Rusk

My husband loves to have rusk with his morning tea sometimes. I wanted to bake rusk at home and did it. It had eggs as ingredient and he complained of slight smell of egg. I tried a second time without egg, but it also didn’t come up to his expectations. This was my third attempt and he was totally satisfied with the outcome.

Ingredients

2 cups refined flour (maida)

1 tsp baking powder

¾ tsp baking soda

½ cup ghee

½ cup powdered sugar

1 cup condensed milk

1 cup milk

Instruction

·         Sieve the maida, baking powder and baking soda twice and keep aside.

·         Melt the ghee, add the powdered sugar and beat well.

·         Pour in the condensed milk and beat it again.

·         Add 1 tbsp of maida and mix well. Add a little of milk and beat again. Keep repeating this till all ingredients are mixed in.

·         Preheat the oven to 180 degrees.

·         Take a rectangular baking box, grease and sprinkle dry maida in it. Pour the batter into it and bake for 25 minutes.

·         Reduce the temperature to 160 degrees and bake for another 20 minutes. Insert a tooth pick into the center and the cake is done if it comes out clean. Otherwise bake for another 5 to 10 minutes.

·          Take it out and allow it to cool. Make slices and put inside the oven and bake at 180 degrees for 20 minutes (no preheating now).

Kadhi with ajwain leaves pakode

Ajwain leaf  is a tender, fleshy leaf with an oregano or thyme like flavor and aroma. It has many medicinal properties and is used extensively in cooking throughout India.

Ajwain leaves are used for treating colds, coughs, and fevers in infants and small children. They improve digestion and stimulate appetite in children. They also provide relief from stomach problems like flatulence and other abdominal discomforts.

Ingredients

For the pakode (dumplings)

½ cup cleaned and cut ajwain leaves

¾ cup gram flour (besan)

Salt to taste

1/3 tsp turmeric powder

1/3 tsp red chilli powder

A pinch of asafoetida

A pinch of baking soda

Water

Oil for frying

For kadhi

1 cup sour yoghurt

2 tbsp besan

Salt

1/3 tsp turmeric powder

Salt to taste

2 cups water

To season

1 tbsp oil

½ tsp cumin seeds (jeera)

½ tsp fenugreek ( methi seeds)

1/3 tsp red chilli powder

Instructions

·         Beat the yoghurt and add slowly mix in the besan without forming lumps. Add all the other ingredients. Put it on fire, when ot comes to boil, reduce the flame to minimum. Let it simmer and let the besan be cooked.

·         Mix all the ingredients for the pakode. Heat the oil in a kadai and fry the pakode and drain them.

·         Put all the pakode into the kadhi, let it simmer for 5 minutes and remove from fire.

·         Season and pour it over the kadhi before serving.

oBasale kadhi : Click her for recipe

Wheat flour halwa-1 ( Atta halwa)

I wanted to make an offering for my havan today with atta halwa. Finished preparing it in 20 minutes and then I did havan.  It tasted heavenly, as it always happens when something is taken as a Prasad.

Ingredients

1/3 cup ghee

1 cup wheat flour

1 cup sugar

2 cups water

½ tsp cardamom powder

1 tbsp raisins

5 almonds slivered to decorate

Instruction

• ·         Heat ghee in a kadai or pan, add the wheat flour and keep stirring it continuously on low fire till the flour turns brown and it starts separating from the sides of the pan.
• ·         Add the sugar and mix well.

• ·         Slowly add the water, stirring well to prevent any lump formation.
• ·         Add raisins and cardamom powder.
• ·         Keep stirring it and remove from fire when it reaches halwa consistency.

• ·         Decorate with almond slivers while serving. 

Dal Makhani

Ingredients

½ cup udad dal with skin (Black gram)

2 tbsps chana dal

2 tbsps rajma
1 piece of cinnamon
3 cardamoms

¼ cup milk cream (malai)

1 tbsp ghee

5 flakes of garlic sliced

¼ tsp red chilli powder

½ tsp garam masala powder

1/ tbsp butter

Salt to taste

Instruction

• ·         Soak the dals and rajma overnight.  Pressure cook it with 2 ½ cups water, salt, cinnamon and cardamom  for 18 minutes. Let it cool and then open.
• ·         Keep the pressure cooker on low fire, add the milk cream, red chilli powder and garam masala powder.
• ·         Heat ghee in a pan, add the sliced garlic and let it brown. Add this to the dal and remove from fire. Put the butter on top before serving.
• ·         This can be served with parathas or jeera rice.

Dry coconut (copra), peanut chutney

Ingredients

2 cups grated dry coconut

¼ cup roasted peanuts

6 flakes of peeled garlic

½ tsp red chilli powder

Salt to taste

Instruction

•      Grind the roasted peanuts.
•      Add all other ingredients and grind
•       Store in an air tight bottle. It will stay for about three weeks.

•   It is a great accompaniment for rice and curds.

Carrots, green peas sabzi

Chefs and health experts often say you should eat "seasonally," or include foods in your diet that are grown at the same time of the year you eat them. This supports your body’s natural nutritional needs. Fruits and vegetables that are stored for long periods of time due to transportation or to be used at a later date have a reduction in phyto-nutrient content. Carrots and green peas are available during winter and they make a delicious sabzi, which is easy to prepare.

Ingredients:

3 carrots, peeled and cut into small pieces

1 cup shelled peas

1 large tomato grated

1 tbsp oil

½ tsp jeera (cumin seeds)

½ tsp turmeric powder

⅓ tsp red chili powder

1½ tsp coriander powder

½ tsp garam masala powder

Salt to taste

½ cup water

1 tbsp cut coriander leaves OR ½ tsp kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves)

Instruction:

• ·         Heat oil in a pan, add cumin seeds. When they splutter, add the grated tomato. Stir and cook it for a while.
• ·         Add the shelled peas, keep the flame high and stir for half a minute.
• ·         Add the carrot pieces and stir for another half minute.
• ·         Add the salt, water, cover and cook for 10 minutes on low flame. Open and check in between, add some water if needed.
• ·         Now add all masala powders and kasuri methi (if you are adding cut coriander leaves, do it after removing from the fire). Mix well for a few seconds and remove from fire.
• ·         This can be served along with steamed rice or chapatis.

Capsicum potato sabzi

Here is a simple, easy to make sabzi that tastes good with rice or chapatti. Capsicum, or bell peppers are colourful and attractive vegetables that are enjoyed all over the world in a variety of cuisines. They are loaded with nutrients like vitamins A, C and K, carotenoids and dietary fiber which makes them immensely beneficial for the overall good health.

Bell peppers help in clearing out the congested mucus membranes in the nose and lungs and eliminate toxins through sweating. It has anti-inflammatory, analgesic properties and may also provide relief in pain related to arthritis. It also provides relief from fibromyalgia, skin aging and psoriasis.

Ingredients:

4 Capsicums

1 Large potato

1 Tomato

1 Onion

1 tbsp Oil

½ tsp mustard seeds

1/3 tsp turmeric powder

¼ tsp red chilli powder

1 tsp coriander powder

½ tsp garam masala powder

Salt to taste

½ cup water

Method:

  

-       -  Deseed capsicums and cut into squares. Peel and cube the potato and onion. Cut the tomato into 8 pieces.

-     -   Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds. When they splutter, add the cut onion, sauté on low fire.

-       - When the onion turns translucent, add the tomato pieces and sauté for some time.

-       - Add the capsicum and potato pieces, increase the flame, stir well for some time, add salt and water and cover the pan. Reduce the flame and let it cook for about 8 minutes, till the potato is done.

-     -  Now add all the masala powders, mix well and remove from the fire.