Menu for week of April 15th 2019

$10

All Meals come with  1 cup (237 ml) of 2 subzis, 1 cup of rice  and 2 Rotis

Non veg on request : $13 / meal 1 veg 1 n.veg subzi


April 15th :

• Dal Palak 
• Paneer jalfrezi

         

Menu for week of April 8th 2019

$10

All Meals come with  1 cup (237 ml) of 2 subzis, 1 cup (237 ml) of rice  and 2 Rotis

Non veg on request : $13 / meal 1 veg 1 n.veg subzi


April 8th :

• Channa Dal lauki 
• Muttar Paneer

           

Tiffin Service

Vegetarian Meal 1

• Dal
• Vegetable 
• Roti - 2
• Rice 

• Dal
• Chicken / Lamb / Fish / Egg
• Roti - 2
• Rice 
• yogurt

Life can get pretty busy with a toddler, and thats when this upma comes handy simple easy quick and healthy. Usually served for breakfast but works great for busy nights.

Ingredients

1 cup broken wheat
1 onion chopped
1/2 cup mixed vegetables cut into small cubes, I use frozen ones
1 tsp ginger paste
Few curry leaves chopped
1 tsp mustard seeds
1/4 tsp tumeric powder
1 tsp corriander powder
1/4 tsp red Chilli powder
2 green chillies slit
2 tbsp lime juice
2 tbsp chopped fresh corriander leaves
3 cups water
Salt to taste

Method

1. Heat oil in a non stick pan.
2. Add the mustard seeds, once the seeds splutter add the curry leaves.
3. Add the onions and saute for few minutes.
4. Add the green chilies and ginger and saute for a minute.
5. Add the turmeric powder, corriander powder and red chili powder. Saute for 1 minute.
6. Add the vegetables. Cook for 5 minutes covered on medium low.
7. Meanwhile bring 3 cups of water to a boil.
8. Add the broken wheat and saute for 2 minutes.
9. Add the boiling water, salt and lime.
10. Mix and cook covered till all the water evaporates and the broken wheat is cooked.
11. Garnish with corriender leaves and Serve.

Its been so long that I have blogged, feels like I never stopped though have been waiting to get back to blogging and feels so good to be back. I hope to blog atleast once in a while now.

Though having a baby changes everything am glad that it did not change my desire to cook and try new dishes, its even more fun now cooking for my daughter and how I can plan a meal in which I can please hers and my husbands taste buds. Luckily my daughter who is 2.5 years now loves her spices and she even enjoys cooking with me.

Today is one such dish which was easy and loved by all. I have been trying out Master Chef Tarla Dalal's recipe with great success. This is one of her recipe with just the addition of garlic, for me where there is methi there has to be garlic. Fry them ahead of time and then when time to serve I put them in the oven at 350 F for about 10 to 15 minutes.

Tarla Dalal's recipe: http://www.tarladalal.com/Aloo-Methi-Tikki-(kebabs-and-Tikkis-Recipes)-32728r

Last month while Srivalli and I were chatting we came to a decision to try Khasta Kachori's for the Indian Cooking Challenge, the only person I could think of is my aunt Indu Maasi who is a wonderful cook, every time I am in loss for a recipe she is always there. She quickly sent me the recipe and by then I realized that I also had Tarla Dalals recipes. Indu maasi's and Tarla Dalal's recipe were very similar. Tarla dalal had 2 more fillings and I tried those too. We loved them a lot. I loved the moong dal one it tasted just like the store bought. Though my shapes are not so perfect since this was the first try it tasted wonderful.

Thank so much Indu Maasi, I think I am going to add a column on my blog just for your recipes.

I would also thank Srivalli to give us the opportunity to try these new recipes which we always wanted to but never got to.

For the Dough

Ingredients
2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup oil/ghee, I used oil
1/2 tsp salt
water for kneading

Method

1. Mix the flour and salt.
   
2. Add the oil and mix well. Till you get a bread crumbs texture.
   
3. Make a soft dough using water.
   
4. Knead well for about 8 minutes.
   
5. Cover and keep aside to rest for atleast half hour.
   

Notes

• Keep the dough covered at all times, if not it will dry up and not puff up when frying. If the dough is made right wet cloth can be used if not just a towel.
  
• The dough could spring back for many reasons:
  
• Dough is too cold (If wet cloth is used)
  
• Dough is not soft enough.
  
• Not kneaded for enough time.
  
• Oil is less.
  
• Not rested enough.
  

Fillings
Khasta Kachori - Moong Dal kachori
Here I took a mix of both the recipes.

Ingredients
1/2 cup split moong dal (yellow)
1 tsp cumin seeds
a pinch hing (asefetida)
2 tsp finelly chopped curry leaves (Optional)
1 tsp chilli ginger paste
1 tsp sauf (fennel seeds) powder
1/2 tsp spoon garam masala
1/2 tsp red chilli pwd
1 tsp mango powder (amchur)
1 tsp oil
salt to taste

Method

1. Wask and Soak dal in water for atleast 1 hour. You can go upto 4 hours not more.
   
2. Drain the water well.
   
3. Grind the dal to a coarsely. (Will resemble Idli Rawa)
   
4. Heat oil in a pan.
   
5. Add the hing and cumin seeds.
   
6. Once the seeds splutter add the curry leaves.
   
7. Add the dal.
   
8. Lower the heat and keep stirring for 5 minutes till the dal stops sticking to the pan.
   
9. Cook for another 10 minutes on low till the dal turns slightly brown.
   
10. Add all the masalas.
    
11. Cook for few minutes till the aroma of the spices hit you.
    
12. Add Salt.
    
13. Remove from heat and keep aside to cool.
    

Muttar Ki Kachori from Tarla Dalal:

Ingridients
2 cups green peas
1 teaspoon green chillies, chopped
1 teaspoon ginger, grated
1/2 teaspoon nigella seeds (kalonji)
2 teaspoons fennel seeds (saunf)
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon chilli powder
1 teaspoon garam masala
4 tablespoons chopped coriander
2 tablespoons oil
salt

Method

1. Corarsely grind the green peas,green chillies and ginger in a blender without using any water. Keep aside.
   
2. Heat the oil in a pan,add the nigella seeds,fennel seeds,bay leaves and ground green pea mixture and saute over a very slow flame for 8 to 10 minutes.
   
3. Add the chilli powder,garam masala,coriander and salt and saute for 2 more minutes.
   
4. Remove the bay leavess and discard. Divide into 12 equal portions.
   

Pyaz Ki Kachori

Ingredients
2 cups onions, finely chopped
1 teaspoon nigella seeds (kalonji)
2 teaspoons fennel seeds (saunf)
2 bay leaves
1½ teaspoons green chillies, finely chopped
2 tablespoons Bengal gram flour (besan)
2 teaspoons coriander (dhania) powder
2 teaspoons chilli powder
1 teaspoon garam masala
3 tablespoons chopped coriander
2 tablespoons oil
salt to taste

Method

1. Heat the oil in a pan. Add the nigella seeds, fennel seeds, bay leaves, green chillies and onions and sauté till the onions turn light brown in colour.
   
2. Add the gram flour, coriander powder, chilli powder, garam masala and salt and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes.
   
3. Add the chopped coriander and mix well. Remove the bay leaves and discard. Allow the mixture to cool completely.
   
4. Divide into 12 equal portions and keep aside.
   

Notes

• The fillings have to be really dry if not when rolling they will ooz out when rolling.
  
• The masalas are according to taste, I did reduce the spice but still its spicy for us but the level we can enjoy.
  
• Once I added the filling I found it difficult to roll especially the moong dal, I felt the dough would break and make holes So I pressed it down with my hand. I followed Manjula's method,
  
• Fry the kachori's on medium low to get a crisp outer layer, that is the key. For people using electric stove, my numbers were going from 6 to 4.
  

To Make Kachori's

1. Make a small ball from the dough.
   
2. Roll out into a 2 inch diameter circle.
   
3. Place about 1.5 tsp of t he filling in the center of the rolled dough.
   
   
4. Cover the filling with the dough by sowly streching it over the filling. Seal the ends and remove excess dough.
   
   
5. Flatten and roll each portion to 2.5 inch circle. I used the my palms to flatten it, using the rolling pin was not working sincet he filling was coming out. (See notes below).
   
   
6. Keep aside covered.
   
7. Repeat with the remaining dough.
   
8. Meanwhile heat some oil for deep frying.
   
9. Drop the kachori in the oil. It should rise up slowly.
   
10. After it rises up (about 2 minutes), turn it over.
    
11. Cook for about 6 to 10 minutes till the side down gets a golden brown color.
    
12. Turn and cook the other side for another 6 minutes or till its golden brown in color.
    
    
13. Remove when done, cool and store in airtight container.
    
14. Serve with coriander chutney and tamarind chutney
    

Notes

• I fried 3 kachori's at a time.
  
• The oil should be at a heat when you drop some dough it should come up slowly, if the dough comes up too fast the oil is too hot, if it does not come up then the oil is cold.
  
• It will not be crisp if the oil is too hot.
  

This is a very simple dal, you have it with rice or roti's. I used to always soak this dal for 1 to 2 hours and have a problem when boiling this dal I had to give about 8 to 9 whistles and still they would not get as tender as I wanted them to be. Then my friend Shivani's sister Shalu shared this tip with me, she said dont soak it for more time and cook any dal on medium heat, after about 2 to 3 whistles (Depends on the pressure cooker) the dal will be melting soft and cooked to perfection. Ever since I have tried this method my dal cooks really well and tastes better too. Thanks Shalu.

Ingredients
1 cup Whole Moong Dal
1/2 cup onion chopped
2 tsp garlic, minced
2 tsp ginger, grated
1 tsp green chilies, chopped
10 - 12 curry leaves
2 tomatoes, pureed
1 tsp coriander powder
pinch turmeric powder
1/4 tsp red chili powder
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tbsp fresh lime juice or to taste (Depends on how sour the tomatoes are.)
fresh coriander leaves for garnish
salt to taste

Method

1. Wash and soak the dal for 1 hour. Drain the water.
   
2. Place the dal in a pressure cooker along with ginger, garlic, green chilies, curry leaves and salt.
   
3. Add about 2 cups of water. Close the cooker and pressure cook the dal on medium till 3 whistles.
   
4. Let the pressure out naturally. If needed give more whistles.
   
5. Heat 1 tsp oil in another pan. Add the cumin seeds.
   
6. Once they splutter add the coriander powder, red chili powder and turmeric powder. Cook for 1/2 minute.
   
7. Add the tomatoes, cook till oil separates.
   
8. Add it to the cooked dal and Mix well.
   
9. Add more water if needed and bring to a boil.
   
10. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes.
    
11. Add the lime juice.
    
12. Garnish with fresh coriander leaves.
    
13. Adjust seasoning.
    
14. Serve with rice or roti.