A LITTLE TRIBUTE TO MY MOM - MOTHER S DAY SPECIAL

Matrudevobhava --- Mother is God
She is the navigator of my life. She took lot of pain to teach me about living in this beautiful world. She wake's up before we wake up and she goes to bed after we sleep, make our food and feeds us with her lovely stories. She is the person who helped me in my first step. When I put my first step she is the first one who holds my hand and show s me the right path. She is the first one who teached me the first word and when I first called her Amma, I can imagine how she feelt excited. She is the one who take care of my health. When I was ill how many sleep less nights she spent alone sitting next to my bed side, and praying God to give her child a very healthy life. When I got good marks in school she was the first one who gave me a big hug and appreciated me. She helped me in my studies. I remember that every thing what she had done for me. Even she used to read my lessons and she used to explain me after I came from my school. She is the first teacher of my cooking. She is the person who taught me how girls should behave. And I remember that day when I got married and coming to my in- law's place she just cried like a kid which I can just never never forgot. After some time I asked her Why amma you cried a lot that day and her answer was 'I feelt like some of my body part is going from my body and I couldn't bear that pain so I cried'. From my birth till now she is with me in my sad and happy movement s. she is my best friend. She is a pond of sacrifices and love. She played the character of saint in making us well educated and great human beings. This small post is not enough to write about mom. Every thing is a very small thing in front of her love. I have done some thing good in my previous birth so Lord Krishna blessed me with world s greatest mother (I know every mother is like this only, but my mother is the world s best mother for me). I don't know how many times I have to born in this world, but I would like to born as her daughter again and again. I pray god to bless me with this every day. She is my energy when ever I see in to her face I will get lot of energy in me. So many more to write about mom, yes this place is very small to write about my mom. If I do any thing for my mom that will be very small in front of what she had done for me, Thank you amma and Love you amma are very small words in front of her love. But still I love you so so much Amma.
My mom is a typical South Indian but I don't know how she likes some North Indian dishes like Kachori, rasmalai, Aloo paratha, pulao, jelabi and she likes mushroom curry very much oohh yes Gobi manchurian is her most favorite. I made some dal kachori s and Rasmalai. And here I am with my mom s favorite recipe…….. DAL KACHORI......

INGREDIENTS:---
All purpose flour (Refined flour, maida) ---- 2 cups
Ghee ---- 1/4 cup
Salt to taste
Heat ghee in apan, combine salt and flour and add ghee an rub with your hand till it become like bread crums, then add little water and make a semi-soft dough.
divide this dough in to equal parts and cover with a damp cloth and leave a side.
FOR FILLING:---
Moong dal (split green gram, pesara pappu) ---1/2 cup
Oil -- 3 tab sp
Cumin seeds -- 1 tea sp
Ginger and grean chili paste --- 1 tea sp
Red chili powder -- 1 tea sp (according to your taste)
Salt to taste
Asafoetida -- 1/4 tea sp
Garam masala --- 1/2 tea sp
amchur powder (dry mango powder) ---- 1/2 tea sp

METHOD:-----
1. Soak moong dal for an 1/2 hour - 1 hour and then drain the water.
2. Heat oil in a fry pan add cumin seeds, asafoetida and let them change the color then add the drained moong dal and fry for few sec.
3. now add ginger and green chili paste , red chili powder, garam masala powder, amchur powder and salt to taste and mix well and fry for 5 more min. remove from heat and let it cool.
4.Now roll out the each portion of the dough in to small circles
5. Place the filling in the center of the circle and slowly cover from all sides and Seal the ends tightly and remove the excess dough, and make like a ball.

6.then now roll each ball in to small circle again and make sure the filling does not spill out, and gently press the center of the Kachori with your thumb.
7. repeat the remaining dough and filling.

8. Heat oil in a deep frying pan and drop the Kachori s in to hot oil and deep fry in avery low heat till nice golden color both sides.The Kachoris should puff up like puries.
serve with meetha chutney or green chutney.
My mom likes them with hot green chutney.
This will stay for 1 week.
This is my entry for IVY s CELEBRATING MOTHER'S DAY at Kopiaste

SHAHI PANEER

Paneer ----- 200 gms

Onion --- 2 medium

ginger ---- 1 inch piece

Garlic ----- 4 cloves

Tomato ---- 4 medium

Green chilies ---- 3 no.

Red chilli powder --- 1 tea sp

Turmeric powder ---- 1/2 tea sp

Garam masala powder --- 1 tea sp

Cashew nuts --- 20- 25

Cream --- 3/4 tab sp

Milk ---- 1/2

Oil ---- 3 tab sp

Salt to taste

METHOD:---

Peal onions and cut in to cubes heat 1 tea sp oil in a pan and fry onions till soft, peel and chop ginger,peel and remove seeds and chop tomato and add garlic, tomato,ginger, green chilies to onions and make a smooth paste.

Soak cashew nuts in milk for 1/2 hour and grind in to smooth paste and keep a side.

Now cut the paneer in to 1 inch pieces and fry in hot oil in a medium heat till ligh brown remove from oil and leave a side(drop paneer in warm water in a bowl and keep a side this keep paneer soft ).

Now heat oil (or you can use ghee for this curry) in a pan add onion paste and stir till oil starts separating from the onion paste.

And then add red chili powder ,turmeric powder, garam masala powder, saute for 2 min. then add cashew nut paste and stir for 3 more min then add 1/2 cup water and salt to taste mix well and bring to a full boil and let it cook in a very slow flame till gravy becomes thick(here you can add if you like to add any dry fruits like cashew,almonds and risins, fri them in ghee till light brown and add them to gravy.).

Finally add fried paneer pieces and cream mix well and leave in alow flame for 1 minute.

Remove from heat and garnish shahi paneer with chopped coriander leaves and cream.

Serve with naan or pulao.

Enjoy your meal.

This is my entry for RCI - Lucknow at Lavi s home cook s recipe s RCI started by Lakshmi

SHAHI TUKDA

INGREDIENTS:------

Bread ---- 5 slices

ghee ---as required for frying

Khoya(kova sweet less) ---- 100 gms

Sugar --- 100 gms

Cardamom powder

Milk ---- 1 litre

If you want can add sliced almonds and cashews but here i used fresh fruit so i did't use any dry fruit

I used 3 no. Strawberries for 1 serving so choice is your s

METHOD:------

Boil milk in a heavy bottom pan till it become thick and 1 lit. milk become 1/2 lit.keep stiring till it become thick.

Then add sugar now it will be little thin so boil for some 5 more min.

Now mash the khoya with hands and add to boiling milk and mix well to dissolve khoya well in milk and it become like a rabdi now rabdi is ready.Add cardamom powder.

Remove the crust from the bread and cut them in to pieces(normaly we cut bread in to triangular shape pieces but i gave them heart shape here i made this for v.day for my hubby).

now in the same time heat ghee in a deep frying pan and fry the bread pieces till nice golden color remove from the ghee and drop them in to boiling rabdi and switch off the flame and let them soak for a few min. and serve hot top with dry fruits,

but i like this delicious dessert with fresh fruit pieces yummmmm.

normaly this served as dessert sweet but try when it is hot believe me you just love it.

Enjoy your dessret.

This delicious dessert is going for Priyanka s Cooking With Luv For Luv

CAULIFLOWER KACHORI

INGRIDENTS:-----
FOR DOUGH:-----
Atta (wheat flour) ---- 2 cups
Salt to taste
Ajwain ----- 1/2 tea sp
Cookin soda --- 1/4 tea sp
Cumin powder ---- 1/2 tea sp
Black pepper crushed --- 1/4 tea sp
Oil or ghee --- 1/2 tab sp
For dough mixing:-----
Take wheat flour,salt, cooking soda in a mixing bowl and mix well to combine
Heat ghee swetch off the flame then add ajwain, cumin powder, crushed pepper and add this too wheat flour mixture add little by little water and make a stiff dough and knead till soft and leave a side.

FOR STUFFING:-----

Cauli flower --- 1 small

Onion --- 1 medium

Green chilies --- 4

Oil --- 1 tab sp

Clove, cinamon ,cardamom ---- crushed 1 tea sp take 3 cloves, 1 inch piece cinamom, 3 cardamom s and crush them.

Salt to taste

Ginger --- 1/2 inch piece chopped

Garlic ---- 4 cloves chopped

Turmeric --- 1/4 tea sp

Red chili powder --- 1 tea sp

coriander leaves --- 1 tab sp chopped

Oil for frying

Clean and soak cauli flower in hot water for 10 min. then remove and dry it and great the cauliflower.

Peel and choop onion and green chilies.

Heat oil in a pan add crushed clove, cinamon, cardamom then add chopped onion, green chilies, chopped ginger, garlic and fry till onion become soft then add grated cauliflower, salt, turmeric powder, red chilli powder mix well and sprinkle little water cover and cook till cauliflowder become soft.

Now remove the lid and stir till cauliflower become dry and mash a little bit with spoon mix well and make sure there is no moisture in the curry mix well and remove from heat and let it cool.

Make small balls with the dough.

now moisten palms with little oil and take one wheat flour ball and give it a cup shape with your fingers (or you can press these balls in to small puri s )

Keep 1 tea sp full cauliflower mixture in the middle of the puri and close from all sides and pinch to close.

now again press them to flatten in to small puri s with hand, repeat with the remaining dough.

Heet oil in a deep frying pan and keep the heat in low flame and droop this puri s in to hot oil and fry till golden color.(you have to heat oil till smoking stage switch off the flame for few sec. and then keep it in a low flame and then add puri s and fry them)

Serve with green chutney or mithi chutney

Enjoy your snack.

This Kachori s are on the way to JFI- CAULIFLOWER at Paajaka event started by Indira of Mahanandi

PURI AND ALOO KI SUBJI

INGRIDENTS:-----

Potato --- 2 medium

onion --- 1 medium chopped

tomato --- 1 medium -- chopped

oil -- 1 tab sp

Cumin seeds -- 1/2 tea

mustard seeds --- 1/2 tea sp

Ajwain --- 1/2 tea sp

Sounf --- 1/2 teasp(If you dont like sounf then replace with methi seeds)

Kalonji --1/2 tea sp

Ginger garlic paste -- 1 tea sp

salt to taste

Red chili powder --- 1/ tea sp

Turmeric powder --- 1/2 tea sp

METHOD :----

cook potatoes in water till done remove and peel the skin and mash lightly and keep a side.

Heat oil in a pan add mustard seeds and let them popup then add cumin seebs,ajwain, sounf and kalonji and stir for few sec then add chopped onion and fry till onion become soft.

Now add chopped tomato and ginger garlic paste fry till tomato become soft then add red chili powder,turmeric powder and salt to taste mix well and let it cook till oil leaves the sides of the pan.

Now add mashed potato and 1 cup water mix well and bring to a full boil and keep the flame low and cook for 5 min. this gravy should be little watery mix well and remove from heat.

serve hot with puri and halwa

FOR PURI:----

Wheat flour --- 1 cup(atta)

ghee or shortening -- 1 tab sp

Salt to taste

Hot water

grind ajwain 1 tea sp and sounf 1 tea sp in to a coarse powder and keep a side

In a bowl mix atta and salt, heat ghee and add to the atta make a soft dough with hot water like puri dough

make small balls out of this dough and make Depression in the center and make cup shape keep ajwain and sounf mixture in the center and close from all sides and press in to small puries

Heat oil in a deep frying pan and fry this puries till golden color and take them out and serve

Serve this puries with hot Aloo subji and Halwa

Enjoy your break fast

DAHI BHENDI

Bhendi(bendakaya, okra)--- 250 gms top and tails removed

Onion --- 1 big chopped

Tomato --- 1 big chopped

yogurt(curd) --- 1/4 cup

Oil --- 1 tab sp

Freshly ground coriander and cumin powder -- 11/2 tea sp

Turmeric powder --- 1/2 tea sp

Red chili powder -- 1 tea sp

salt to taste

cumin seeds -- 1 tea sp

Kalonji --- 1/4 tea sp

METHOD:----

Slit okra and heat oil in a pan and fry till it changes the color remove and leave a side.(slit okra like what we do for chili bajjis this is for check in side there should not be any errors)

In the same oil add cumin seeds and Klonji let them popup then add chopped onion and fry till onion become soft

now add chopped tomato and cook till tomato become soft then add turmeric powder,red chili powder, coriander and cumin powder mix well and cook till oil leaves the sides.

Now add yogurt, salt to taste and okra mix well and cook till okra become little soft this will take 5-7 min. remove from heat.

Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve hot with rice, chapatis

Enjoy your meal.

GREEN PEAS KACHORI

All purpose flour --- 1 cup

Ajwain (vamu, caromseeds) --1/2 tea sp

Salt to taste

ghee or vanaspati ---2 tab sp

FOR SIFFING:----

Green peas -- 1 cup(fresh or frozen, I used frozen )

Oil ---1 tab sp

Cumin seeds ---1/2 tea sp

Ginger --1 inch piece choped

Green chilies -- 2-3 choped

salt to taste

sounf powder --1 teasp(sompu,little dry rost the sounf and grind in to a coarse powder)

Garam masala --- 1/2 tea sp

fried gram powder -- 1 tab sp (veyinchina senagapappu,porikadalai just grind in to a dry powder)

Oil for deep frying

METHOD:-----

Mix flour,ajwain,salt,and ghee in abowl rub with hand till it become like bread crums then add cold water and knead in to astiff dough

Grind green peas in to coarse don't add water just run the blunder for 1 sec.

Heat 1 tab sp oil in a fry pan add cumin seeds and let them change the colour then add choped ginger and green chilies and ground green peas, salt to taste keep stiring and cook for 2 min then add sounf powder,garam masala powder and fried gram powder

Remove from heat mix well and leave a side.

Now divied the dough in to equal portions and make small puris keep 11/2 tea sp stuffing in the center of the puri and cloce from all sides and again press them in to small thick puris this will be thicker then normal puris

Heat oil in a deep frying pan in amediun flame and deep fry the KACHORI S till golden colour(fry in alow flame then only this will stay crisp for long time)

serve with mitha chutney or tomato sauce

And this is my another entry for SIRI s http://siri-corner.blogspot.com/2008/12/announcement-of-rci-awadhi-cuisine.html

GAJAR HALWA

Carrot --- 1/2 kg (about5-6 carrots)
Khoya --- 50 gms
Full cream milk --- 1/2 cup
Sugar --- 3/4 cup
Ghee --- 1/4 cup
Cashew nuts --- 20-25
risins --- 20
Almonds --- 15 (soaked in water for over night and choped)
Cardamom powder --- 1/2 tea sp

METHOD:----

Scrub and wash the carrots and grat .

Heat ghee in a heavy bottomed pan and fry cashew nuts till golde and keep a side, then fry risins and leave a side, then fry almonds(badam) and keep a side.

Now fry grated carrot in the same ghee till raw smellof the carrot disappears.

now add 1/2 cup full cream milk and stir till milk gets dried.

Then add sugar and stir for some time first sugar leaves water and then it become dry cook in a medium heat .

now add 3/4 cashews, risins, almonds,cardamom powdermix well then add 3/4 khoyamix well and stir for 2 sec. and remove from the fire.

Dish out in to a serving bowl and top with remaining dryfruits and khoya

Serve hot or chilled

Carrot halwa with Ice cream will be my first choice.

And this is my another entry for SIRI s http://siri-corner.blogspot.com/2008/12/announcement-of-rci-awadhi-cuisine.html

LUCKNOWI DUM BIRIYANI

INGREDIENTS:---

Rice --- 11/2 cup

Carrot --- 1 no. cut in to cubes

Potato --- 1 no cut in to cubes

green peas --- 1/2 cup

Cauliflower --- 1/2 flower cut in to small flowerets

Ginger garlic paste ----1 tea sp

Onions ---- 2 big very thinly sliced

Coriander leaves --- 1 bundle chopped

Mint leaves --- 1 bundle chopped

Tomato --- 1 big choped

Garam masala powder --- 1 teasp

Red chili powder --- 1 tea sp

Cinamon --- 1 inch stick

cloves --- 4-6

cardamom ---5

Saffron --- 1/4 tea sp

Curd --- 1/2 cup

milk ---- 1/2 cup

Cashew nuts ---1 cup or you can make it 1/2 cup also

Risins --- 1/2 cup

almonds (badam) --- 1/2 cup soaked in warm water for 10 min. and choped

Ghee --- 1/2 cup

Salt to taste

METHOD:-----

Mix curd,Red chili powder, salt to taste, garan masala, ginger garlic paste, and mix well and add cubed vegetables and peas to curd mix ture mix well and leave for 1 hour to marinate.

Wash rice and add 2 cups water salt to taste,and 1 tea sp ghee mix well and cook in steam.

heat ghee in a heavy bottom pan and fry sliced onion till brown and crisp,remove from ghee and keep a side. And then fry cashew nut in the same ghee remove and leave a side,now fry risins and leave a side.

Now after 1 hour in the same ghee add clove, cinamon, cardamom let them popup and add vegitable mixtureand choped tomatoes (don't add water) let them cook in a slow flame cover with a lid and cook till vegetable s are 3/4 cooked. crush 1/4 fried onion with your hans and add to vegetable mixture mix well

soak saffron in warm milk for 10 -15 min

Now mix 3/4 cashwes and risins 3/4 coriander and mint leaves with rice and spread the rice on top of the vegetable mixture, and pour saffron milk over it and spread left over cashew s and risins,mint and coriander leaves, fried onion

and cover with a foil and bake the dish for 20 min. in a preheated oven

Remove from the oven and leave for 5 min. then open the foil and serve this LUCKNOWI DUM BIRIYANI with any shahi kurma and raita

I served this with shahi paneer and onion raita

Check my other version of DUM BIRIYANI here http://plantainleaf.blogspot.com/2008/06/vegetable-dum-biryani.html

And this is my another entry for SIRI s http://siri-corner.blogspot.com/2008/12/announcement-of-rci-awadhi-cuisine.html

DAL BUKHARA

DAL BUKHARA (Dal Bukhari or Dal bukara all are same ) is a traditional dal dish from AWADH CUSINE.A very rich and creamy dal dish with its own aroma and creamy texture.Treditionaly the y use whole black gram(Kali dal or Kali mah ki dal or urad dal,pottuminappapu) and this dal bukhara is cooked in a gaint pot over charcol(Bhatti) mixed with fresh raw tomatoes and some spices and finish off with fresh cream and butter

Traditionaly they wash dal add dal and tomatoes and ginger,garlic in to a gain pot and leave it on a Bhatti in a low fire for over night so.........................................

Traditional Dal bukhara takes 12 hours to make so..... I cooked this dal in pressure cooker yes its taste great.

And here I go with the recipe

INGREDIENTS:--

Whole black gram --- 1 cup (urad dal)

Water --- 4 cups

Tomato --- 1 ripe choped finely

Ginger --- 1 tab sp grated

Garlic --- 3 cloves minced

Onion --1 medium finely choped

Salt to taste

Red chilli powder -- 11/2 tea sp

Butter --- 1/4 cup

Fresh cream ---1/2 cup

Garam masala -- 1/2 tea sp (optional)

METHOD:----

Wash and cook dal in a pressure cooker for 3 whistles let it cool itself

Now open the pressure cooker and mash the dal well

then add ginger , garlic, and half butter and cook for 15 min.

now heat the leftover butter add chopped onion stir for a few min. add tomato and cook till soft then add red chili powder and garam masala(if you like) and add this to dal add salt to taste and cream and mix well(add cream just before you serve(in original dish they add cream and cook for 10 min.)

Serve hot with naan or roti, rice

Enjoy your meal

And this is my entry for RCI: Awadhi Cusine hosted by SIRI at Siri's Corner

http://siri-corner.blogspot.com/2008/12/announcement-of-rci-awadhi-cuisine.html

GULAB KI SHARBAT

AWADH A HISTORICAL REGION OF NORTH INDIA.Which was known as the united provinece of AGRA and OUDH(Ithink this name was from British period).The treditionl capital of AWADH has been LUCKNOW,the capital of the modernday UTTAR PRADESH.Inthe ancient hindu kingdom it is called by Kosala with the capital of AYODHYA,under the MUGHALS it became AWADH

and it is a province of Mughal Empire.Awadh was a welthy kingdom by its won history , culture and cusine.

AWADH is a hundu kinkdom before Mughal empire so there is a mixed culture in cusine also.The Awadh region has its own distinct Nawabi style cusine. this gave birth to the dum style of cooking which has become synonymous with Lucknow to day

In Awadh (Lucknow) culture offering Sharbat is tradition,Let us see what is Sharbat.Sharbat is a thick sugar syrup with a aroma of fruits or flower or some times with herbs also.Sharbat is a word derived from Arabic word Sharbah meaning a drink. the syrup is diluted with water and served with ice, or some times with milk or evaporated milk also and also some times may be used to pourover the desserts.In this way of AWadh cusine here I am with a traditional sharbat recipe

and here I go with GULAB KI SHARBAT (ROSE PETAL syrup)

INGREDIENTS:-----

Rose petals ---- 2 cups (freshly picked red rose petals)

Cardamom --- 2

sugar --- 2 tab sp

Lemon juice --- 1 tab sp

Pomegranate juice -- 2 tabsp

Cold water --- 3 cups

Boiling water --- 6 cups

Ice --- 1/4 cup (but now in this pic Ididn't add Ice because it is winter here so i had it like that with out ice)

METHOD:----

Crush the Rose petals and place them in a big bowl.

Add boiling water( do this process in a steel or any metal pan not in a nonstick pan) and cardamom and leave aside for over night.

Strain rose and cardamom water in to other bowland add sugar,lemon juice,pomegranate juice mix well till the sugar dissolves

serve in a glass half filled with ice

the other version.........

make sugar syrup with one string consistency add crushed rose patels,cardamom and leave for over night then strain and mix with other juices mix well and store it in abottle this will stay for 1 week and you can use this for desserts topings

Ididn't add any color or any preservative this one is with its own aroma of rose patels and cardamom.

Enjoy your SHARBAT

And this is my first entry for RCI: Awadhi Cusine hosted by SIRI at Siri's Corner

http://siri-corner.blogspot.com/2008/12/announcement-of-rci-awadhi-cuisine.html