Matar Paneer

Matar Paneer or mutter paneer is one of the most popular paneer recipe amongst all the north Indian paneer recipes. Matar paneer is quite often made at home .So here is a simple and easy recipe for Matar paneer .This recipe is not restaurant style but at a simple homemade dish. Matar paneer goes well with parathas, naan and even steamed rice.

Ingredients:

• Green peas -1 cup ( Frozen )
• Sugar  - a pinch
• Paneer  -1 cup ,cubed
• Oil -2 tsp
• Ghee -2 tsp
• Cinnamon -1 inch stick
• Cloves -3
• Cardamom – 2 
• Cumin seeds – 1-1/2 tsp,whole 
• Black Peppercorns -8 -10 ,whole
• Onions -2 ,finely sliced
• Red chili powder -1/2 tsp or as per taste 
• Coriander Powder -1 tsp
• Turmeric powder -1/2 tsp
• Ginger -1/2 inch ,finely chopped and crushed
• Garlic -3 cloves, finely chopped and crushed
• Green chili -3 
• Tomatoes -2 ,finely chopped
• Curd -1/2 cup
• Garam masaala powder -1 tsp 
• Cilantro leaves – chopped for garnishing (optional)
• Salt – as per taste 

Method:

Heat a pan and pour in the first part of ghee and oil .When smoking hot, deep fry the paneer pieces in oil until light golden colour. Remove from heat and keep aside. In the same oil, when very hot, add cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, black pepper, cumin seeds and finally onions. Sauté until the onions are golden brown .Add the coriander powder, red chili powder, and turmeric powder .Remove from fire, allow it cool, and then grind the onion mixture to a smooth and thick paste .Heat the remaining ghee and oil. Add ginger, garlic and green chilies, sauté for 2 mins. Add the ground onion paste and sauté for a minute. Add the tomatoes and sauté until the oil separate from it .Add the curd, peas, paneer pieces and salt. Allow it to simmer for 10 mins.
Add the Garam masaala mixture, a minute before removing matter paneer from the heat. Garnish with coriander (cilantro leaves), and dollop of salted butter or cream on top (optional).Served with parathas, naan or rice.

Firni

Firni, a sweet milky dessert, to be eaten cold, made either with corn-flour or rice flour or sometimes both and usually flavoured with rose water, kesar and/or ground cardamom. The dish is decorated with chopped or ground almonds or pistachio nuts.

The history of firni goes back a very long way. It seems to have originated in ancient Persia or the Middle East; and to have been introduced to India by the Moghuls. It is the sweet dish after a sumptuous Biriyani meal. In north of India, it is also made during Diwali and Karwa Chauth. 

Ingredients:

1. Saffron (kesar) – a few strands

2. Milk – 1 litre

3. Basmati  Rice (soaked) -50 gm

4. Sugar – 1 cup 

5. Green Cardamom Powder  - ½ tsp 

6. Kewra  water – a few drops 

7. Pistachios and almond (chopped)

Method:

1. Bring the milk to a boil in a deep pan. 

2. Lower the heat and let it simmer till it reduces a little. Grind the soaked rice to a coarse paste.

3. Mix the paste in the boiling milk. Keep stirring continuously or else it will get lumpy.

4. Add milk soaked kesar. A little bit of kewra water and cardamom Powder (Half a spoon).

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Pancakes

These are those thick, spongy American pancakes that are often eaten with warm maple syrup, chocolate sauce or Ice cream. My son loves them with the maple syrup.
Ingredients  :
1. Plain Flour -100 gm 
2. Eggs – 2 large 
3. Milk – 300ml
4. Sugar   - as per taste 
5. Baking Soda – 1 tsp 
6. Vanilla Essence – 1/4 tsp

Method   :
Put the  flour, eggs, milk, sugar, baking soda  and vanilla essence into a bowl. Then whisk to a smooth   batter. Set aside for 30 mins to rest,  if you have a time, or start cooking straight away.   Set  a medium frying pan or crepe pan over a medium heat and carefully wipe it with some oiled kitchen paper. When hot, cook your pancakes for 1 min on each side until golden. Keeping them warm in a low oven as you go serve with maple syrup, chocolate sauce, fruits or ice cream.

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Kalakand

Kalakand (milk burfi) is an Indian milk fudge also known as Indian milk cakes .This sweet is soft , healthy ,tasty and one of my favourite  dessert. There are many ways to make it but this time I wanted to choose the  quickest way to make it. If you are looking for a hassle free and short cut version of Kalakand , this micro-wave recipe is perfect .

Ingredients :

1. Condensed Milk  – 1 tin
2. Milk Powder -1 cup (250gm)
3. Butter - 100gm 
4. Cardamom Powder -1/4 tsp 
5. Ground Pistachios -1/4 tsp 

Method :

Mix all the ingredients (except cardamom powder and ground Pistachios) in micro-wave proof utensil and place the bowl in micro-wave. Every  one minute take out the bowl and stir the mixture  with a spoon. After 7 minutes take out the bowl and place the mixture in a plate and put some cardamom powder  and ground Pistachios .Now, your Kalakand is ready. Keep the plate in your refrigerator and cut it into slices when it is time to serve.

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Litti Chokha

Bihar means ‘abode’ in Sanskrit. Litti Chokha the famous dish among Bihar and Jharkhand. Litti Looks like Bati (Rajasthani Bread) but a very small different. Litti is made up of roasted chickpea flour stuffed in dough. Chokha is prepared with different vegetables. It can be mashed potatoes or mashed eggplants and also mashed tomatoes. The three can be combined as well and chokha usually mixed with onions and spices. The dish is served in lunch or dinner. Litti Chokha is a very heavy dish .In Bihar Litti is also served with Tangy roasted tomato chutney along with Chokha. I learned this recipe from my mother in law. She was born and brought up in Bihar.

Ingredients   : 

For the Litti Dough

1. Atta -250 gm 
2. Besan (Gram Flour)- 100gm 
3. Ajwain -5 gm 
4. Salt –(According to taste)
5. Water 

For the Litti Filling 

1. Sattu (Roasted Gram Flour ) -250 gm 
2. Garlic -1Clove (Finally Chopped)
3. Ginger -50 gm (Finally Chopped)
4. Green Chillies -5 Piece (Finally Chopped)
5. Coriander leaves -1/2 a bunch 
6. Ajwain (Thyme) -1/2 tsp 
7. Mango or red chilli Pickle -1tsp or as per your taste 

For the Chokha

1. Brinjal -1 no (Whole)
2. Tomato- 2 nos (Whole)
3. Potato- 2 Pieces (Whole )
4. Amchur Powder -1/2 tsp 
5. Salt – (according to your taste )
6. Mustard  Oil – 1 tsp 
7. Onion -1 piece (Finally Chopped)
8. Green Chillies– 2 nos (Finally Chopped )

Method :

How to make Litti 

1. Mix atta and besan thoroughly. Add ajwain, salt and water .Knead into a soft dough and keep aside .
2. Mix sattu with onion ,garlic, lemon juice, Coriander leaves, green chillies and salt .
3. Divide dough into medium size loyias. Put a little sattu mixture inside and make a round balls .
4. Bake these balls /Litti in Tandoor or Oven .

How to make Chokha 

1. Bake Brinjal, Tomato and Potato. Peel mash and mix together .
2. Add  green chilli ,onion, salt, amchur powder and mustard oil 
3. Mix thoroughly to make chokha 
Serve with hot Litti and Desi Ghee .

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Hummus

Hummus ,that creamy dip that hails from the Middle East, has a reputation as a clean healthy food . Chick peas ,hummus main ingredient, give you protein ,good for your carbs , and fibre. Like other members of the legume family, they routinely top lists of the healthiest foods . I serve this dip with French fries, kebabs or pita bread. My son is quite obsessed with its taste. There was an incident when my son finished the entire bowl of hummus before the pita bread  were served on the dining table.

Ingredients :
1. Chick peas -1 can or Boiled Chick peas -250 g
2. Tahini -1/4 cup (Sesame Paste)
3. Garlic -1-2 cloves 
4. Olive Oil -2 table Spoons 
5. Lemon Juice -2 table spoon 

Method :
1. Combine all the ingredients and grind them (Smoothly or coarsely as prefer)
2. Add little water if the mixture is bit hard while grinding .
3. Sprinkle paprika on top with little touch of olive oil.

Tip :
You can adjust the proportions of the ingredients to taste, depending on how strong you want the flavour to be and how thick you like your hummus. Start  with less liquid than you think you might need. You can always add more as you blend it ,but if you add too much, you have got a sauce, not a dip .

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Cucumber Cup

There is a famous saying in India- "Dilli Dilwalo ki". Having spent more than a decade in the national capital, we  moved to Copenhagen. As they say, Delhi is for everyone, people from all parts of the country. It doesn’t have neither the weather nor the  culture of its own because it is a combination of all.     It is sizzling hot in summer, touching 45ºC while in winters it can be very foggy, chilly with mercury dipping to 2º C. The summers were a killer, one wouldn't feel the urge to eat, but who can stop a party animal like me. So, summers were mostly about a get together at home with least time being spent in the kitchen, for obvious reasons, but there always used to be a craving for something cool and healthy. This helped me discover my cool cool corn pomegranate cucumber cup recipe. Couldn't make it to India this time during the summers, but the European summer was around 30’s particularly for a week to ten days, but  nothing compared to the higher 40’s in Delhi. Few friends came over last week and I presented my Delhi summer speciality – the healthy appetizer or snacks. They liked it and hope you like it too.....

Servings : 3-4 persons per cucumber

Ingredients :
1. Cucumber – 1
2. Pomegranate  -2 Spoons
3. Corn – 4 spoons ( I used frozen corn )
4. Salad Dressing or Curd -1/2 Cup 
5. Salt – as per taste 

Method :

1. Wash and peel the cucumber. Cut it in to 1.5 inch long pieces. Using a small spoon or melon baller, scoop out the insides of the pieces to make a hollow cups of about 1 inch deep.
2. Sprinkle salt and cayenne pepper or paprika( mildly hot pepper )instead of cayenne on the pieces.
3. Take a bowl and mix pomegranate, corn & salad dressing. I used frozen corn. Those who are using fresh corn, should boil the corn in water till it is soft.
4. Instead of salad dressing, one can use curd also. Add chat masala and a pinch of sugar to the thick curd and mix it well to make the curd-sauce ready.
5. Place a dollop of the mixture inside the cucumber cups. It is ready to serve.
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