Crunchy Coconut Balls

Its a very simple recipe. It makes great nutritious snack for the kids and everyone would love it.

INGREDIENTS:

•  English Marie / Arrowroot Biscuits:            1 Packet
• Condensed Milk:                                        1 Can
• Cocoa Powder:                                          1/4 Cup
• Dessicated Coconut:                                   3/4 Cup

RECIPE:

• Crumble the biscuits, using Food processor or if you want your rolls to be slightly chunky, use just your hands.
• Mix rest of the ingredients with crumbled biscuits.
• Make a nice dough of the mix.
• Make small and smooth balls of the mix.
• Roll the balls on some extra dessicated coconut.

Ready to serve. These taste really nice at room temperature or right out of Refrigerator.

Gulab Jamun

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This is one of the most popular sweet - dish in India. You can have it Hot in Winters or make it dry for summers. It's really easy to make.

INGREDIENTS:

• Milk Powder:                                                                 1 1/2 cup
• Self Raising flour ( or MAIDA + 1/2 tsp baking soda):    1/2 cup             
• Thickened Cream:   Just enough to make soft rubbery dough
• Oil:                                                                                     For frying

     For the Sugar Syrup

• Sugar:                                                                                3 Cups
• Water:                                                                               1 1/2 Sups
• Cardamon Seeds (Finely grounded):                                  1/4 tspoon

METHOD:

   To Make Sugar Syrup

• Mix Sugar and Water and add Cardamon powder.
• Heat the mix at medium heat for 5-10 minutes until sugar is all dissolved in water and it thickens a bit. Do not overcook as it leads to caramalization.
• Keep the Sugar Syrup warm.

     To Make Balls

• Make the dough by combining the milk powder, Flour and Cream,just enough to make a medium-hard dough. Divide the dough into small parts, around 30-35 . Make balls by gently rolling each portion between your palms. Place the balls on a plate. Cover with a moist towel.
• Heat the oil on Medium high and when it is fairly hot, lower the flame to medium . Put the balls in the oil, one by one. Then very gently and carefully shake the pan to keep the balls from browning on just one side. After about 2 mins, the balls will rise to the surface. Now gently and constantly agitate them to ensure even browning on all sides.

         After frying, add the balls to sugar syrup and leave overnight for best absorption.

Important TIPS:

• If the temperature of the oil is too high then the gulab jamuns will tend to break. So maintain the temperature at medium high to ensure that the gulab jamuns do not break or cook too quickly as it will leave core uncooked.
• Make Sure the dough isn't too wet as it would become sticky and making balls would be very hard.
• Sugar syrup's consistency is very important as over-heated sugar syrup would before bit hard on cooling and if its not cooked properly then Gulab jamun's would taste watery.

ENJOY COOKING !!

Vegetable Biryani

We all know, Biryani tastes best with meat but what if you don't eat meat. Well, here's a vegetarian version of Biryani that tastes amazing and is quite easy to cook. So let's start cooking:

INGREDIENTS:

• Red onion, sliced very fine in long thin flakes                 1 Large
• Basmati rice                                                                 2 cups
• Vegetable oil                                                                1 tablespoon
• Garlic cloves (finely crushed)                                         2 large
• Cinnamon stick                                                             1
• Red chilli powder                                                          1/4 Tspoon
• Cardamom                                                                    5-6 
• Cumin                                                                           1 1/2 teaspoons
• Vegetable stock / Water                                                3 Cups
• Cauliflower ( small pieces)                                             1/2 Cup
• Green beans                                                                  1 Cup
• Button mushrooms (cut into quarters)                             1/2 Cup
• Toasted Almonds (cut into flakes)                                  2 Table spoons
• Yoghurt                                                                         1/4 Cup
• Corriander leaves for dressing
• Salt as per taste

RECIPE:

• Heat oil in a large, saucepan over medium heat.
• Cook onion about 2 minutes.
• Now add garlic and cook further for 2-3 minutes or until onion is soft.
• Add the Spices - cinnamon, cardamon, cumin and chilli.
• Cook for about 45-60 seconds i.e until you smell aroma of spices.
• Add rice.
• Fry it slowly for a few minutes and let it absorb the spices.
• Add the veggies - Beans, Mushroom and Cauliflower.
• Add the Stock / Water.
• Bring it to boil.
• Now, reduce the heat to medium low.
• Add Salt.
• Cover the Pan and let it simmer for about 12 minutes or until the water is completely absorbed.
• Remove from heat.
• Leave it covered for about 10-12 minutes or until the rice is tender and soft.
• Remove the Cinnamon stick.
• Dress it up with Fresh Corriander leaves and flaked Almonds.
• Serve with Yoghurt or may be with any curry of your choice.

 Important TIPS:

• Never let the flame get to high while cooking rice as it would make the water evaporate leaving the rice uncooked.
• Keep on checking it while its cooking to make sure, rice are not sticking to bottom.
• If you serve it with curry, don't add almond flakes.

ENJOY !!

Spicy Paneer Pakoda

Paneer Pakoda, is one of the most popular Indian snacks. Be it wedding or a kitty party or a cocktail party, Paneer Pakoda is always in demand.
Its easy to make & great in taste, so let's get started.

INGREDIENTS:

• PANEER ( Cottage Cheese)                   250 gms
• Besan ( Gram Flour)                                2 Cups
• Green Chilly                                            2 or as per your taste
• Onion                                                     2 Medium size
• Yoghurt (Dahi)                                        1/2 Cup
• Red Chilli Powder                                   1/2 tsp( or as per your taste)
• Baking Powder                                        Just a pinch
• Salt                                                          As per taste
• Oil                                                           Enough for Deep frying
• Chat Masala                                            For sprinkling over the top

RECIPE:

• Cut paneer, green chilli and onions into small square pieces.
• Mix  salt, red chilli, baking powder and Yoghurt in to besan and make a thick batter using water.
• Heat oil on a medium-high heat. (Make sure the oil is hot enough by putting a small drop of batter, it should come up instantly)
• Dip a piece of paneer, green chilli and onion together in the batter and deep fry in the oil.
• Sprinkle some Pakora masala on the top and serve them hot.

SPECIAL TIPS:

• Pay attention to batter's consistency. If it's runny, it won't stick to paneer and If it's too thick, pakoda's would be hard. So it should be somewhere in between the too.
• Another thing is flame and the tmperature of oil. If the oil is too hot, pakodas would brown outside & remain raw inside but if its not hot enough, pakodas would become hard. So, flame should be medium -high and lower it if it becomes too hot subsequently.
• Beat the batter well, make sure there are no lumps.
• Pakodas taste best, when served with hot Dhaniya chutney.

So, Enjoy the pakodas and Have Fun Cooking !!

MUGHLAI PANEER

Mughlai Paneer is a rich and traditional recipe which has the flavour of moghul style cooking (as the name suggests). Its quite simple to make and is an amazing dish for any occassion .

INGREDIENTS :

1. Paneer :                               250gms
2. Thickened Cream :               1 Cup
3. Khus Khus seeds :               1tsp
4. Watermelon seeds :              1tsp
5. Yoghurt :                              1 Cup ( whip it well)
6. Onion :                                 1 Large ( grated )
7. Red chill powder :                 1/2 tsp
8. Garam masala :                     1/2 tsp
9. Salt :                                     To taste
10. Fresh Corriander Leaves :      For Dressing

RECIPE:

• Soak khus-khus and watermelon seeds in water overnight and then grind it to a fine paste.
• Heat 2 tbsp Oil and cook the grated onion till transparent.
• Add seeds paste and cook for  about 2-3 mins.
• Now add Yoghurt to the mix.
• Cook for about 5-7 mins till it turns golden brown and leaves oil at the corners.
• Add Garam masala & Red chilli powder along with Cream.
• Cook for another 2-3 minutes.
• Add paneer and 1 cup water and let it cook till the paneer softens and the gravy becomes thick.
• Pour it in your serving dish and add dress it up with Corriander leaves .

IMPORTANT POINTS:

• Make sure to stir consistently after adding paneer, else it would stick to pan.
• You can use freshly grounded Cinnamon & Black caedammon seeds for dressing along with corriander. They smell heavenly.
• Cook onion only till it softens, dont let it turn brown or golden.

Enjoy Cooking. CHOP--CHOP !!

Bhature

Well, Cholle Bhature is undoubtedly one of the most popular dish of Punjab. While, making Cholle is easy, Bhature can be a bit tricky.
So, here's the easiest way to make Bhature.

Paneer Jalfarezi

Paneer Dishes are hot favourite for all the celebrations, functions & special occasions. This recipe is slightly different from Matar-Paneer or Shahi-Paneer but its got its own refreshing taste & flavour..

INGREDIENTS:
1 Cup                      Paneer ( in form of small cubes)
1/2 cup                   Green capsicum ( in form of small squares)
1                             large Onion ( Finely chopped)
1                             Tomato  ( Finely chopped)
2Tb Spoon              Oil
1 T Spoon               Cumin (Zeera)
1 Tb Spoon             Ginger-garlic Paste
                                Salt ( as per your taste)
1/2 T spoon              Red chilli Powder
1/2 T Spoon             Turmeric powder
1/2 T Spoon             Coriander (Dhaniya) powder
1 T Spoon                 Lemon Juice
1/4 Cup                     Fresh Coriander (Dhaniya) leaves for garnishing

RECIPE:

Heat Oil in a Pan
Add Cumin & let it crackle to golden brown
Add Ginger-Garlic Paste, Capsicum & salt
Keep the flame low. 
Cook for sometime, stirring consistently to avoid sticking of ginger-garlic paste.
Add Red chilli, Turmeric & Coriander Powder.
Add Paneer & Tomato after 5 minutes
Cook till the Spice mixture ( Masala) binds with the paneer.
Add Lime juice before removing from flame.
Garnish with fresh coriander leaves before serving.