses.
• Garnish with saffron and serve chilled.

                  

                             You may also like to try  Dry fruits milkshake, Carrot milkshake, Strawberry milkshake, Milk sherbet and Badam milk from My Mom's Kitchen.

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             Happy Cooking!!!