Rajasthani Kadhi (Yogurt based Curry)

Rajasthani Kadhi - Fritters (Pakodas) of gram flour cooked in the typical Rajasthani style curry recipe.
This is the Authentic and popular Rajasthani Kadhi, Yogurt based recipe, the perfect dish to serve for a holiday lunch, with a twist to fritters (Pakodas) by adding Spinach into it. Nutritious and wholesome, this is one of my family favorite, can be cooked and eaten anytime kind of dish. I am sure you will enjoy this recipe.

This Curry is served and preferred with Boiled Rice which makes most flavored and a perfect meal combination.

Ingredients:

For Pakodas / Fritters:

• 1 cup finely chopped spinach
• 1/2cup + 2 tablespoon besan (gram flour)
• 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1 teaspoon red chili powder (optional)
• 1 teaspoon jeera powder (ground roasted cumin seeds)
• 1/2 teaspoon ajwain (Coram seeds)
• Pinch of asafetida (Hing)
• salt to taste
• pinch of baking soda
• oil for frying

 For Kadhi / Curry:

• 1 1/2 cup yogurt (sour curd / khatta dahi)
• 1/4 cup besan / gram flour (adjust according to sourness of curd)
• 2 tablespoon oil or butter
  
• pinch of asafetida
• 1/4 teaspoon mustard seeds
• 1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1/4 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
• 3 cloves
• 3 cardamom
• 1" piece cinnamon stick
• 3 whole dry red chills
• 10-12 curry leaves
• 2 green chilies chopped
• 1 tablespoon grated ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
• salt to taste
• 2 tablespoon chopped coriander

Method:

For Pakodas / Fritters:

1. Heat the oil in frying pan.
2. Mix all the ingredients listed under "for Pakodas / Fritter" with little water to make the thick batter.
3. Add 1 tablespoon of hot oil in batter and mix well.
4. Drop a spoonful of batter in frying pan.
5. Fry till golden brown. Drain on paper towel. Keep aside.

For Kadhi / Curry:

1. Take the yogurt / curd, gram flour, salt and turmeric powder in a bowl and mix well with 3 cups of water. Keep aside.
2. Heat the oil, add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, asafetida (hing), fenugreek seeds, cloves, cardamom, cinnamon, whole dry red chilis, curry leaves, green chili, and ginger. Sauté for a while.
3. Then add yogurt mixture into it and bring it to boil by stirring continuously.
4. Simmer for 10-12 minutes. 

How to Serve:
Add Spinach Fritters / Pakodas to the hot Yogurt Curry / Kadhi and garnish with Coriander and serve hot with boiled Rice.

Note :
You can make Fritters / Pakodas according to your wish as Coriander Pakodas,  Methi Pakodas, etc.

Sending this recipe to Indrani's Page
Sending this recipe to  Fast!Fresh!Simple event announced at cookingwithsapana

 

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Velvety Cheese Balls Curry

Looking for something simple but deliciously different? Try this Velvety cheese balls in a thick Gravy,  are a treat to eat!
The cheese balls look crispy outside but soft and fluffy inside and melt-in- mouth....so velvety!!!!!!
Serve them with Naans, Parathas or Rice.

Ingredients:

For Grinding:

• 1 large onion cut in quarters
• 2 green chili
• 4 garlic cloves
• 1"  ginger piece
• 1/2 " Fresh turmeric Piece (optional)
• 8-10 cashew nuts
• 2 tablespoon yogurt
• 2 tablespoon chopped coriander
• 1 tablespoon poppy seeds (optional) (Soak in 2tbsp warm milk for 10 minutes)

 For Gravy:

• 2 tablespoon oil/ butter
• 1" piece Cinnamon stick
• 2 cloves
• 2-3 cardamom pods
• 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1/4 teaspoon red chili powder
• 1 pinch of black paper  powder
• 1 teaspoon roasted cumin seed powder (jeera powder)
• 1 teaspoon coriander powder   
• 1/4 teaspoon garam masala
• salt to taste
• 1 big tomato
• 5-6 tablespoon Thick cream
• 1/2 cup milk

For cheese balls:

• 1/2 cup shredded cheese
• salt to taste
• black pepper powder to taste
• 2 tablespoon all purpose flour (Maida)
• 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of milk (if required to knead cheese)
• Oil for frying

Method:

For Cheese balls:

1. Mix well Shredded cheese, salt , black pepper powder and all purpose flour (maida).
2. Knead to get a smooth, medium-firm dough. If required add 1/2 teaspoon milk.
3. Divide the dough into equal-sized balls and roll to smoothen( no cracks in them).
4. Roll out all the dough into balls and meanwhile you are doing this, heat the oil for deep frying on medium heat.
5. When the balls are ready, drop them in a frying pan, a few at a time and fry till golden brown.
6. Make sure to turn them often so they don't burn. After frying, take them out on a paper towel in a plate and Keep them aside.

For Curry:

1. Take all the ingredients for grinding into a blender and grind them to a fine paste.
2. For Gravy, Heat oil or butter in a pan, Add cinnamon stick, cloves and cardamom pods.
3. Then add grinded paste and sauté it for few minutes.
4. Meanwhile boil tomato with little water or microwave it, peel off and blend into a puree.
5. When Gravy starts to leave oil/butter and reduce in half quantity, add turmeric powder, red chili powder, black pepper powder, jeera powder, coriander powder, garam masala, salt and tomato puree and again sauté it for a minute.
6. Then add thick cream to the gravy and sauté for few minutes.
7. Next add Milk and bring gravy to boil. Lower the heat and let cook the gravy few minutes till thicken as a consistency of thick soup. Stir in between.
8. To serve pour gravy in a bowl and place the cheese balls over it. Garnish with the coriander leaves.

You may also like:

• Cheese and spring onion paratha / Indian flat bread
• Cheese baby corn and cabbage pulao
• Sabudana Pizza
• MixVeg khakra Pizza

Notes:

•  You can also make the koftas with cheese and vegetables like shredded cabbage, boiled potatoes, etc. But they will not be fluffy and velvety as cheese balls.

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Green Peas and Mint Fritters

These Green Peas Fritters are great way to sneak healthy Peas secretly into Kids' diet. These fritters are high in fibers and proteins, great in taste, rich in vitamins and minerals. This is a wonderful snack you can whip up in around 10 minutes and will please the whole family.

Ingredients:

For grinding:

• 1 cup Green Peas (fresh / frozen)
• 1/4 cup chopped coriander leaves
• 10-15 mint leaves
• 4-5 green chili
• 1" ginger piece
• 7-8 garlic cloves

 Other Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup Besan (gram flour)
• 1 teaspoon of fennel seeds
• 1/4 cup of chopped stalks of green onions
• salt to taste
• 1 pinch of baking soda
• oil for deep frying
  

Method:

1. For frozen Peas, Boil / microwave it with salt for 1 minute.
2. Grind all the ingredients listed under "For Grinding" into a fine paste.
3. Empty into the bowl. 
4. Add besan (gram flour), fennel seeds, chopped green onions, salt and baking soda. Mix properly to make thick consistency of batter.
5. Heat oil in frying pan on medium flame.
6. Add 1 tablespoon of hot oil in batter and mix well.
7. Drop a spoonful of batter in frying pan.
8. Fry till golden brown.
9. Serve hot with tomato ketchup.

Note: In the same way you can make Green Chana / Chickpeas fritters.

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Beetroot and Carrot Relish (Kachumber)

A sweet and sour, Beetroot and Carrot Relish (Kachumber) is healthy, delicious and nutritious relish. It is quick and easy to prepare just in 7-8 minutes. This relish is my favorite.

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup beetroot shredded
• 1/2 cup carrot shredded
• 10 almonds soaked in water
• 2 tablespoon shredded lettuce (optional)
• 10 black dates chopped
• 10-12 grapes chopped or Raisins
• 1 teaspoon seeded and chopped green chili (Optional)
• 1/4 cup Paneer / cottage cheese grated

Salad Dressing:

• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon salt or to taste
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice, adjust to taste
• 1 teaspoon ginger juice
• 1 tablespoon honey

Method: 

1. Mix all the salad dressing ingredients together. Keep aside.
2. Peel off Almonds and cut it into thin slices.
3. In a Bowl, combine grated (carrot and beet ), chopped (almonds, grapes/raisins, and black dates), green chili and the salad dressing and mix well.
4. Sprinkle some grated paneer and your Carrot and Dates Relish is ready to serve as it is or chilled.

You can also add a handful of sprouts (boiled) in this relish to make it more healthy..

Variation:  You can use raisins instead of fresh grapes.

You can use freshly squeezed sweet oranges to marinate it in instead of lemon.

 Sending this recipe to Pari's ONLY’ Food For Pregnancy and  Fast!Fresh!Simple event announced at cookingwithsapana

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Cheese and Spring Onion Stuffed Paratha

These Cheese and spring onion stuffed Parathas make a great breakfast, have now become a favorite in my family. If you have your chapatti dough ready in refrigerator, it is a simple and easy to make recipe, especially on a busy day.

Ingredients:

For the dough

• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 2 tablespoon all purpose flour (optional)
• 1 tablespoon oil for moyan
• salt to taste
• little wheat flour for dusting

For the stuffing

• 1/2 cup Shredded Cheese
• 1 bunch Spring Onion with greens, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon chopped Green chili
• 1 tablespoon chopped coriander
• 1/4 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
• 1 teaspoon cumin seed

Other Ingredients

• Oil for cooking
• Curd for serving
• Butter for serving

Method:

• Mix all the ingredients for the dough and knead with enough warm water to make a soft dough. Cover and rest it for 10 minutes.
• Now for stuffing, Mix all the ingredients together and keep aside.
• Divide dough into 4-6 equal portions depending upon your desired paratha size.
• Roll out each portion into thick circle, Place about 3-4 tablespoons cheese filling at the center of each circle. Now bring the sides of the circle towards the center to enclose the filling completely. Pinch the top to keep the stuffing in, Pat it down with your palm, dust it with wheat flour and roll it gently to make a paratha. Repeat to make remaining parathas.
• Heat the skillet on medium flame. Drop the rolled paratha gently on it.
• Cook on both sides, using oil till the parathas are golden brown.
• Spread butter on parathas and serve hot with curd or raita.

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Eggplant yogurt dip / Baingan ka Raita

Eggplant Raita is a delicious and mildly spiced side-dish of a main-course dishes of traditional meal. This raita is made with yogurt, Roasted and mashed Eggplant / Brinjals and spices and goes well with Roti / Paratha / Rice. It is simple, easy to make and very tasty raita and i like the combination of  Biryani and this raita.
Eggplant combined with yogurt makes a healthy combination as eggplant is a low calorie vegetable rich in soluble fiber content and yogurt is an excellent source of probiotic.

Ingredients:

• 1 big eggplant (used for bharta)
• 1 cup yogurt
• 1/4 cup chopped spring onion with greens
• 1 teaspoon crushed green chili
• 1/2 teaspoon Jeera/ cumin seed powder (lightly roasted cumin and then ground to a coarse powder)
• 1 tablespoon cilantro (hara dhania)
• Salt to taste
• 2 teaspoon oil
• 2-3 curry leaves
• 1 pinch Asafetida
• 1/4 teaspoon mustard seeds
• 1/4 teaspoon cumin seed

Method:

1. Roast on a gas cook top by just placing the Eggplant / Baingan straight on the burner and keeping the flame on low setting.
2. Keep turning and cooking till all the skin on the Eggplant looks like black spotted and charred. Peel off and discard the charred skin.
3. Mash the eggplant roughly, in a mixing bowl. Let it cool down completely.
4. Now mix well mashed eggplant, yogurt, spring onions with greens, green chili, Jeera Powder and salt.
5. For the tempering, heat the oil, add mustard seeds, cumin seeds and asafetida. When mustard seeds crackle, add the curry leaves and sauté it for few seconds.
6. Then, pour this tempering over the yogurt mixture and mix well.
7. your raita is ready to serve.

Note: You can grill eggplant in your oven grill or barbeque grill and also you can roast it in oven too.

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Chinese Bhel

A fusion snack - Indian style to a Chinese dish.

Chinese Bhel is a tasty, tangy snack - a quick mix of crispy fried noodles, sprouts, fresh vegetables and tossed in combination of tangy sauces. It's easy to prepare and really yummy!

Enjoy this crunchy munchy bhel...

Ingredients:

For Noodles:

• 225 grams wheat noodles, eggless
• cooking oil for deep frying

other Ingredients:

• 1 cup Cabbage julienned (cut into long strips)
• 1/2 cup shredded carrot
• 1/4 cup very thinly sliced capsicum (yellow, green or red)
• 1/4 cup sweet corn
• 1/4 cup chopped finely chopped celery
• 1/2 cup chopped tomato
• 1/2 cup finely chopped spring onions
• 1/4 cup finely chopped green raw mango
• 1 chopped green chili (optional)
• 1/2 cup Green bean sprouts
• 1/4 cup salted, roasted peanuts
• 1/4 cup Indo Chinese Schezwan sauce
• 1/4 cup tomato Ketchup
• 2 tablespoon Chili-Garlic Paste
• 1 tablespoon vinegar
• 1 tablespoon Soya sauce
• black pepper to taste
• salt to taste
• 2 tablespoons fresh chopped coriander
• fried noodles to garnish

Method:  

• Boil noodles in 5-6 cups of salted water and cook till almost done about 5-6 min.
• Drain, refresh in running cold water, drain again and spread on a plate to cool.
• Heat oil in a wok / deep pan and deep-fry noodles till crisp and golden brown in color. Drain on absorbent paper.
• When cools down lightly crush the fried noodles and store in an air-tight container.
• In a large bowl combine fried noodles and all other ingredients and toss well till the noodles are coated with the sauces evenly. 
• Transfer this mixture into individual plates and serve immediately garnished with fried noodles and spring onion greens.

Note: Variation can be done with vegetables.
You can also add roasted noodles instead of fried one to make it more healthy.

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Pani Puri (Gol-Gappe)

Pani-Puri is India's most famous street-food snack, my favorite afternoon snack ever. They are also known as Gol-gappas in North India and as Puchkas in west Bengal.
Here Puris are Crispy Semolina fried puffed ball and Pani is Spicy water made of mint leaves. But In this recipe it is a twist with the pani by adding Kiwi, Raw Mango and Apple into it.
I can go on eating pani-puri till i can not eat more!

Ingredients:

For The Pani (Spicy Water):

• 1/3 cup raw mango (Peeled and cubed )
• 1 kiwi fruit (Peeled and cubed)
• 1/2 apple (Peeled and cubed)
• 1/ 3 cup mint leaves
• 1/2 cup cilantro
• 4-5 green chili
• 1 tablespoon grated ginger
• 2 garlic cloves (optional)
• 2 cloves
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 2 teaspoon roasted cumin seed powder
• 1 teaspoon black salt (or to taste)
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
• 1 teaspoon chat masala (optional)
• 6-8 cups chilled water

For The Puris :

• 1 cup fine semolina (rava)
• 1 tablespoon all purpose flour (maida)
• soda water to knead dough
• oil for deep frying

For Serving :

• 1 khajur- tamarind  chutney
• 1/2 cup green been sprouts , boiled + 1/2 cup black chickpeas, boiled
• 1/2 cup boondi , soaked and drained
• 1/2 cup boiled potato diced

Method:

For Puri:

1. Combine the semolina, all purpose flour and soda water to make a medium stiff dough and knead well. Allow it to rest for 10 to 15 minutes and cover a wet muslin cloth over dough.
2. Divide the dough into small equal balls like small grapes and roll each ball of dough into a thin circle about 1½" circle.
3. Place these rolled puris under a damp cloth for about 5 minutes.
4. Deep fry them in hot oil on a medium flame till they are golden brown and puff up.
5. Take out, drain on kitchen paper and store in an air-tight container.

For Pani :

1. Pressure cook the raw mango and apple and keep aside.
2. Take all remaining ingredients and cooked raw mango and apple in a blender jar except chilled water and grind to a fine paste using a little water.
3. Strain the paste using a fine mesh strainer in a big bowl and add 6 cups of chilled water, mix well. Taste and adjust salt and water.

How to serve:

1. Crack a small hole in the middle of each puri.
2. Fill with a little sprouts and chickpeas or boondi or potatoes then top a little chutney, immerse it in the chilled pani and eat immediately.

Note :

• You can replace here sprouts by hot ragda (yellow Peas).
• You can use Dry mango powder instead of raw mango , kiwi or apple.
• You can also buy Puris from any indian store as making the puris takes some time. But the extra effort put to make them at home is worth enough.

 Sending this recipe to  Gujaratizaika 1st Anniversary Celebration - Winner's Choice Giveaway  

 Sending this recipe to  Fast!Fresh!Simple event announced at cookingwithsapana

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Cauliflower-Capsicum Green Masala

Quick and easy Cauliflower-Capsicum Green Masala recipe!
It goes well with Naan, parathas or rice.

This green masala is healthy, delicious in taste, and gravy made with combination of  green vegetables - spinach, coriander and mint leaves.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup cauliflower (cut into pieces)
• 2 tablespoon oil
• 1/4 teaspoon garam masala
• 1/2 teaspoon chat masala
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice 
• 1/4 cup peas
• 1 boiled potato (cut into pieces)
• 1/2 cup capsicum (green or red or yellow)

For Grinding:

• 15-20 spinach leaves
• 15-20 Mint leaves
• 1/3 cup cilantro
• 3-4 green chili
• 4-5 garlic cloves
• 1 tablespoon ginger
• 1 onion (roughly chopped into pieces)
• 1/3 cup yogurt (Dahi)
• Salt to taste

Method:

1. Grind all the ingredients listed under "For grinding" into a puree.
2. Pour in a bowl and add cauliflower, capsicum, potato and peas into it and soak them for 10-15 minutes.
3. Heat oil in a non-stick pan and sauté this mixture for a minute.
4. Cook till the gravy becomes thick or the vegetables are cooked.
5. Sprinkle garam masala, chat masala and lemon juice.
6. Garnish with mint leaves and Serve.

Notes:

• You can also add carrots, mushrooms or Tofu / paneer  etc. to this green masala.

 

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