Rasgulla

Adapted from : Rakskitchen

Ingredients:

Milk - 4 cups
Lemon juice - 2 - 3 tbsp
Sugar - 2 cups
Water - 3 cups
Cardamom powder - 1/2 tsp
Ice cubes - 7-8
Pistachios for decorating

Method:

1. Boil milk in a heavy bottom pan on medium flame. Keep stirring so that the the bottom of the pan doesn't turn brown. I boil the milk in a milk cooker and once boil transferred it to a heavy bottom pan.
2. Once the milk is boiled slowly add 2 tbsp of lemon juice and stir well.  Heat for another few minutes in low flame. Once the whey water separates, switch off the flame.
3. Add ice cubes immediately. It will help in stopping the curdling process.
4. Line a strainer with a cheese cloth and pour the contents into it. Reserve the whey water. You can use it while making chappathis .
5. Rinse the milk solids under running water so as to remove the sourness of the lemon juice.
6. Gather the cloth from all sides and squeeze it with the hands to remove excess water. Hang it for 30 minutes.
7. After half an hour, take out the paneer into a bowl. It will be crumbled now.
8. Knead it for 8-10 minutes with your hands to make it a soft dough.
9. Make small balls from this dough. I got around 15 balls. Cover it with a moist cloth.
10. Now take a pressure cooker and add sugar and water to it. Also add cardamom powder. Once the water starts boiling , slowly add the balls to it.
11. Pressure cook for 2 whistles on medium- high flame.
12. Allow the rasgullas to cool down and refrigerate it for 3-4 hrs.

Serve chilled!

Paneer makhanwala

Adapted from: Vegrecipesofindia

Ingredients:

Paneer - 250gm, cut into small cubes
Onion - 1 , medium
Tomatoes - 2
Green chilly - 1
Garlic - 3
Ginger - 1 " piece
Cashews - 10- 12
Cardamom - 1
Cloves - 2 or 3
Cinnamon - 1" piece
Jeera - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Red chilly powder - 1/2 tsp
Garam masala - 1/2 tsp
Kasuri methi - 1/2 tsp
Salt - to taste
Oil/Butter - 2 tbsp
Cream - 1/4 cup



Method:

1. Roughly chop the onions, tomatoes , green chilly, garlic and  ginger . Add these to a pan along with cashews, cinnamon, cardamom and cloves. Now add 1 cup water and cook for 15 - 20 minutes or till the tomatoes and onions are cooked completely.
2. Allow the mixture to cool down completely . Then grind it to a smooth paste.
3. Meanwhile heat the pan with a tbsp of oil/butter . Shallow fry the paneer cubes till the sides are lightly browned. Keep aside.
4. Heat another tbsp of oil/butter and add jeera. When the jeera splutters, add the onion-tomato mixture along with turmeric powder and red chilly powder . Stir well. The mixture might splutter a lot. So keep the lid closed till the gravy starts thickening . Stir till the gravy has thickened and oil starts separating.
5. Now add salt and 1 cup water and cook for another 3-4 minutes.
6. Next add the paneer cubes and stir gently.
7. Lastly add cream, garam masala and kasuri methi. Stir and simmer for a minute.

Serve hot with chappathis or  roti !

Easy Dal tadka

Ingredients:

Toor dal - 1 cup
Onion - 1 , chopped
Tomatoes - 2, chopped
Ginger - 1 " piece, finely chopped
Green chilly - 2 , finely chopped
Water - 3 cups
Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
Hing/ Asafoetida - a pinch or two
Garam masala - 1/2 tsp
Coriander leaves - 1 tbsp
Salt to taste

Tempering/Tadka

Ghee - 1/2 tsp
Oil - 1/2 tsp
Jeera - 1 tsp
Kasuri methi - 1/4 tsp
Hing/ Asafoetida - a pinch
Red chilly - 1 or 2
Ginger - 1/2 tsp , finely chopped


Method:

1. Wash the toor dal for 3-4 times. Add it to the pressure cooker along with 3 cups of water.
2. Add the chopped onion, tomatoes, ginger and green chilles to the dal.
3. Next add turmeric powder and hing and give a stir. Pressure cook for 4-5 whistles in medium flame.
4. Once the pressure is released, open the pressure cooker and add salt, garam masala and coriander leaves. Cook for 2 -3 minutes.
5. In a small pan , add oil and ghee for the tempering. Once hot, add the jeera, red chilly, kasuri methi, hing and chopped ginger.
6. Pour the tempering over the dal and mix well.

Serve hot with rice or chappathi!

Maladdu

Ingredients:

Pottukadalai / Split chickpea - 1 cup
Sugar - 3/4 cup
Ghee - 1/2 cup
Cardamom - 1
Cashews - 8-10

Method:

1. Dry roast pottukadalai for 3-4 minutes om medium heat till its raw smell is gone. Powder it in a mixie. Keep aside.
2. Now powder sugar and cardamom and keep aside.
3. Melt the ghee in a small skillet and fry the cashews.
4. In a bowl, add the powder pottukadalai, sugar and cashews. Give it a mix. Now slowly add melted ghee to this and mix well. Make small balls when the mixture is still warm.

Apple muffin from pancake mix

Ingredients:

Pancake or waffle mix  - 1 cup
All purpose flour - 1 cup
Brown sugar - 1/3 cup , packed
Sugar - 1/3 cup
Baking powder - 2 tsp
Cinnamon powder - 1/2 tsp
Milk - 1 cup
Oil - 1/3 cup
Egg - 1
Vanilla essence - 1 tsp
Apple - 1, peeled,cored and chopped

Topping

Cinnamon powder - 1/2 tsp
Sugar - 3 tsp


Method:

1. Preheat oven to 400 F. Lightly grease the muffin tray or line the muffin tray with cups.
2. In a medium bowl, mix together the dry ingredients, pancake mix, all purpose flour, sugar, brown sugar, baking powder and cinnamon powder.
3. In another small bowl, whisk together wet ingredients( milk, oil, egg and vanilla essence).
4. Pour the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients . Mix gently until the ingredients are well combined.
5. Add the chopped apples and mix together. Pour the batter into muffin cups till 3/4th of the cup.
6. Combine the topping ingredients and sprinkle 1 tsp of it over the muffin .
7. Bake to 15- 20 minutes or until tooth pick inserted comes out clean.

Paneer Jalfrezi

Recipe adapted from Edible garden

Ingredients:

Paneer - 1 cup, cubed
Onion- 1 , thinly sliced
Carrot - 1, cut into long slices
Capsicum - 1 cup , cut into long slices
Tomato  - 1, pureed
Ginger-garlic paste - 1 tsp
Oil - 2-3 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Red chilly powder - 1/2 tsp
Coriander powder - 3/4 tsp
Garam masala powder - 1 tsp
Kasuri methi - 1/2 tsp, crushed
Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
Salt to taste

Method:

1. In a pan, heat 1-2 tsp of oil, and fry the paneer cubes till lightly browned on the sides. Keep aside.
2. Return the pan to heat. Add the remaining oil and cumin seeds. When the cumin seeds splutter , add onions and saute till it turns translucent. Now add the ginger garlic paste and fry for a minute or two.
3. Add turmeric powder, chilly powder, coriander powder and garam masala powder and fry for a minute.
4. Add the pureed tomato, capsicum and carrots and 1 cup of water.
5. Mix well and cook for about 5 minutes on medium flame till the carrots are cooked.
6. Now add the paneer cubes and cook for another 3-5 minutes till the gravy has become thick.
7. Add kasuri methi and switch off the flame .

Serve hot with roti/chapathi.

Homemade sambar powder

Ingredients:

Coriander seeds - 2 cups

Whole dried red chilly - 4 cups

Toor dal - 3/4 cup

Channa dal / Split chick peas - 1/4 cup

Turmeric powder - 2 tsp

Fenugreek seeds - 2 tsp

Black pepper corns -  1 tbsp

Jeera / Cumin seeds - 2 tsp

Asafoetida - 1/2 tsp powder or a small piece

Oil - 1/2 tsp

Method:

1. In a pan, dry roast all the ingredients separately.First dry roast toor dal and channa dal on low heat till it starts changing colour to golden brown. Remove and keep aside.

2. Then roast coriander seeds for about 5 minutes. Keep aside.

3. Now add fenugreek seeds and roast for 2-3 minutes till it starts changing color. Keep aside.

4. Next roast jeera, pepper corns and asafoetida for a couple of minutes. Keep aside.

5. Lastly , add 1/2 tsp of oil and fry the red chilly for a minute . Remove and keep aside.

6. Allow all the ingredients to cool completely. Then mix everything together and grind it in a mixer or coffee grinder in batches.

7. Store it in an air tight container.

Notes. 

- Sambar powder stays good in freezer for about a year.