Kaju Barfi / Kaju Katli

Kaju Barfi made easy....

You will be surprised to know that this soft and yummy Kaju Barfi recipe is so simple and you’ll never have to run to the sweet shop again..

Ingredients:

• One cup Cashewnuts 
• Half a cup Sugar heaped
• One fourth cup Water
• 2 tsp of Ghee
• Saffron Strands 3-4 (optional)

Procedure:

Before you start with this recipe note that all ingredients should be at room temperature. If you have placed  cashew nuts in the freezer keep it out for few hours so that it comes to normal temperature and then powder it. Powder the cashew nuts in a dry mixer(blender wont do) at one stretch. Let the powder be fine.

                         
Heat a thick pan with water.Add sugar and saffron strands.

Heat till the sugar gets dissolved stirring in between.Once sugar gets dissolved stop stirring, reduce the flame and boil till this reach one string consistency. This step is very important.

Once the consistency is reached you can add the cashew nut powder and start stirring it in a low flame. Keep doing till it reaches a soft dough consistency. It should take about 2-3 mins. Over doing this will result in hard barfis.

When it comes together take a small portion of the dough and try to roll it in to a ball.When you are able to do that.switch off the stove and allow it to cool.

When done transfer it to a plate and when it is warm grease your hands with ghee and start kneading it into a  soft dough. You can sprinkle little milk if it is a  bit dry but addition of more milk also reduces the shelf life.

Now transfer it to a wide greased plate/inverted flat plate/ flat surface covered with aluminium foil  and start rolling it evenly with a rolling pin  for about 1 cm thickness. Cut them into diamonds and the kaju barfis are ready to eat now.

Enjoy it with your friends and family :)

Gobi Carrot Paratha - Cauliflower & Carrot Stuffed Flat-bread

Gobi (Cauliflower) Paratha is a popular North Indian breakfast recipe which is now loved in every part of India. It is quite filling & satiating flat bread and you can have it with butter, yogurt, chutney , pickle or even ketchup. Today I am going to blog a combination of cauliflower and carrot paratha which is equally tasty and more healthy. There are detailed pictures on how to stuff and roll  a paratha for beginners.

Ingredients:

For Dough: 

• 1 1/2 cup of wheat flour
• 3/4 cup of water (or as needed)
• 1 tbsp oil
• salt to taste

For Stuffing: 

• 7-8 big cauliflower florets (wash thoroughly & dry these completely before use) 
• 2-3 carrots 
• 3-4 green chilies or chili paste
• 1/2 inch ginger piece (skin removed or peeled)
• 1/2 cup coriander leaves with stems
• 1 tsp carom seeds (ajwain)
• 3/4  tsp coriander powder
• 1/2 tsp dry mango powder (amchur)
• 1/4 tsp garam masala (optional)
• salt to taste 

Additionally we will need some wheat flour for dusting.

 Method :

To make Dough:

Mix all the ingredients listed under "For Dough" & knead into a soft dough. Cover & keep aside for 15-30 minutes.

To Make Stuffing:

Add the cauliflower florets, ginger, coriander leaves & green chilies into the food processor & grind till you break them into very small pieces (grated like consistency), make sure you don't make a paste of it.  (alternately you can grate the cauliflower & chop the ginger & green chilies finely).

Wash the carrots, peel them and cut  into 1" pieces.Add them into the food processor and grind until you get grated like consistency.(Alternatively, you also grate carrot)

Remove in a mixing bowl & to this grated mixture add carom seeds, coriander powder, dry mango powder, followed by garam masala, salt and mix well. I had some green chilli paste so I added it instead of green chilles at this stage.Mix all these ingredients well and  our Gobi - carrot stuffing is ready. Keep aside.

To Make Paratha (flat-bread):

Take a small portion of the dough(about 1.5" dia)  & roll it into a 3" diameter circle using rolling pin & some dry wheat flour. Apply some oil/ghee at the center of this circle and dust some wheat flour and then place 2-3 tbsp of the stuffing on it. 

Bring all the ends together & seal tightly. If there is some additional dough at the peak after sealing, remove it & flatten the stuffed dough ball.

Using some wheat flour for dusting, roll this stuffed dough into 6" diameter circle.

Heat a flat tava (griddle) on medium heat, once hot put this rolled paratha on it. Cook for about a minute & then flip.

While the other side is cooking, apply some oil/ghee/butter on the side facing up. Again flip & cook the side with oil/butter/ghee till its well done & golden in color.

Repeat the process for other side too. Once both sides are well cooked remove from griddle. 

Repeat the entire process to make as many parathas as you want. (I made 8).

Our Gobi - Carrot  paratha is ready, serve hot topped with some butter or with any chutney/pickle/curry of your choice. 

Banana Bread - Low fat version

Ingredients:

• 3 large mashed bananas
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 cup  low-fat plain yogurt
• 1/4 cup canola, vegetable, or corn oil
• 3/4 cup  light brown sugar
• 1 large egg or 2 egg whites
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup  all-purpose flour
• 3/4  cup  whole wheat flour
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup chopped  nuts ( I used almonds and walnuts)

Procedure:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C) and place the rack in the center of the oven. Spray an 8 x 4 inch (20 x 10 cm) loaf pan with a nonstick vegetable cooking spray.

In a large bowl, mix the mashed bananas with yogurt and then add  the baking soda. Allow to sit while you prepare the rest of the batter.

Meanwhile, in a separate bowl, whisk together the oil, sugar, egg or egg whites, and vanilla.

In another large bowl, whisk together the flours, baking powder,half of the chopped nuts, ground cinnamon and salt.

Then combine the banana mixture with the oil mixture and then add to the flour mixture. Stir just until all the ingredients are moistened.

Pour into the prepared pan and smooth the top.Place the remaining nuts on the top. Bake for about 45 - 55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean.

Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool. Makes one loaf (about 12 slices).

Mulakkadala Rasam /Drumstick Rasam

A very simple, tasty drumstick rasam and a common dish in Andhra homes. It is basically tomato rasam mixed with the flavor from the drumsticks which adds a nice punch to the rasam .

Ingredients:

• 3 inch tender Drumsticks pieces about 12-14
• 2 big ripen Tomatoes
• 3 tsp Tamarind pulp
• 1-2  Green chili
• 2 tsp Rasam powder
• 1/4 tsp Turmeric powder
• 1 tsp grated Jaggery/sugar
• 2 tbsp Coriander leaves(with stems)
• 5-6 Curry leaves
• Salt to taste

For popu/tadka:

• 1 tsp Oil/Ghee
• 1/2 tsp Mustard seeds
• 5-6 Curry leaves
• 1 tsp minced garlic (optional)
• 1 Red chili
• a generous pinch of Asafoetida (Hing)

Procedure:

Cut the drumsticks  them into 3" pieces and cook them in a pot of water with salt. Alternatively, you can pressure cook for one whistle or microwave them.Take care that they stay intact and are not broken.

Grind tomatoes to a fine puree.

Pour the tomato puree into a deep vessel and add curry leaves and slit green chili and add around 1 cup of water to it and let it boil for 4-5 mins.

To the boling rasam , add  turmeric powder,tamarind pulp,rasam powder, chopped coriander leaves and boil for another 3-4 mins.

Add grated jaggery,salt,cooked drumsticks and boil for another 5 mins.

Now taste the rasam and adjust the seasoning according to your wish.Feel free to add more rasam powder or salt or jaggery or tamarind pulp or more water to balance the rasam.

Heat a small tempering pan add oil/ghee and crackle mustard seeds and then add the curry leaves, minc garlic (optional), red chillies,asafoetida and fry for a couple of seconds.

Add this tempering to the rasam and cover it immediately and remove from stove.

Serve it with rice,any vegetable fry and papad.

Palakura Pappu /Spinach Dal

A healthy way to consume green leafy vegetables  is to pressure-cook the leafy veggies with toor dal. The recipe is to combine all the ingredients below and  pressure cook with 2 cups of water and garnish it with popu/tadka.

Ingredients:

• One bunch of Spinach, washed and cut into pieces
• One cup of Toor dal (Kandi Pappu)-soaked in water for an hour
• One medium sized tomato- cut into pieces
• One medium sized onion- cut into pieces
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• 6- 7 green chillies (adjust acc to spice)
• Key-lime size tamarind (Chinta pandu)
• 2 cups of water

For popu / tadka:

• 1 tsp of oil or ghee
• 1/2 tsp of each - cumin, mustard seeds, chana dal, urad dal and few pieces of curry leaves and dried red chilli pieces
• 1 tbsp minced garlic
• a generous pinch of hing/Asafoetida

Procedure:

Pressure cook all the above ingredients for 3 whistles (except the ones for the popu)

 After pressure-cooking all of the above ingredients, add 1 tsp of salt and make a paste of spinach dal by mashing it.

For the popu/ tadka, In a saucepan, add one tsp of oil or ghee and lightly fry the minced garlic, urad dal, chana dal, cumin and mustard seeds, red chilli pieces and curry leaves and hing.

Add the popu to the spinach dal combine them together. Keep the dal covered till serving time.

 Serve the dal with steaming rice or with chapati/roti.

Broccoli-Bean Sprouts Stir Fry

Broccoli is one of my favorite vegetables and I use it extensively for preparing pasta,soups, salads and many side dishes. It is high in vitamin C, as well as dietary fiber; it also contains multiple nutrients with anti-cancer properties. In order to utilize all the nutritional benefits of broccoli, care should be taken that it shouldn't be over cooked or deep fried. Steamed or raw broccoli is always the best.

For this recipe I have used bean sprouts as a combination for stir fried broccoli. For an Indo-Chinese  version , you can also season it with soya sauce.

Ingredients:

• 1 medium Broccoli head,cut into florets
• 1 cup bean sprouts
• 1 medium Onion,finely chopped
• 1/4 tsp cumin seeds
• 3 big Garlic pods,finely sliced
• 2 Green chillies
• A generous pinch of  Pepper powder
• Salt to taste
• 1 tbsp oil
• 1 tsp lime juice (optional)

Procedure:

Add some hot water in a  large bowl and blanch the broccoli florets for 3-4 mins . Drain and keep aside.

Meanwhile, heat oil in a non-stick pan and add cumin seeds, garlic, slit green chillies and sauté for few seconds.Add the onions and saute until the turn light brown.

Add the broccoli florets, salt, pepper and cook covered for 4-5 minutes on low flame. 

Add the bean sprouts, saute on medium flame for 2-3 mins and switch off the flame. Serve hot.

 For a tangy version, after switching off the  flame add a tsp of lemon juice and serve hot.