Sheer Khurma : Eid Special

Ingredients -

Milk - 1 ltr full cream
Sewai laccha (fine seawai) - 60 gm, around 1 cup broken
Sugar - 3 -4 Tbsp
Cardamom - 3-4 crushed
Saffron strands - 4-5 soaked in 4 tbsp warm milk
Condensed milk - 2-3 Tbsp
Almonds - 10- 12
Cashews - 8-10
Raisin - 3- 4 Tbsp 
Dry dates - 5-6
Pistachio - 4-5
Charoli nuts - 1 Tbsp
Dry coconut - 3-4 Tbsp
Ghee - 2 Tbsp

Method - 

1. Take a heavy bottomed Karahi and heat 1 tbsp ghee in it.
2. Break sewai into small pieces and fry in karahi 
    in a low heat for 5 minutes until it turns golden brown 
    colour, keep it aside, 
3. Chop all almonds, raisins, pistachios and cashews into 
    small pieces and dates and coconut into long thin strips.
4. Put remaining ghee and lightly fry the almond, cashews 
    and coconut, taking great care not to burn it.
5. Take a heavy bottomed pan and boil the milk in it.
6. Let it boil for 3-4 minutes, put sugar and dry fruits after 
    saving some dry fruits for garnishing.
7. Let it boil for 5-7 minutes on a low heat until the dates are 
    tender and the milk is slightly reduced.
8. Add fried sewai, crushed cardamom, saffron strands,
    condensed milk and let it cook on a very low heat for 
    7-8 minutes without covering the pan.
9. Transfer it into serving bowls and garnish it with the 
    remaining dry fruits.
10. Serve it warm, it can be chilled also if you like to eat 
     it that way.
11. It tends to get thicker when it comes to room temperature, 
      add some milk if the sheer khurma gets too thick.
12. If you want to turn this dessert into creamy and heavenly 
      delight, use of full fat milk is a must. 
13. As the dates and raisins increase the sweetness of sheer 
      khurma be careful with sugar, first put 2-3 tbsp only
      then increase according to your taste.

Dahi Fulki:

Ingrdients - 

Gram Flour ( besan ) - 1 cup
Curd - 2 cups
Fresh ginger garlic paste - 2 tsp
Cumin powder - 1 tsp
Red chili powder - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Baking Soda - a pinch 
Oil - for frying
Sugar granulated - 1 tbsp
Salt - 1/2 tsp or to taste
Black Salt - 1/4 tsp


for tempering
Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
Asafoetida - a pinch
Whole red chilies - 2
Clarified butter ( ghee)  - 2 tsp

 Method -

1. Sieve the gram flour in a bowl, add ginger garlic paste, 
    turmeric, little cumin powder and chili powder and salt
    to taste. Beat it with your hands for five minutes, so that 
    it's light and fluffy, check by putting 1/2 tsp batter into 
    water, if it floats, its good to go, add a pinch of baking
    soda and give it a good mix.
2. Heat oil in a karahi.  Deep fry all the pakoras, till light
    golden brown, little at a time in two - three batches.
3. Take a bowl half filled with normal water, dip the pakoras 
    in it just for a minute as soon as they are fried, squeeze 
    the water out of it, and keep it aside.
4. Mix the curd nicely to avoid any lumps, mix little water
    if it's too thick. Add sugar, salt, black salt, 1/4 tsp of 
    cumin powder and red chilli powder in it, saving some
    for the garnish.
5. Take a serving bowl, arrange all the pakoras in it, pour all
    curd over it, sprinkle cumin and red chili powder, garnish 
    with coriander leaves.
6. Take a small frying pan, heat ghee in it, add cumin seeds,
    whole chilies and asafoetida, temper it, spreading it all 
    over the dahi fulk. Chill it before serving.

Shahi Tukda/ Double ka Meetha :

Shahi Tukda as the name suggests, this sweet creamy delight 
has its connection with the royals. Having it's root in the Mughlai cuisine, Shahi tukda is a rich creamy royal dessert. It is made up 
of fried bread which is  coated in sugar syrup and is topped and soaked with fragrant creamy sweet thickened milk or rabri and garnished with dry fruits. 
The dessert is rich in taste, aroma and flavour and is particularly prepared during the festive months of Ramadan, making it very desirable dish at iftar, and a meetha famously served at Eid and a must in marriage functions. 
Shahi Tukda also has a hyderabadi cousin, resembling each other 
in taste and presentation, there is not much difference between the two except in terms of thickness of the bread. In Hyderabad, the dish is baked after the bread and rabri are combined, and it's referred to as "Hyederabadi Double ka Meetha" after the local 
word for bread which is double roti.
I want to share with you a truly luscious recipe of shahi tukde, though i have changed the dish a bit,  in keeping in mind, the 
health conscious friends of mine, so instead of deep fry, the 
breads are shallow fried to avoid the extra calories and i used 
a whole wheat bread instead of white bread....so happy 
cooking and a happy Ramadan in advance to you all.......!!

Ingredients -
whole wheat bread - 8
Milk - 1/2 ltr
sugar - 4 tbsp + 2 tsp
Almond chopped- 5-6
Pistachio chopped - 3-4
Cashews chopped - 4-5
Cardamom powder - 1/2 tsp
Condensed milk - 2 tbsp
Rose essence - 2 drops
Saffron strands - 2-3
Clarified butter ( Ghee) - for frying 3-4 tbsp
Silver foil /Chandi vark - 1 (optional)


Method - 
1. Take the bread and remove all it's edges, cut it diagonally.
2. Take a shallow non stick frying pan and heat little ghee in it.
3. Shallow fry the bread slices in batches, in a low heat until 
    crisp golden brown on both the sides, turning it in between
    and sprinkling with some ghee when it's turned.
4. Fry the chopped dry fruits lightly in ghee too.
5. Make sugar syrup heating one cup of water and 4 tbsp
    of sugar until its half in quantity, add the saffron strand and 
    keep it aside.
6. Heat a heavy bottomed pan with milk in it. Keep boiling it
    on a low medium heat stirring it continuously till the milk 
    is reduced and resembles a thick rabri. Add 2 tbsp sugar,
    2 tbsp condensed milk, cardamom powder and rose essence 
    into it.
7. To  assemble the shahi tukda, take a rectangular tray, 
    dip the fried bread slices into the sugar syrup and arrange
    it on the tray.
8. Pour the thickened milk ( rabri) over the soaked bread 
     slices, decorate it with chandi ka vark and dry fruits. 
     Dribble a little bit of sugar syrup also on the breads.
 9. The recipe can be doubled according to your need, the
     present recipe serves 3-4.
   

Mutton Yakhni Pulao :

Ingredients :

Mutton - 1/2 kg
Rice - 1 1/2 cup 
Onions - 4-5
Garlic - peeled whole medium size
Ginger - chopped1 inch
Curd - 4 tbsp
Saffron - 2-3 strands soaked in warm milk
Garam masala - 1 tsp
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Oil - 5 tbsp + 2 tbsp
Ghee ( clarified butter) - 2 tbsp

Whole garam masala -  to be tied in muslin cloth
Cloves - 5-6
Fennel seeds - 1 tsp
green cardamom - 2-3
Black cardamom - 1 big
Cinnamon - 2 inch
Black pepper - 5-6
Bay leaf - 2

Method - 

1. Make a bouquet garni with the whole garam masala,
    i.e. tie the cloves, fennel seed, green and black 
    cardamom, cinnamon, black pepper and bay leaf in a 
    muslin cloth.
2. Wash and clean meat, wash and soak rice too in water.
3. Heat 2 tbsp oil in pressure cooker, add cumin seeds, 
    let it splutter, add the meat, ginger, garlic cloves, 3 
    cups of water, salt, and the tied muslin cloth in it.
4. Pressure cook it for 2-3 whistles and put the flame 
    on medium low and let it cook for 15 minutes or 
    until done.
5. Squeeze the muslin cloth to release maximum                
    flavours.
6. Take out the meat in a plate and keep it aside, store the
     meat stock that is Yakhni and keep aside as well.
7. In the same cooker take 5 tbsp Oil and fry the thinly 
    sliced onions in it until golden brown.
8. Take out some of the fried onions for garnishing, 
     leaving more than half in it.
9.  Add meat pieces, ghee, curd, garam masala, in the 
     cooker, fry it for five minutes. Adjust salt.
10. Strain the rice and add it to the cooker, fry for 2 
       minutes.
11. Add the yakhni to the cooker, measuring according
      to the quantity of the rice. if it's less, then plain warm 
      water can be added to it.
12. Pressure cook the rice on medium heat until a whistle.
13. Open the lid when the pressure is gone and add saffron
      soaked in milk over it, garnish it with the fried onions 
      and close the lid.
14. Serve it hot with walnut chutney and Raita.


Ps - if you dont want to cook the rice in cooker then follow
       the steps until no 6, after that put the oil in some heavy                     bottomed pan and fry the onions and follow rest of the                     procedure.

Lobiya Dosa

Ingredients : 

Lobiya ( Black eyed beans)- 1 measuring cup
Semolina - 3 Tbsp
Coriander leaves or dil, fine chopped  - a bunch
Green chili - 1
Salt - 1/4 tsp 
Oil - 3-4 tbsp

Method- 
1. Soak the lobiya overnight or for 5-7 hours.
2. Grind it with green chili and salt to a fine paste,
    putting some water into it.
3. Take it out in a bowl, add the semolina, chopped 
     leaves, and put it to rest for 1/2 an hour.
4. Adjust the water, it should not be runny but of dropping
    consistency.
5. Heat a tawa and grease it with few drops of oil, half slice 
    of onion can be used to spread it evenly. This prevents
    from sticking to the pan.
6. Pour a ladle full of batter on the center of the tawa and 
    spread it evenly to get a circular dosa shape, drizzle some
    oil and cover the pan for few seconds to cook it evenly, 
    flip the dosa and cook it on the other side also after 
    spreading some oil. Cook till it's crisp from both the sides.
7. Serve it hot with coconut and tomato chutney.
8. This dosa is packed with goodness and protein.

MIrchi Ka Salan - Hyderabadi style

Ingredients -

Green chilies - Long big 8-10
Peanuts - 4 tbsp
desiccated coconut - 2 tbsp
Sesame seeds - 1.5 tbsp
Onions - 2 medium
Garlic peeled - 8-10
Ginger - 1/2 inch
Oil - 2 tbsp + 4 tbsp + frying 
Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp
Cumin seed - 1/4 tsp
Nigella seed - 1/4 tsp
Curry leaves - 4-5
Tamarind paste - 2 tsp
Turmeric powder - 14 tsp
Coriander powder - 1/4 tsp
Chili powder - 1/4 ts
Garam masala - 1/2 tsp
 Hot water - 2 cup

Method -

1. Heat a frying pan with 2 tbsp oil in it, put the garlic,
    ginger and onion and fry it until light brown.
2. Add the peanuts into it and fry it for five minutes on
    a low medium heat.
3. Add the sesame seeds and fry it for 2-3 minutes on a 
    low heat, add the coconut and keep frying until it turns 
    light brown. Take it off the heat and let it cool, grind it 
    to a fine paste when its cold using 3-4 tbsp water.
4. Clean and dry chilies and slit it vertically keeping it 
    intact. Remove the seeds and pith.
5. Take a shallow frying pan and fry the chilies until 
    light brown and keep it aside for later  use.
6. Heat a karahi with 4 tbsp oil in it, put mustard seeds in 
    it and let it crackle, put the cumin, nigella seeds and curry
    leaves also.
7. Add the peanut paste into it and fry it for five minutes 
    on a low medium heat. Add the garam masala, chili,
    turmeric, coriander powder and keep frying it until oil 
    separates.
8. Add hot water with tamarind paste into it and bring to   
    a simmering boil. Put the fried chilies into it and let it 
    cook until done. If the curry is thick it can be adjusted 
    adding more hot water
9. Serve it with plain rice,  jeera rice or biryani as it is served 
    in hyderabad. Though it's a delicious hyderabadi delicacy 
    but relished all over the country. it's unique and special taste 
    makes it different from other curries.

Methi Matar Malai Paneer : Holi Special!

        

Ingredients -

Peas (Matar) boiled - 1/2 cup

Paneer (Cottage Cheese) [cut in cubes and slightly fried] - 200 g

Methi leaves fresh, finely chopped  - 1 cup

Onions chopped coarsely - 2 med

Tomato - 1 med

Garlic paste - 2 tbsp

Ginger paste - 1 tsp

Cashews soaked - 10 - 12

Cumin powder - 1/2 tsp

Coriander powder - 1 tsp

Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp

Red chilli powder - 1/2 tsp

Garam masala powder - 1/2 tsp

Salt - according to taste

Bay leaf - 2 small

Fresh Cream/thick Malai- 3 tbsp

Dry fenugreek leaves - 1 tsp

Oil - 4 tbsp

Water - 2 cups

        

Method-

1. In a pan put 1/2 cup of water. Simmer the methi leaves

    and a pinch of salt in it for five minutes in a low heat.

    Drain the water and keep it aside. It is to remove the

    bitterness out of it.

2. Boil the onions and tomato in 1/2 cup of water until 

    tender and the water is reduced. let it come to room 

    temperature, grind both separately and make a paste.

3. Grind the cashews after they are soaked for good 

    about 10 - 15 minutes.

4. Put the oil in a med karahi (wok), let it heat, put the bay

    leaf and onion paste and fry it on a med flame until light 

    brown in color, keep stirring it to avoid burning.

5. Add the cashew paste n stir it for five minutes, add the 

    ginger-garlic paste, boiled methi leaves and all the dry

    masalas like chilli, turmeric, cumin and coriander 

    powders and fry it until the oil separates.

6. Put the tomato puree and matar in it and stir it for five 
    minutes until it is incorporated well in the masala.

7. Heat 1 cup of water and put it in the masala to make 
    gravy. Let it boil for 5 minutes. 

8. Put the paneer cubes, dry fenugreek leaves and 2 

    tablespoon cream, let it simmer for 5 minutes or until 

    it's done.

9. Place it in a serving bowl and garnish with remaining

    cream and you can serve it with naan, paratha or rice. 

      

           

  

Crispy Fried Bhindi ( ladyfiners )

Ingredients -

Bhindi ( ladyfingers) - 20  ( small size)
Besan (Gram flour) - 2-3 tbsp
Ajwain ( carom seeds) - 1/2 tsp
Turmeric - 1/2 tsp
Red chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
Salt - to taste
Amchur powder ( dry mango powder) - 1/2 tsp
Oil - for frying 

Method - 

1. Take the bhindi wash it thoroughly, wipe it dry and slit it                    lengthwise, keep it aside.
2. Add the gram flour, ajwain, turmeric, red chilli n amchur
    powder, salt in it.
3. Rub it nicely with fingertips. The moisture in the bhindi 
    will help to bind everything together. 
4. If it dos'nt come together add 2-3 drops of water.
5. Take a karahi and fill it up with sufficient oil in it.
6. Deep fry the bhindi in 2-3 batches on a medium to low 
    heat untill its cooked and crispy.
7. Serve it with rajma and rice and enjoy the crispy fried
     yummy bhindi, its a great hit in parties too.

Stuffed Capsicums with Sprouts:

    

Ingredients -

Capsicums - 4-5
Moong sprouts -  1 1/2 cup
Potato chopped -  2 medium size
Onion  - 1 med
Cumin powder-  1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Coriander powder - 1/2 tsp
Red chilli powder - 1/4 tsp
Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
Salt - to taste
Oil - 1/2 cup  

Method - 

1. wash the capsicums, slice off the tops, remove the seeds, 
    rinse it again in water and pat it dry with a kitchen towel, 
    keep it aside.
2. Take a non stick karahi and put 2-3 tbsp oil in it, add 
     cumin seeds and let it splutter.
3. Add the onions and fry it until light brown, add turmeric,
    cumin, coriander and red chilli powder, fry it for a minute.
4. Add sprouts in it and sauté it a bit until its tender, add 
    chopped potatoes and salt,  mix it all and fry it for 
    5 -7 minutes on a low heat, take it off the heat and let it 
    cool a bit.
5. Take the hollowed capsicums and fill it  with the sprouts
     filling .
6. Heat a big frying pan or karahi and put 4-5 tbsp oil in it,
    put the stuffed capsicum in it, cover it and let it cook
    from all the sides, turning it in intervals.
7. cook until fried and tender, enjoy this tasty stuffed 
    capsicums with rice , roti or any flat bread of your choice  !!!

Paneer Pasanda -

This Paneer Pasanda recipe is an absolutely tempting
and delectable Paneer recipe. It is prepared by stuffing
cashew, raisin, charoli and grated coconut paste into 
paneer slices, frying the sandwiched paneer in a light 
golden colour then preparing a rich creamy gravy and
simmering the stuffed paneer into it............this recipe
is real yummy, it is  so delicious that  I am sure it will
become your favourite (pasand ki) recipe instantly.


Ingredients -
Paneer (cottage cheese) - 250 g
Onion - 2 med (peeled n boiled)
Garlic paste - 1 tbsp
Ginger paste - 1/2 tbsp
Cashews - 7-8
Pepper powder - 1/2 tsp
Red chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
Coriander powder - 1 tsp
Cumin powder - 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder - a pinch
Tomato puree - of 1 med size ( blanch n puree)
Cornflour - 3 - 4 tbsp +
Oil - 5 - 6 tbsp + for frying
Bay leaf (tejpatta)- 2
Cream - 1 tbsp

Filling -
Cashews (kaju) - 8-10
Raisins soaked in water - 2 tbsp
Charoli (chironji) - 1 tsp
Grated coconut - 2 tbsp
Full cream milk - 3-4 tbsp
Turmeric powder - a pinch

  
Method -

1. Drain the raisins and cut all whole dry fruits,
    grind it in a grinder with the coconut, a bit coarsely.
2. Take it out in a bowl and mix it with little milk and 
    turmeric powder to make it a paste.
3. Take paneer and cut it either in rectangles or triangles
     according to your preference.
4. Fill it up with little filling, spreading it all evenly and
    cover it up with another triangle shaped paneer to 
    make it a sandwich. Prepare all.
5. Take a bowl and put cornflour and 5-6 tbsp of water.
6. Dip the sandwiched paneer into the cornflour mixed 
    water and shallow fry it in a nonstick frying pan, using 
    little oil. Fry it on both the sides. keep it aside.

To Prepare Masala -

1. Grind the onions with cashews, take a karahi and
     heat oil in it.
2. Put bay leaf and the ground onion paste, fry
    until brown, add the garlic and ginger paste and
    fry it for a while.
3. Put all the dry masala, salt and fry for a minute on
    a low flame.
4. Add the puree and keep frying it for 5 minutes.
5. Add 1/2 cup warm water and let it come to boil.
6. Add cream and sandwich paneers and cover it, let
    it simmer for a minute.
7. Take it out on a serving plate and serve it with naan,
     tandoori or rumali roti.

Baked Spinach in White Sauce

Dear friends today I am posting this very irresistibly tasty n healthy dish made up of spinach which is baked and other veggies are also added to it. I can assure u that in parties it's a very good variation of palak paneer. After seeing it's presentation your guests can't help but ask you what this dish is n how it is made as this is one recipe you will not find and see very easily and when they dig into it the peas, carrots and cottage cheese will be as surprise elements becoz all are covered in the white sauce......so i hope you all will like my recipe and it will definitely replace the other dishes you all are accustomed to make in parties and gatherings......so a happy cooking to all of you!!!!!

Ingredients -

Palak ( spinach) - 500g ( blanched and pureed )
Carrot - 2 medium (cut in cubes)
Potato - 2 (cut in cubes)
Peas - 1 cup
Paneer ( cottage cheese) - 150 g (cut in cubes)
Onions chopped - 1
Tomato chopped - 1 small
Garlic minced - 2 tbsp
ginger minced - 1 tsp
Green chilli minced - 1
Jeera powder - 1 tsp
Coriander powder - 1 tsp
Red chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
Garam masala powder - 1/2 tsp
Salt - to taste
Oil - 5-6 tbsp
Cream - 2 tbsp
White sauce - 1 cup (butter 2 tbsp, all purpose flour 3 tbsp, milk 1 1/2 cup, Pepper powder 1/2 tsp, cheese grated 1 tbsp)

Method -
 
1. Cut all the veggies (carrot, potato) in cubes and parboil it with peas, drain and keep it aside.
2. Take another karahi and melt the butter in it, for the white Sauce  -  Heat butter then mix the flour and saute it on a low flame until it is light golden. Pour the milk stirring it continuously. Spread  pepper powder in it and take it off the heat when all are mixed well and it is thick enough for a coating sauce. Keep it aside.
3. Heat oil in a karahi, add the onions and fry it until translucent, add minced ginger- garlic- chilli and fry for 1 minute.
4. Add all the dry masala and salt except garam masala and stir it for a second, add chopped tomato and fry until tomato is soft.
5. Put the parboil veggies and fry it for 5 minutes on a low heat.
6. Add the ground spinach and mix all, cover it and let it
cook for 10-15 minutes or until all veggies are nicely cooked.
7. Add the paneer, cream and garam masala and cook further for 5 minutes.
6. Take a baking dish, grease it lightly with butter or oil and put the prepared spinach into it.
7. Spread the white sauce over it evenly coating all the spinach, grate a tablespoon of cheese over it and put it in an oven and bake it until it has turned into a beautiful golden colour.
8. A tasty, sumptuous dish is ready to be served in any party!!!
 Bon appétit !!!!