Kofta Curry

Koftas 

Ingredients 

1. 1 Lauki (Bottle gourd)
2. 3 boiled potatoes 
   
3. 1 cup chickpea flour 
4. 3-4 cloves of garlic
5. 1-inch ginger 
6. 1 large or 2 medium onions 
7. 4 tomatoes 
8. 2 green chillies (optional)
9. 1 teaspoon chilli powder 
10. 1 teaspoon turmeric 
11. 2 teaspoon coriander powder 
12. salt to taste 
13. vegetable oil 1 cup to fry the dumplings 
14. 2 tablespoon vegetable oil for the curry 
15. fresh coriander for garnish 

Method 

1. Medium grate the lauki and ginger, with clean hands take ball sizes of the lauki and squeeze out all the excess water as much as possible in a bowl, keep the squeezed lauki in a separate bowl. We will use the squeezed liquid later.
2. Add boiled potatoes to the squeezed lauki. Crush and knead it in. Add spices- salt, 1/2 spoon chilli powder, 1 teaspoon coriander powder. Add chick pea flour and knead all well. Do not use water as lauki has its own water. Keep the mixture as dry as possible. Roll into meatballs size balls. 
3. Heat oil in a pan and when it reaches medium heat start frying the balls (pakodi). Do not fry on high flame or they will burn from the outside and stay raw in the middle. 
4. Keep aside. 
5. For the curry grind the garlic and onions together. Heat oil in a pan and add the onion-garlic mixture. Fry until golden brown. 
6. Grind tomatoes separately and add to the onion-garlic mix in the pan. 
7. As it comes to splatter, add spices and green chillies sliced. 
8. Add 2 cups of water. 
9. Simmer 5-10 mins. 
10. When ready serve the curry over the balls in a separate bowl and garnish with fresh cut coriander. For best results let the lauki balls (Pakodi) sit in the curry for 5 minutes before beginning to eat.
11. Eat with roti, naan or basmati rice. 

Don’t forget to tell me how it turned out. 

Palak-Corn-Paneer

Palak-Corn-Paneer

Ingredients

1. 1 bag or 2 bunches of Spinach (Palak)
2. 1 slab of paneer 
3. 1 cup of frozen corn or 2 fresh grated corn (optional)
4. 1/4 cup tomato puree 
5. 3-4 cloves of garlic
6. 1 teaspoon cumin
7. 1/2 teaspoon red chilli powder 
8. 1 tablespoon coriander powder 
9. salt to taste 
10. 2 tablespoons cooking oil
11. 2 tablespoon sour cream (optional)

Method 

1. Boil a big pot of water 
2. Put in the spinach once it comes to a boil.
3. Boil for 5-10 mins, strain and keep to cool
4. Roughly puree the spinach in a mixer once cool
5. In a pan heat the oil, add cumin and garlic.
6. Once it begins to splutter add red chilli powder and coriander powder 
7. Add the spinach and stir until it begins to change colour. 
8. Add corn and tomato puree
9. Mix well and cook on medium heat for 5 minutes
10. Add paneer and cream and stir until the paneer is covered with the palak.
11. Turn heat off and serve with warm naan bread 

Don’t forget to tell me how it turned out. 

Daal Ki Poori

Daal Ki Poori

Ingredients

1. 1 cup Yellow Moong Daal 
2. 2 cups whole wheat flour 
3. cooking oil 
4. 1 teaspoon salt
5. 1 tsp cumin
6. pinch asafoetida 
7. 1 tsp chilli powder 
8. 2 tsp coriander powder 
9. 1 tsp Garam Masala 
10. 1 cup water 
11. Green chillies and fresh coriander (optional)

Method-

1. Soak moong daal in hot water after washing it for 2-3 hours 
2. Make whole wheat dough with water and 1 tsp oil until firm 
3. In a frying pan heat oil put the asafoetida and cumin until they splatter. 
4. Drain daal and put it in on medium heat. 
5. Mix the rest of the spices and fry for a bit until all is mixed.
6. Do NOT add water. 
7. Turn heat off and let daal cool down
8. Grind the daal mix coarsely in a mixer.
9. If you are going to add fresh green chilli and coriander add it after grinding 
10. Heat frying oil (2 cups min) 
11. Roll ball of whole wheat to form a flat circle 
12. Put a spoon of daal mix in the centre
13. Fold the roti from all side inside to form a bag with all ends meeting in the centre 
14. Start rolling gently
15. Use oil to keep dough smooth and not stick 
16. Test frying oil put in a piece of dough and it should fry immediately.
17. Put in the rolled in filled poori. 
18. Fry it
19. Put it out on a paper town to soak in the extra oil 
20. Serve with your favourite curry or just plain Yogurt 
21. Warning- the oil can get too hot and start burning the porous to temper the heat as per required but not too low or the dough will be raw. 

Don't forget to tell me how they turned out ??😁

Mango Cake - Eggless

Ingredients- 

1 cup Mango pulp (fresh or canned)

1 cup Semolina flour

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup cooking oil

a few tablespoons of water as needed

1 teaspoon cardamom powder 

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup pistachio or any other dry fruits to decorate 

Method-

Mix all the above ingredients together and whisk. 

Sprinkle chopped dry fruits on top before putting in the oven. 

Bake in a greased pan at 340 degrees F for 35-40 mins or until a toothpick come back clean. 

Sore Throat home remedy

                                                          Harira / Besan ka seera

Here is an old family recipe of a cold and cough soother. It is in no way a medicine or substitute to medicine but it does assist in recovery and sooting the irritated throat.

Ingredients-

4 teaspoon ghee (clarified butter)
1 teaspoon besan (gram flour)
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
1/2 teaspoon crushed black pepper (fresh)
1/2 teaspoon cardamom seeds
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 cup roughly crushed almonds
1 cup milk

Method- 

In a deep pan or skillet heat the ghee

Add the besan and continue to stir on a low flame till it turns light brown and gives out a fragrance

Add the turmeric and continue to stir

Add the black pepper and cardamom

Continue to stir on low heat

Add sugar and almonds

Add milk in the end and immediately start stirring and get rid of any lumps.

Continue to stir until the liquid thickens and little bubbles appear

Do not let it settle at the bottom or burn

Turn the heat off and serve hot

Tip-

It work especially well if had on an empty stomach in the morning or last thing before bed.

Cold home remedy

Whenever mine or anyone in my family has a cold I give this remedy to them every 5-6 hours and it really has helped in calming the sinus.

Ingredients-

2 cups water
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1-2 pieces of cloves
1/2 teaspoon cardamom seeds out of the pods
1/2 teaspoon tulsi leaves
1 inch or peeled ginger roughly chopped
1 teaspoon honey
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice (optional)


Method-

Add the following ingredients to boiling water-
pepper, cloves, cardamom seeds, tulsi leaves, ginger.

Wait for the water to reduce to one cup

Turn off the heat and strain the water

Add honey and lemon juice

Serve- 

Sip on this drink slowly but drink it as warm as you can.

Tip- You can make a huge batch and refrigerate the rest and heat and use as per need. 

Stir Fried veggies/chicken with steamed rice

Stir Fried Veggies/ Chicken with White Steamed rice

Ingredients 

1. 1 Celery stalk
2. 1 carrot
3. 1 red onion
4. 2-3 stalks asparagus
5. 1 Floweret or Broccoli
6. 1 Bell Pepper Red/Green
7. 2-3 cloves of garlic
8. Handful of raw peanuts
9. 2-3 table spoons olive oil
10. 2 table spoons soy sauce
11. 2-3 table spoons Worcester Sauce
12. 2 Table spoons vinegar
13. pinch of salt
14. Garlic and red pepper hot sauce (optional)
15. 1 table spoon sesame seeds.
16. Steamed rice cooked and put aside.
17. ( pre cooked chicken or dice/shred boiled chicken with a pinch of salt)

Method

1. Dice all the above veggies .
2. Heat the wok on medium heat.
3. Put in the oil.
4. Drop in the garlic. Fry them a little.
5. Pour in all the diced veggies/ chicken and peanuts
6. Sautee for 5 mins
7. Put in all the above sauces and toss well until all veggies are coated on low heat
8. Put in the sesame seeds
9. Cover and turn off heat.

Serve with steamed white/brown rice and garnish with chopped coriander for flavor.

TIP- Adjust sauces as per flavour.