Rajma



Rajma



Rajma is a popular north Indian vegetarian dish made of red kidney beans. It is a regular dish made in every Punjabi household. You can serve it with rice or roti. I usually make rajma with some plain pulav and salad.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups rajma (kidney beans) (Any Variety)
• 3-4 finely chopped onions
• 2-3 finely chopped tomatoes
• 2 tea spoon ginger garlic paste
• 3 finely chopped green chillies
• 1/2 cup dahi (yogurt)
• 1/2 cup oil
• 1 tea spoon jeera
• 2 tea spoon red chilly powder
• 1/2 tea spoon haldi (turmeric)
• 2 table spoon finely chopped coriander
• salt to taste
• 1 table spoon rajma masala
• 1/4 tea spoon soda bicarbonate

For rajma masala:

• 1 table spoon coriander seeds/
• 5-6 laung/lavang/cloves
• a small piece of nutmeg/jaiphal
• 4 green cardamom/elaichi
• 1 tea spoon jeera/cumin seeds
• 1/2 tea spoon shahi jeera/black cumin

Method:

Grind all the ingredients of masala together in a grinder into a fine powder and keep aside.

Wash and soak the rajma with soda overnight in 8 cups of water. Next day drain the soda water from the rajma and rinse in fresh water.

Cook rajma with 9- 10 cups of water in a pressure cooker for 4 or 5 whistles.

Heat oil in a kadai, add jeera and finely chopped onion. Cook till the onion turns golden brown.

Now add ginger garlic paste, finely chopped green chillies, 1 table spoon rajma masala, red chilly powder and haldi, saute it for 2 minutes or till oil separates, now add yogurt and mix it properly, add finely chopped tomatoes and saute till they become soft and oil separates.

Now add the cooked rajma, water as required and salt. Bring to a boil. Simmer for about 10 minutes.

Garnish with coriander leaves.

Serve hot with steamed rice, plain pulav or roti.

Gulab Jamun



Gulab Jamun

Gulab Jamun is one of the most popular Indian dessert which is loved by one and all. It can generally be consumed either hot or cold, but I prefer having it hot.

Today, I am sharing a very simple way of preparing this dish which can be prepared at home rather than making an effort to buy it outside.

Ingredients:

• 200 grams Khoya/khava
• 200 grams instant gulab jamun mix
• 1 tea spoon rava
• milk as required
• oil or ghee for deep frying

Sugar Syrup:

• 3-4 cups sugar
• 7-8 cups water
• 1/4 tea spoon cardamom powder

Method:

In a large vessel add sugar, water and cardamom powder and make sugar syrup. Boil for 15 to 20 minutes. Ensure that syrup does not become very thin/thick. Make it into one string consistancy.

In a large bowl take khoya (khava), instant gulab jamun mix and rava, mix together. Drizzle some milk and knead together to make a soft dough. The quantity of the milk varies depending on the type of khoya (khava) you are using for the preparation.

Make small round balls with the dough. Do not make large dough balls as they may increase in size when deep fried and larger when soaked in sugar syrup. Give them smooth and round shape, there should not be any cracks on the surface of the balls, because it causes it to break in the sugar syrup.

Heat oil or ghee. To check if the ghee or oil is of the correct temperature, drop one ball and if it goes to the base and rises slowly on the oil surface and starts browning, then the oil is of the right temperature to fry the dough balls. Do not overheat the oil or ghee. Now deep fry all the dough balls to golden brown on a medium low flame.

Once the first lot of the deep fried balls are out, keep them aside and after few minutes add them to the sugar syrup. I always add them to the syrup when the syrup is hot. Repeat the same procedure till all the gulab jamuns are done. Soak them for 4-5 hours .

Now the gulab jamuns are ready to be served.

Dadpe Pohe

Dadpe Pohe

Dadpe pohe  is a typical and easy to make Maharashtrian recipe. It is simple and can be made in 5- 10 minutes. You can have it for breakfast or as a snack.


There are different types of poha available in the market for example ..thick poha, medium thick poha and thin poha . For this recipe I have used thin poha.

Ingredients:

• 3 cups thin poha
• 1-2 finely chopped onion
• 1 /2 inch ginger finely chopped
• 4 finely chopped green chillies
• 5-6 curry leaves
• 2 tea spoon sugar
• salt to taste
• 1/2 tea spoon mustard seeds
• 1/4 tea spoon cumin seeds
• 1/4 tea spoon turmeric powder/haldi
• a pinch of asafoetida (Hing)
• 1 table spoon finely chopped coriander leaves
• 2-3 table spoon fresh grated coconut
• 2-3 table spoon oil
• juice of half lemon

Method:

Heat oil in vessel and add mustard seeds, when they splutter add cumin seeds, curry leaves, finely chopped green chillies, ginger, asafoetida and turmeric powder. Fry for a minute and add onion . Cover and cook till the onion turns soft. Now turn off the gas.

Now take poha in a large plate then add the above onion mixture, salt and sugar to it. Mix well.

Now add freshly grated coconut, coriander leaves and lemon juice. Mix properly with your hands.

Dadpe pohe are ready to be served. It can be eaten with dahi/yogurt.

Instant Rice Flour Dosa ( Tandala che Pole )

Instant Rice Flour Dosa ( Tandala che pole )

This is one of the easiest dosa that is prepared at our place. It saves time and can be served to guests visiting your place without any prior notice. You don't require to soak rice or Dal you just got to have rice flour and then your dosa is ready.


Ingredients:

• 4 cups rice flour
• 3-4 tea spoon besan (gram flour)
• salt to taste
• oil for frying

Method:

Mix all the ingredients with water to make a thin batter.

Heat an iron tava, put 1 tea spoon oil on it, spread the dosa batter, cover and cook.

When one side is done flip it over and fry till the other side is done.

Serve hot with red coconut and garlic chutney or any other chutney of your choice . Tastes best when eaten hot.

Coconut and Garlic Chutney

Coconut and Garlic Chutney

This is a popular Maharashtrian chutney which is generally served with various type of dosas...In our house, we make this chutney with rice flour dosa.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup fresh grated coconut


• 5 garlic cloves


• 1-2 tea spoon red chilly powder


• 1/2 inch piece of tamarind


• 1 tea spoon sugar


• salt to taste

Method:

Grind coconut, garlic, red chilly powder, tamarind, sugar and salt into a fine paste with a bit of water and transfer it into a bowl.

Serve with dosa, chapati or rice.