Sago Murukku

I made these as soon as Valli gave the recipe for this month's ICC.  They were finished immediately on the next day.  They turned really great. 
Today I totally forgot that I have to post the recipe and pictures.  Just now I saw Vallli's post and remembered about it.  Its a very simple recipe Valli has given.

Ingredients:
2 Cups Rice Flour
1/2 cup Besan flour
1/2 cup Fried gram flour
1/2 cup Sago
1/4 cup Curd
50 ml Oil
Salt to taste
Chile powder - 1/2 tsp or as per taste

Method:
Make buttermilk of the curd.  Soak Sago in Butter milk for 3 hrs, please ensure that you soak it enough else you may risk having the sago burst.

Mix all the flour together, heat 50 gms oil, mix to the flour along with salt and chili powder. Then add the buttermilk soaked sago slowly and knead to a chapati dough consistency
Heat oil for deep frying.In the muruku achu, add the dough. When the oil is hot, press down directly as as murukus.
Cook on medium flame to ensure the muruku is cooked well.

Notes:
Ensure sago soaks in buttermilk well and is soft or else it will burst when you press it down in hot oil.
Cook on medium to ensure even cooking.
Fried Gram flour is fried channa dal that is available commercially. It is general sold as the dal, we have to powder it at home. This is also referred as chutney dal as it is used in making coconut chutney.

Aloo-Gobhi

Aloo Gobi means potato+cauliflower, a combination of two generally most loved vegetables.  I said generally most loved because in my home my elder son simply hates gobhi.  Aloo gobi can be found on almost every Indian restaurant menu.  Aloo gobi is a stir-fried vegetable dish, North-Indian style.  Every household in India has it's own version of Aloo-Gobhi.  So this is my version with some basic spices.

 

Ingredients:

1 medium head of cauliflower cut into bite-size pieces

2 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed

1 small onion, sliced

2 tbsp oil
1 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp red chili powder (cayenne pepper)
1/2 tsp cumin powder
1/2 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp ginger minced
1 tsp garam masala

1 Bay leaf

1 tsp salt (or to taste)

Method:

 In a wide saucepan heat oil on medium heat. Add the cumin seeds and bay leaf, stir until they sizzle.

Add the onion and stir-fry for a few minutes until onion is starting to brown.  Lower the heat and add in the minced ginger, turmeric powder, chilli powder, cumin powder and coriander powder. Stir to get the spices coated with oil.  Add the potato and cauliflower and stir well to mix in the spices. Add the salt and garam masala.  Cover the pan. 

Let the vegetables cook until tender. Cook the veggies in their own juices which are released due to the salt and turmeric.  Sometimes the veggiesget browned at the bottom, keep stirring at the interval of 2-3 minutes to evenly cook the veggie.  If you feel that the veggies are not cooking due to poor/less steam building, add 1/4 cup of water. Check a potato cube to test for tenderness. Turn off the heat once vegetables are tender (do not over-cook).  Let the subzi (vegetable) rest for 10 minutes, then serve warm.

Kaala Chana-Aloo Masala

When I was a child every friday my mom used to make this something with kala chana.  Either kala chana Aamati or masala curry or just boiled with salt and sprinkle some chat masala and chili powder over it.  Sometimes she used to add some chopped onions, tomatoes and coriander and serve as chaat.  In the evening while returning from office my Dad used to get some salted and roasted chana-shengadana,
packed in a paper cone still little warm.  As soon as he is home we all used to sit together and finish our share while it is still hot/warm.  Oh, those olden, golden days will never be back.

This friday I made this curry to go with some pooris. 

Ingredients:
1 Cup kala channa soaked overnight and cooked
2 Medium Potatoes boiled, peeled and diced
2 Tomatoes diced
1 big Onion finely chopped
1 tsp Ginger garlic paste
1 tsp Turmeric powder
1.5 tsp Kashmiri Chilli powder
2 tsp Dhania Powder
1 tsp Cumin Powder
1 tsp Garam Masala
1 tsp Jeera
1 tbsp Oil
1/2 tsp Ghee (Optional)
2 tbsp Chopped cilantro to garnish
Salt to taste

What to do: 
Heat the oil and ghee in a heavy bottomed pan and season with jeera. Add the chopped onions and ginger garlic paste. Fry till dark brown. Add chopped tomatoes and cook till soft.  Add the diced potatoes.
When the tomatoes turn soft, add turmeric, chilli powder, dhania powder, cumin powder and salt. Add the cooked channa and a cup of water. Cover and cook for 5 minutes.
Add garam masala, cover and cook till oil separates.
Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve hot with puris/rotis/pulav varieties.

Manga Thokku

I always buy some raw mangoes from grocery store and after dumping them in fridge I throw them in trash. But this time I bought the mangoes and really wanted to use them.  I was thinking of making chunda but finally I made some pickle.  This is a very simple but delicious recipe.

What I used:
2 raw mangoes

1 tsp Mustard Seeds

1/2 tsp Haldi/Turmeric Powder

1/2 cup Olive oil

4 tsp Salt

5 tsp Red Chilli Powder or according to your taste

1 tsp Methi/fenugreek seeds dry roasted till light brown

A big pinch of Hing roasted

What I did with :

Peel the mangoes & grate.  I did with the hand grater.  You can use the food processor but I don't like because it leaves more water when grated in food processor.

Heat olive oil in a heavy bottomed pan when heated add mustard seeds.  Then add the grated mangoes stir once.  Add turmeric powder and again give a nice stir.

Now add the salt and the red chilli powder.  Mix and turn the heat to medium low.

Let it cook for 40-50 minutes.  You will know with the texture of the thokku if it is cooked.

Meanwhile, roast the methi seeds and the hing.  Grind to a fine powder.

When the thokku is cooked fully, add the methi-hing powder.  Now mix everything and turn off the heat.
And taa-daa your mango thokku is ready.
Store it in a completely dried glass/plastic bottle.  I prefer to store pickles in glass bottles.  If  refrigerated can be kept for few months, but ours will be finished in a week or 10 days.
Have a look of my mango thokku/pickle.

Vegetarian Shami Kabab

Last week we had snow again.  I was cleaning my freezer and I found this pack of frozen Suran.  My kids and DH was asking something to eat and I got this idea of using the suran.  My mom used to make them as for evening snack.  

Ingredients:
340gms Suran cut into cubes (I used 1 full bag of frozen Suran)

2 tsp Ginger-Garlic Paste

1-2 green chilies

2 tbsp cilantro

2 tsp lemon juice

2 tsp cumin powder

3 tsp coriander powder

1/2 tsp garam masala

1 tsp red chili powder
salt to taste
1/2 cup bread crumbs

Method:

Oil the hands and then peel and cut the suran.  I need not do this since I was using frozen and cubed suran. 

Boil them in water added with turmeric and salt till soft. I microwaved the suran cubes with salt and turmeric.

Drain the water completely.

In a food processor put the cooked and cooled suran, ginger-garlic paste, coriander leaves, lemon juice, all spices and grind to a fine paste.
Remove in a bowl, adjust the salt and then gradually add bread crumbs till you get a binding texture.
Make flat Kababs about 2 inches diameter and shallow fry in oil on a medium flame till it turns golden brown in colour and nicely crispy on one side and then turn over to the other side.
These are very delicate and needs gentle handling, especially while turning over. 
A perfect veg version of Shami Kabab.

Serve with pudina chutney and raw onions.  I will post the recipe of pudina chutney sometime later.

Khasta Kachori for ICC

The Indian cooking challenge of Srivalli for this month was Moong Daal kachori or Raj Kachori.  It's one of my favorite snack.  Back in India, whenever I am hungry, we will go to the Farsaan Shop on the corner & eat these kachoris.  I never tried to know how to make them.  My job was just to eat.  But when I saw this month's challenge I immediately made them.  It has become a regular evening snack in my home.

I followed the recipe from Medhaa & her Aunt.  Thanks Medhaa and Srivalli.

Ingredients:
For the Dough

2 Cups All purpose flour / Maida
1/4 cup Olive Oil
Salt to taste
Water for kneading

For the filling
1/2 cup Moong Dal
1 tsp Cumin Seeds
A pinch of Hing
2 tsp Curry Leaves chopped fine (opt)
1 tsp Green Chilli - Ginger paste
1 tsp Sauf / Fennel seeds powder
1/2 tsp Garam Masala
1/2 tsp Red Chilli powder
1 tsp Mango powder / Amchur
1 tsp Oil
Salt to taste
Oil for frying.

Method
Wask and Soak dal in water for atleast 1 hour. You can go upto 4 hours not more.

Mix the flour and salt, Add the oil/ghee and mix till you get a bread crumbs texture.

Slowly add water and make a soft dough. Knead well for about 8 minutes.
Cover and keep aside to rest for atleast half hour.

Drain the dal remove maximum possible water.  Grind the dal coarsely like rice rawa.  Heat oil in a  pan.      Add the hing and cumin seeds.  Once the seeds splutter add the curry leaves.  Add the dal.  Lower the heat and keep stirring for 5 minutes till the dal stops sticking to the pan.  Cook for another 10 minutes on low till the dal turns slightly brown.   Add all the masalas.  Cook for few minutes till the flavor of the spices fills your kitchen.  Add Salt.  Remove from heat and keep aside to cool.

Make a small ball from the dough. Roll out into a circle. Or flatten the ball using your fingers having the center thick and sides little thin.  Place about 1.5 tsp of the filling in the center of the rolled dough.  Cover the filling with the dough by slowly stretching it over the filling. Seal the ends and remove excess dough. Repeat with all the balls and keep aside for 5 -7 mins.  Then using your palm, flatten the balls by lightly pressing it.  Keep aside covered. Repeat with the remaining dough. 

Meanwhile heat some oil for deep frying. The oil should not become smoking hot. Drop a tiny ball of dough dropped in oil if it rises slowly the temperature of oil is right.  Drop the kachoris in batches of 3-4 gently into the oil. It should rise up slowly. If you don't want to use lot of oil, use just enough for two or three at a time and fry them.  After it rises up (about 2 minutes), turn it over.  Cook for about 6 to 10 minutes till the down side gets a golden brown color.  Turn and cook the other side for another 6 minutes or till its golden brown in color.

I served mine like chat.  You can serve with just the tamarind dates chutney.

To serve:
Ingredients:
1 Med sized onion chopped finely
1 small tomato chopped
Tamarind chutney
Green Chutney
Cilantro leaves chopped (Chopped)
Curd/Yogurt
Sev for decoration

Break the kachoris like we do for pani puris.  Stuff the kachoris with onion, tomatoes, green chutney & tamarind dates chutney.  You can add some cilantro leaves also, but I didnot had them.  Top with beaten yogurt/curd & sev.  Seve immediately.  Have fun.

Malai Kofta

This is one of my favorite dish in indian restaurants.  From childhood I used to eat this in restaurants and appreciate the cook who makes them really soft & like melt in mouth.  Now a days, even my 3 yr old also knows what to order in a desi restaurant first is "cheese balls in gravy". 

List of ingredients:

For the koftas

2 Red Potatoes, boiled 

1 green chilli, finely chopped

1 small carrot grated

1 cup soft & freshly made Paneer grated

2 tbsp Besan/chana flour
Salt to taste
Oil to deep fry

For the Gravy
1 red onions, medium sized
2-3 tomatoes, big size

1 tsp homemade ginger paste

3-4 green chillies ground to paste
10 cashews soaked in water for 30 minutes

1/4 cup grated paneer (Optional)

1tsp garam masala powder

1 tsp turmeric

Salt to taste

1 cup, whole milk or 1/2 cup cream

Method:

 

Peel the skin and cut onions to chunk pieces. Heat a tablespoon of oil in a skillet. Add onion, and saute to brown on high heat, stirring in-between.  Blanch the tomatoes to remove the skin.  Make a paste of the onions and puree the tomatoes.  Keep aside.

Make a fine paste of cashew, ginger and chillies.  Adding a little water if required.
In a bowl, mash the boiled potatoes, grate the carrot & paneer.  Add the chopped green chilli and besan flour.  Mix everything together. Shape the koftas, either round or cylindrical shape.  If making round they should be about ping-pong ball size. 
Heat oil in a kadhai or deep frying pan.  Deep fry the koftas till light brown.

Place a wide, deep pan on the stove-top. Add and heat a tablespoon of oil. When oil is hot, add the roasted onion paste, cashew paste. Saute for five minutes on medium heat, constantly stirring. Add the tomato puree, turmeric, milk or cream. Combine well. Have a taste and add salt and garam masala. Cover and simmer the sauce on medium-low heat for 5-7 minutes, stirring in-between. Avoid high heat and take care not to blacken the sauce at the bottom of the pan. When the sauce starts to thicken, turn off the heat.

Place the koftas in the serving dish, pour the gravy on the koftas 10-15 minutes before serving.  Decorate with the left out grated paneer if using.

Delicious malai kofta ready to be served with any flat bread or flavoured rice like Saffron rice or Jeera Rice.