Mango Pudding(veg version)

It is 28th of  the month and i was eager to post the recipe for PPCS... On 10th of every month we post our recipes and on 28th of the same month we cook and post recipe of another member. I posted Palak Paneer Bhurji this month.
I was so happy that i got to make and post the recipe of someone that i follow and love her blog. It is Manula Kanted of Desi Fiesta. I got the opportunity to make Mango Pudding(veg version) and it was amazing... I made this dish exactly the same way as was mentioned in her blog as i was agar agar for the first time... so lets not waste any time and get into the recipe. Happy Cooking...

Recipe Source: Desi Fiesta

Ingredients

Mango custard pd - 2 tbsp
Milk - 1 1/4 cup
Sugar- 1/4 cup
Agar Agar (china grass) flakes / agar agar pd- 2 tbsp
Mango puree  - 1/2 cup (i used canned pulp)
Water - 1/4 cup
Pistachios for garnish

Method:

In a bowl take custard pd and mix it with 1/4 cup of milk and dilute it without any lumps .

In another bowl take water and sprinkle the agar agar flakes in it and set it aside for 10 mins. Then dissolve the agar agar mixture on a medium flame.

In a sauce pan heat rest of the milk and let it boil.

After it boil's add sugar, custard pd mixture and mix well .

After a boil add agar agar mixture and and mix well till it is well combined .

Turn off the flame and let it cool down a bit .

When it is lukewarm add the mango puree to it and mix them well.

Transfer it to moulds or a glass and leave them to set for at least an hour to 2 .Agar Agar sets in room temperature however if you wish you can refrigerate it. Garnish it with pistachios and serve them chilled.

In a bowl take custard pd and mix it with 1/4 cup of milk and dilute it without any lumps .

In another bowl take water and sprinkle the agar agar flakes in it and set it aside for 10 mins. Then dissolve the agar agar mixture on a medium flame.

In a sauce pan heat rest of the milk and let it boil.

After it boil's add sugar, custard pd mixture and mix well .

After a boil add agar agar mixture and and mix well till it is well combined .

Turn off the flame and let it cool down a bit .

When it is lukewarm add the mango puree to it and mix them well.

Transfer it to moulds or a glass and leave them to set for at least an hour to 2 .Agar Agar sets in room temperature however if you wish you can refrigerate it. Garnish it with pistachios and serve them chilled.

Recipe off to PPCS

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Litti Choka

Litti is both a snack and a main course dish found in India's Bihar state; it consists of balls of wheat and sattu (powdered gram or lentil) formed into balls with spices. Although very often confused with the closely related Baati, it is a completely different dish in terms of taste, texture and preparation. It may be eaten with yogurt, baigan chokha which is similar to baigan bharta, alu chokha (a bihari version of potato mash). The litti are traditionally baked over a cow-dung fire,  but in the modern day, roasting over coal or deep frying in a kadhai of hot oil may suffice. 
I always wanted to make this but never made it. But for this month's SNC, Litti Choka was announced by Nupur for the southern team. I was determined to make this. And it was awesome. For the Choka, I made Aloo-Baigan Choka. I baked the littis and they turned out very well. 

Recipe Source : Nupur's UK Rasoi

Ingredients:

Litti:

Wheat flour - 2 cups
Ajwain/Carom seeds - 1/2 tsp
Ghee - 2 tbsp
Baking soda - 1/4 tsp
Salt to taste
Warm water - 1 cup(as required)
Ghee for serving

Stuffing/Pitthi:

Sattu - 1/2 cup

Grated ginger - 1/2 tsp

Coriander leaves - 1/4 cup

Green chillies - 2 

Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp

Ajwain/carom seeds - 1/2 tsp

Mustard oil - 1 tbsp

Pickle spice - 1 tbsp(i used lemon pickle)

Salt to taste

To make Chokha: 

Potatoes - 4-6(boiled and peeled)

Brinjal /eggplant - 1 medium(i used long one)

Garlic - 5-6 large cloves

Onion - 1 large

Tomatoes - 2 medium

Green chillies - 2-4

Green coriander leaves - 2 tbsp

Salt to taste

Mustard oil - 1-2 tsp

Method:

 

Sieve the flour, add all the ingredients except the ghee and knead everything as a stiff and soft dough.

 

Take out Sattu in a mixing bowl,  add in all the spices and grated ginger, green chillies, coriander and mix well. If it seems too dry, add a tbsp of water to it. the texture should be crumbly, but not runny at all. Keep aside.

 Break off medium sized pieces from the dough. On your palm, with the help of your fingers expand the pieces 2-3 inches in diameter. you may simply roll it like a small chapathi, but dont apply any extra flour to it. 

Place 1- 2 tsp Pitthi on it, wrap up the dough piece and close from all sides. Pinch the extra dough from top, press with your palms to flatten it a bit.

Preheat the oven at 200 degrees. Place all the balls on a baking dish and bake them for 30-40 minutes. Flip the side half way through, you may have to do it 2-3 times in between to get the even cooking done.

Now roast garlic,brinjal and tomatoes on a tawa for about 15 - 18 minutes on medium flame

Allow them to cool, peel the skins, keep them in a bowl and mash with a spoon. Add in the spices, salt, oil and mix properly. 
Add in mashed potatoes, just mix everything gently with hands. Chokha is ready to be served.

Dough for Litti:

Sieve the flour, add all the ingredients except the ghee and knead everything as a stiff and soft dough.

Stuffing/Pitti:

Take out Sattu in a mixing bowl,  add in all the spices and grated ginger, green chillies, coriander and mix well. If it seems too dry, add a tbsp of water to it. the texture should be crumbly, but not runny at all. Keep aside.

Break off medium sized pieces from the dough. On your palm, with the help of your fingers expand the pieces 2-3 inches in diameter. you may simply roll it like a small chapathi, but dont apply any extra flour to it. 

Place 1- 2 tsp Pitthi on it, wrap up the dough piece and close from all sides. Pinch the extra dough from top, press with your palms to flatten it a bit.

Preheat the oven at 200 degrees. Place all the balls on a baking dish and bake them for 30-40 minutes. Flip the side half way through, you may have to do it 2-3 times in between to get the even cooking done. 

For the Choka:

Litti is served with Choka. It can be either with potatoes or brinjal/eggplant. But i made it with both. It turned out yummm. 

Peel the boiled potatoes and mash them coarsely with hands or masher. Keep aside. 
Now roast garlic,brinjal and tomatoes on a tawa for about 15 - 18 minutes on medium flame.
Allow them to cool, peel the skins, keep them in a bowl and mash with a spoon. Add in the spices, salt, oil and mix properly. 
Add in mashed potatoes, just mix everything gently with hands. Chokha is ready to be served.

To serve:

Traditionally litti is dipped in ghee and is served with choka and green chutney. But i preferred it to be served with just a drizzle of ghee and choka.





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Green Peas Soup

It is winters and I love to start my dinners with soups during winters. So started trying soups with different veggies instead of the same old Tomato soup. In winters you get beautiful and wide range of vegetables. One of which is green peas. So I thought of making some green peas soup with very few ingredients. The result was creamy and yummm tasting soup. So here is the recipe.... n... happy cooking...

Ingredients:

Green peas - 2 cups
Potato - 1
Garlic - 3 cloves
Black pepper powder - 1 tsp( you can increase it according to your taste)
Salt to taste
Oil - 1 tsp
Water - about 1 1/2 cup

Method:

In a pan/kadhai heat oil. Add garlic and saute for a minute.

Now add peas, peeled and chopped potatoes and water. Add salt and pepper powder to taste. Close the lid and cook until potatoes are cooked.

Once done, let it cool down a bit. Puree this mixture with a hand blender(you can use mixer grinder as well).

Sieve this mixture and add water as required. Bring it to boil, and serve hot.

In a pan/kadhai heat oil. Add garlic and saute for a minute. Now add peas, peeled and chopped potatoes and water. Add salt and pepper powder to taste. Close the lid and cook until potatoes are cooked. Once done, let it cool down a bit. Puree this mixture with a hand blender(you can use mixer grinder as well). Sieve this mixture and add water as required. Bring it to boil, and serve hot.

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Mix Vegetable Paratha

I was surfing through channels the other day and I stopped to watch this recipe on Turban Tadka on FoodFood channel. I loved it and couldn't wait to try. Hence I tried the very next day for my breakfast. I used the vegetables that I had however if you wish you can add potatoes, paneer, capsicum and whatever vegetables you have. Make sure you add all the spices mentioned as it gives a nice flavor to the paratha. Do try it... Happy cooking...

Makes 4 parathas.

Ingredients:

For the stuffing:
Grated Bottle gourd - 1/2 cup
Grated Carrot - 1/2 cup
Grated Cauliflower - 1/2 cup
Green chilli - 1
Grated ginger - 1 tsp
Roasted Cumin powder - 1 tsp
Pomogranate(Anardana) powder - 1/2 tsp
Black pepper powder - 1/2 tsp
Salt to taste
Oil - 1 tsp

For the dough:

Whole wheat powder - 2 cups + for dusting
Carrom seeds/Ajwain - 1/2 tsp
Asafetida - 1/2 tsp
Salt to taste
Water as required
Oil/butter/ghee for greasing

Method:

Heat a small kadhai and roast asafetida. Add about 1/2 cup water to it. Now mix all the ingredients for the dough and knead dough with the asafetida water. 

In a kadhai, heat some oil. Add chopped green chillies and grated ginger. Saute for about 1 minute.

Now add the grated vegetables. Make sure that you squeeze all the water from the vegetables.

Add salt and the dry spices. Mix well and cook until the mixture is dry. Let it cool to room temperature.

Flat the dough a little and put the stuffing in it and close and seal the edges. 

Dust some flour and roll out into chapati. 

Heat a tawa and cook paratha until done on both sides with ghee/oil/butter. Remove. Serve hot with butter, pickle or curd.

For the dough:

Heat a small kadhai and roast asafetida. Add about 1/2 cup water to it. Now mix all the ingredients for the dough and knead dough with the asafetida water. This gives the dough a distinct flavor. If you do not like asafetida, you can skip it. Rest the dough for 15 - 20 minutes before making the paratha. 

In a kadhai, heat some oil. Add chopped green chillies and grated ginger. Saute for about 1 minute. Now add the grated vegetables. Make sure that you squeeze all the water from the vegetables. Add salt and the dry spices. Mix well and cook until the mixture is dry. Let it cool to room temperature.

Flat the dough a little and put the stuffing in it and close and seal the edges. Dust some flour and roll out into chapati. Heat a tawa and cook paratha until done on both sides with ghee/oil/butter. Remove. Serve hot with butter, pickle or curd.

Recipe Source - Turban Tadka on FoodFood Channel

This recipe is off to   CCC # 2 Nov Week 4

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Beetroot Loaf

I have started enjoying homemade cakes and cupcakes. First it is very easy to make them and second and the most important factor, I make them guiltfree. If you have been thru my blog, you will realize I bake most of my goodies in different flours and seldom use refined flour. I also like to experiment them by adding veggies, I mean isn't that great, vegetable in a cake/loaf. I loved baking this one as it turned out quite moist and delicious. If you wish to add sugar, you can replace honey with the same quantity of castor sugar. Also, you can increase the quantity of honey depending on how sweet you like. You can make this loaf rich by adding nuts of your choice, I wanted to keep it really simple. If you want you can replace wheat flour with refined flour and the color of this cake will become red and looks almost like red velvet cake sans any food color. This is an amazing pair with your cuppa. So enjoy reading the recipe and happy cooking...

Ingredients:

Whole wheat flour - 2 cups
Baking powder - 1 tsp
Baking soda - 1 tsp
Cinnamon powder - 1 tsp
Eggs - 1
Oil - 1/2 cup
Honey - 1/2 cup
Grated beetroot - 1 cup

Method:

combine the honey and oil and whisk.

Add eggs and whisk again. 

Sieve the flour, baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon powder and combine them. Now add the flour mixture into the egg mixture until combined

 

Stir in the grated beetroot.  Put the mixture in the baking tin. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until done at 180 degrees.

Oil the baking tin. Shred the beetroot. Preheat the oven to 220 degrees for about 15 minutes. 
Sieve the flour, baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon powder and combine them. In a separate bowl, combine the honey and oil and whisk. Add eggs and whisk again. Now add the flour mixture into the egg mixture until combined, then stir in the grated beetroot. Put the mixture in the baking tin. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until done at 180 degrees.

Apple and Cinnamon Muffins

As a tribute to Tarla Dalal, decided to make this recipe. She is truly an inspiration to me. I mean she makes things so easy, if you follow her recipe to the T, you can never go wrong. This is a simple and easy recipe. However I made few changes. Changed this recipe to wholewheat and cornmeal recipe. Also replaced sugar with honey... being health conscious :-)
Do try it, and have it warm or with evening tea/coffee... this is just amazing... Happy cooking...

Ingredients:

Cornmeal/Makai ka aata - 1/2 cup
Whole wheat powder - 1/2 cup
Apple - 1(chopped)
Baking powder - 1 tsp
Baking soda - 1 tsp
Milk - 1/4 cup
Oil - 1/2 cup
Honey - 1/2 cup
Vanilla Essence - 1 tsp
Cinnamon powder - 1 tsp

Method:

Sieve the cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon powder and combine them.
Combine honey, vanilla essence and oil and whisk.

Add chopped apples and mix well.

Add the flour mixture into the mixture until combined.

Finally add milk and mix well.

Put the mixture in the muffin moulds. Bake for 15 - 20 minutes at 180 degrees.

Preheat the oven to 220 degree for about 15 minutes.
Sieve the cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon powder and combine them. In a separate bowl, combine honey, vanilla essence and oil and whisk. Add chopped apples and mix well.. Add the flour mixture into the mixture until combined. Finally add milk and mix well.  Put the mixture in the muffin moulds. Bake for 15 - 20 minutes at 180 degrees.