Badam Halwa

Ingredients:
Almonds/Badam - 1.5 cups
Sugar - 1.5 cups
Ghee - 1/2 cup
Saffron strands - 1 pinch
Yellow liquid food coloring - 4 drops
Garnishing - any nut

Method:
Soak the almonds in hot water for 30 minutes.
Peel the skin by pressing the edge of the almond.
Grind the almonds into a smooth paste using water (or you can grind with milk).
Add 1 tbsp. of ghee in a thick non-stick kadai.
Add the ground paste and start to stir.
After 4 to 5 minutes, add the sugar and stir continuously.
Add the food colouring & saffron strands and stir.
When the bubbles form, add the remaining ghee little by little in regular intervals.
When the halwa thickens, leaves the sides of the pan and looks shiny (ghee comes out) remove from heat.
Spread it in a ghee-greased plate.
If you want to make shapes, keep it in fridge for few minutes and make shapes out of them.

Sent off to Priya's Feast's "Diwali Contest 2009" event, Sireesha's "Sweet Series" event and Sanghi's "FIL-Ghee" event.

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Dhansak

Parsi cuisine is one of the North-west Indian cuisines which is native to the Parsis. Parsis are actually Zorastrians/Persians who migrated from the country to India. Their basic lunch is rice eaten with lentils or some curry. Some desserts like Falooda and Kulfi fall in this cuisine.

Okay, enough of history and other oldie stuff! This post is about Dhansak, which is one of the curries to be lapped up with rice in the Parsi cuisine. It can be cooked with meat added with mint to enhance the taste. Here is the recipe in veggie version.

Ingredients:
Mixed dals - 1 cup (toor, masoor & moong dal)
Red pumpkin - 1/2 cup (cubed)
Potatoes - 1/2 cup (cubed)
Onions - 1/2 cup (chopped)
Tomatoes - 2 (chopped)
Fenugreek leaves - 1/2 cup
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp.
Sugar - 1/2 tsp.
Salt
Tamarind extract - 2 tbsp.
Oil

Dhansak masala (Got from here):
Garlic - 6 cloves
Ginger - 1 inch
Red chillies - 7
Coriander seeds - 1 tsp.
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp.
Peppercorn - 4 (in number)
Fenufreek seeds - 1/4 tsp.
Cinnamon - 1 stick
Nutmeg - 1 pinch
Green cardamom - 2

Method:
Saute all the ingredients in dhansak masala except garlic and ginger.
Grind it into paste with garlic and ginger by adding water.
Pressure cook the dals along with pumpkin and potato.
Heat the oil in a pan and add the onions.
Add sugar and fry till they change to brown colour.
Add the fenugreek leaves and saute.
Add the tomatoes and saute.
When the leaves start to wilt and the tomatoes softens, add the dhansak masala,turmeric powder and mix well.
Add the boiled dal and salt.Simmer for 5 to 6 minutes.
Now add the tamarind extract and let it simmer for 4 minutes.
Remove from heat and serve with brown rice or white rice.

Note:
Mutton or chicken can be added along with the veggies to make mutton or chicken dhansak.
Add mint leaves for the non-veg version.

Sent off to Meera's "RCI-Parsi cuisine" event in which the RCI series is originally started by Lakshmi's Veggie Cuisine.

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Coriander Rice

Ingredients:
Basmati rice - 2 cups
Coriander seeds - 1/2 cup
Onion - 2 (sliced)
Tomato - 2 (diced)
Curd - 1/2 cup
Salt (to taste)
Ghee - 1 tsp.
Oil - 2 tsp.

To be ground:
Mint leaves - 1 cup
Coriander leaves - 1 cup
Green Chillies - 4 (medium)
Ginger - 2 inches
Garlic - 3 cloves (big)
Cinnamon - 1 inch stick
Cloves - 2
Cardamom - 2

Method:
Boil the coriander seeds in 4 cups of water.
When the water boils down to about 3 cups, remove it from the heat.
Strain the coriander water and collect it in a bowl.
Grind all the 'to-be-ground' ingredients into a paste.
In a thick pan, heat the oil and ghee.
Add the sliced onions and fry till it changes to light brown colour.
Then add the tomatoes and saute them.
Add the ground paste and fry till the raw smell fades off.
Add the curd and mix well.
Add 3 cups of coriander water and let it boil.
Now add the rice and cover it with a lid.
At the final stage, cover the pan tightly with aluminium foil and place a heavy lid over it.
Enjoy the flavorful rice with any raita.
Recipe source-from my collection.

Sent off to Priya's "Think Spice: Think Coriander Seeds" event in the Think Spice Series originally started by Sunita Bhuyan.

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Spinach-paneer Balls

In the picture the balls look like any ordinary edible balls but they actually taste good. Everyone in my family finished it up! Recommended for spinach-haters as you won't actually feel the taste of spinach at all. Especially if you make them for kids, tell them it's just bread-paneer balls with some herbs.

Ingredients:
Bread slices (crushed in the mixer) - 10
Spinach - 1 bunch (washed, blanched and pureed)
Ginger, garlic, Green chilli paste - 1 tsp.
Garam masala - 1/2 tsp.
Lemon juice - 1/2 lemon
Salt (to taste)
Oil (for deep frying)

For marinating:
Paneer cubes - 150 gms
Lemon juice - half a lemon
Ginger-garlic-green chilli paste - 1 tsp.
Capsico sauce - 1 tsp.
Oregano - 1/2 tsp.
Pepper (powdered) - 1/4 tsp.
Salt
Corn flour (for rolling) - as required (optional)

Method:
Mix all the ingredients together in the marination and keep it aside for an hour.
Mix bread crumbs, ginger-garlic-green chilli paste, garam masala, lemon juice and salt in a bowl.
Bind the mixture into a dough using the spinach puree as required.
Take a small ball from the dough and flatten.
Stuff the marinated paneer in the dough and make balls.
Rub the balls in corn flour (it's optional as I didn't rub them in corn flour).
Fry in oil till they become crispy.
Remove from heat and serve hot with tomato ketchup.
Recipe source-from my recipe collection.

Sent off to Srivalli's "Kids' Delight" event.

*Edit*-I have added another clear photo for a better view above the recipe method.

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Potato Murukku

This is the another variation of murukku made with potatoes, chutney dal and rice flour. It might be possible for the dough to break while pressing on the hot oil but I never care b'cuz my family loves the taste of this murukku.

Ingredients:
Potatoes - 2 (medium-boiled)
Rice flour - 1/2 cup
Chutney dal/pottukadalai - 1/2 cup powdered
Onion - 1 (medium)
Butter - 1 tsp.
Cumin seeds - 1/4 tsp.
Asafoetida - 2 pinches
Salt
Oil (for deep frying)

Method:
Cut the onions into pieces and make them into paste.
Peel the skin and mash the potatoes without any lumps.
In a bowl add the sifted rice flour, chutney dal powder and salt.
Add the asafoetida, mashed potatoes, cumin seeds, onion paste & butter and mix well.
If required, add little water and knead it into a dough.
Take a small size dough and drop it in the murukku presser with star shaped hole in the disc.
Now press the dough on the medium hot oil.
As you're adding potatoes and onion, you should adjust the heat low and medium flame or you get a very dark murukku.
Cook on both the sides and enjoy the murukkus.

Sent off to Srivalli's "Kids' Delight" event.

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Okra & Tomatoes (T&T-Wandering Chopsticks)

This month's Zlamushka spicy Kitchen 's Tried and Tasted Event is from blog Wandering Chopsticks. She has so many recipes from many cuisines. Of those, I chose the simplest recipe-Okra and Tomato Fry. Adding bay leaves and red pepper sauce is completely different to me. Instead of Tabasco sauce, I replaced it with Capsico sauce. The taste was totally different.

Ingredients:

Okra - 1 lb

Onion - 1 (diced)

Garlic - 3 cloves (minced)

Tomatoes - 2 (diced)

Ground black pepper - 1/4 tsp.

Bay leaf - 1

Salt

Oil

Capsico sauce - 1 tsp.

Method:

Cut the okra into pieces.

Heat the oil and add the garlic and onion.

Add the salt and saute.

When the onions are softened, add the okra and tomatoes.

Stir it.

Add bay leaf, pepper powder and capsico sauce.

When the okra pieces are cooked and tomatoes are softened, remove from heat.

Serves as a good side dish for rice.

Sent off to the "Tried & Tasted: Wandering Chopsticks" event hosted by Trupthi .

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