Cooking Dil Se...!!!

Well Chaat items are loved by  all.But trying chaats at home rather then having them in stalls is fun sometimes specially when they turn out real tasty.I have posted lot of chaat items before in this blog and had not posted anything from past few months as i had covered mostly all from chaat items and dint have anything new to post, but recently i encountered with this boondi bhel with crispy paneer.Its a very unique and tasty chaat dish.Give it a try and i am sure you will love it.


INGREDIENTS:

• 2 cups of fresh and crisp boondi(little salted boondis)
• 2 cups fine yellow shev
• 2-3 table spoon spicy green chutney
• 2-3 table spoon sweet tamarind date chutney
• 2-3 table spoon chopped coriander leaves
• 3 tea spoon lemon juice
• 2 tea spoon chat masala
• 1 tea spoon chill powder
• 100 grams paneer chopped in thin long slices
• 1 table spoon besan(gram flour)
• pinch of baking  soda
• salt
• oil

METHOD:


Take a bowl, add besan in it, little spicy green chutney,baking soda,salt n little water and make a thin batter.Dip the paneer cubes in it and shallow fry on both sides using little oil till crispy.Use a non-stick pan preferably.


Take a big bowl and add boondi and shev in it and mix them well.add chill powder, chat masala and toss them again.Add tamrind date chutney and green chutney and lemon juice,chopped coriander leaves and stir the mixture well.Add the chutneys according to your taste.


Add the fried paneer cubes and serve immediately.Add more chutney on top if required and serve.


NOTE: You can add finely chopped onion and tomato in it if you like.

"Butter Chicken" or "Murg Makhni" is one the most popular chicken gravy dish ordered in restaurants.Its mild flavor and rich creamy tomato flavored gravy gives it a nice taste.This is my version of butter chicken which i make frequently.Its very simple recipe and turns out very tasty, like the one we find in typical Punjabi restaurants:-)).Give it a try and i am sure you all will love this.


INGREDIENTS:

• 500 grams boneless chicken pieces
• 1 small onion finely chopped
• 2 big onions cut into 4 pieces each
• 3/4 cup cashew nuts
• 1 table spoon charmagaz(melon seeds)[optional]
• 3 garlic cloves chopped finely
• 2 green  chillis finely chopped
• white paste(grind 10 garlic cloves,1 small onion and 1 inch ginger piece into a fine paste)
• 1-2 tea spoon chilli powder
• 1 tea spoon tandoori masala
• 2 tea spoon garam masala
• 1 tea spoon turmeric powder
• 1 tea spoon cumin powder
• 1 tea spoon coriander powder
• 1 tea spoon sugar
• 2 table spoon lemon juice
• 1 cup curd
• whole spices( 4 pepper corns,1 cinnamon stick, 4 cloves, 3 green cardamoms)
• 1 tea spoon kasoori methi
• 2 cups milk
• 2 table spoon cream(optional)
• 1 cup tomato puree
• 50 grams low fat butter
• 2 table spoons chopped coriander leaves
• 2 bay leaves
• few drops of orange food colour(optional)
• salt
• oil

METHOD:
Apply turmeric powder and lemon juice to the chicken pieces. Take the white grinded paste and add chilli powder,tandoori masala,1 tea spoon garam masala and curd and mix it well. Apply this to the chicken pieces and marinate for 2 hours.Better if refrigerated.Soak cashew nuts in water for 1 hour and then grind them along with charmagaz to form a fine paste. Add little milk while grinding to get a smooth paste.


Now take the halves of 2 onions and cook them in boiling water for 5-6 mins or till they become soft. Cool them and then grind them along with whole spices(cloves,pepper corns, cinnamon n cardamoms) to fine paste. Do not use any water while grinding.


Now heat a non stick pan and add 2 tea spoon of oil. Add the chopped garlic and saute for 2 mins. Add chopped green chills,bay leaves and finely chopped onion and 2 tea spoon butter and saute for 3-4 mins till onion is done.


Now add the grinded onion-spice paste and saute for more 2-3 mins.Then add the cashew nut paste and saute more for 2 mins.Add more butter if required.When pastes are nicely sauted add the marinated chicken and saute it for 3-4 mins and then close and let it get cooked till done.


When the chicken is done add tomato puree ,salt and mix and cook for 2 mins. Add orange food colour in little milk and add. Add milk, cumin powder, coriander powder, chili powder(optional) ,sugar and kasoori methi.Stir well and cook for 2 more mins till it starts boiling.Add more milk to adjust the gravy consistency if required.Add cream and garam masala and cook for a min. Finally add the remaining butter in it and close the lid.Remove from flame and keep to rest for 10 mins.


Garnish with coriander leaves and cream and serve with hot nan or roti.


Preparation Time: 30 mins


NOTE: To make tomato puree, blanch 2-3 tomatoes.Cool and peel them and remove seeds.Grind them to fine paste. Heat the grinded paste and add 1 tea spoon vinegar, sugar and little salt in it.Heat till it boils and remove from flame.If you freeze this puree it remains for 2-3 weeks.

This Burnt garlic noodles are normal Chinese noddles flavored with garlic.Here burnt garlic does not mean that garlic in it is burnt during preparation but its a special cooking technique used in mostly for Chinese cooking to give a nice taste and flavor to the dish.Here the garlic is cooked in oil for some mins on very low fire which gives the dish a very nice flavor and taste.This is a very simple recipe, but frying garlic on low heat makes it very tasty.So do try it.


INGREDIENTS:

• 100 grams Hakka noodles
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced carrots
• 1 cup sliced cabbage
• 1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
• 1/2 cup chopped spring onions
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced capsicum
• 1 table spoon finely chopped garlic
• 1/2 tea spoon pepper powder
• 2 tea spoon soya sauce
• 1 tea spoon chilly sauce
• salt

METHOD:


Heat 5-6 cups of water in a vessel and when it starts boiling add little salt and 2 tea spoon oil in it. Add the noodles and let them get cooked for 5-6 mins till done.Then drain the water and keep them under running cold water for some time.Drain them and keep them aside.


Now heat a non stick pan and add 2-3 tea spoon of oil. Keep the heat very very low. Add the chopped garlic and saute it on very low flame for 5 mins till its flavor infuses in the oil. Saute continuously and keep the flame low.This process is very important as it gives the main flavor in it.


Now when garlic flavor is infused fully in the oil and it has turned light brown add chopped carrot and spring onion whites.Saute for a min and add chopped capsicum, mushroom, spring onion greens and cabbage.Saute them all on high flame for 2-3 mins.


Then add soya sauce, salt,chilli sauce and toss well. Add the boiled noodles and mix them well with the veges. Add pepper powder and toss again for few seconds.Add more seasonings if you like and toss on high heat for 2 mins.


Burnt garlic noodles are ready.Serve them hot.


Preparation Time: 15 mins

Muffins or cupcakes are  always considered as tasty and healthy snacks.This broken wheat  muffins are very healthy and tasty too.They do not contain even one drop of oil.These are one of the traditional Goan baked items and they are called as "Panke" here...They are made in homes as well as sold in Goan bakeries from past many years.They are one of the traditional breakfast item in Goa.In this muffins jaggery is used to sweeten instead of sugar and also ginger is added which gives it a very nice taste and flavour.This muffins are soft inside and top crust is hard and crispy with sesame seeds taste.Do try this healthy and tasty muffins and i am sure you all will like them.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1  cup broken wheat(dalia)
• 1/2 cup grated jaggery
• 3 tea spoon roasted sesame seeds
• 1 table spoon fine grated ginger
• 1/2 cup fresh grated coconut
• 1/4 cup wheat flour
• 1/2 cup cashew nut pieces
• 1 tea spoon baking powder
• 1/4 tea spoon baking soda
• salt

METHOD:


Wash the broken wheat properly and soak it in water for 6-7 hours.Water should be little more then it.After soaking time is complete broken wheat will absorb all the water and become soft and double in size.


Now heat a small kadai with 1 table spoon of water.Then add the grated jaggery to it and let it melt fully.Then add this melted jaggery to soaked broken wheat and mix it well with it. Now add roasted sesame seeds,salt,grated ginger,wheat flour, cashew nut pieces, grated coconut and mix well.Be careful while mixing, mix it in only one direction.


Lastly add baking powder and baking soda.Mix it well.When the dough is stirred and it shows thread formation in between then the dough is said to be fully ready to bake.


Preheat the oven for 10 mins at 190 degrees. Take muffins cups and put paper muffin cup liners and put the mixture in it.Fill each muffin cup 3/4 and sprinkle remaining sesame seeds on top.Bake them immediately at 190 degrees for 25-30 mins or till the muffins rise and crust becomes crispy and brown.


NOTE: They remain good without refrigeration for 4-5 days.

A VERY HAPPY BELATED GANESH CHATURTHI to all my Blogger friends...I was little busy so was not able to post during initial days of ganesh chaturthi, but its still its going on in some places so no worries:-))We celebrated Ganesh Chaturthi as every year this year .We had it for 1 n 1/2 day and we had lot of fun celebrating it.I have put few pics of the ganesh at my place.So today i am back with a Ganesh chaturthi special modak recipe. Modak is said to be favourite sweet of lord Ganesh so its the most common prasad offered to him.Its  nice to offer home made pure modaks to him then the readymade ones which sometimes contain flour and other adulterations, so i am posting "Mango Kesar Modak" which i had made for this chaturthi. They are very easy to prepare but you need to have little patience to make them.






INGREDIENTS:

• 500 grams fresh khoya(mawa or khava)
• 21/2 cusp mango pulp( i used canned sweetened mango pulp)
• 300 grams sugar
• few strands of saffron
• 1 cup fine cashew nut powder
• 1 tea spoon fresh cardamom powder

METHOD:


Heat a non stick pan and add the khoya to it.Keep on stirring it and cook on very low flame for 25-30 mins till all the moisture in it dries up.Keep stirring continuously and carefully so that the khoya does not get burned.


Mix saffron strands with mango pulp.When the khoya dries up add sugar and mango pulp in it.Add sugar according to your taste.Mix well and cook with stirring continuously on medium flame.The mixture will turn into liquid as the sugar will melt.After some time add cashewnut powder in it and mix it well.


Cook it on medium to low flame with stirring  continuously till the mixture starts drying up.It will take more 25-30 mins.Add cardomom powder and countinue cooking.Stir till the all mixture dries up and forms a ball.Remove this mixture on a plate and let it cool for 10 mins.


Take a modak mould and grease it with ghee.Put this mixture little by little in it and shape into modaks.If you do not have modak mould you can shape them in hands or even give them the shape of pedas.




Offer them as prasad to lord Ganesh.This mixture yields 25-30 medium size modaks.They remain fresh for 2-3 days without refrigeration.


Preparation Time: 1 hour


NOTE: if you do not get khoya, you can prepare it by reducing milk.Heat whole milk in a wide thick bottomed pan and then keep stirring till it reduces to almost 1/4 and thickens up.This is khoya, you can refrigerate it for almost 20 days and use it for any sweets later.

Recently i was  again in mood of baking something and made this Indian style Cookies called as "Nan Katayi", as i had not made them recently ...This are one of the most famous and simple Indian cookies...They do not require any special ingredients also,they can be made in no time and are eggless to. If steps are followed properly then they turn out crispy, tasty and melt in the mouth cookies.


INGREDIENTS:

• 2 cups all purpose flour(maida)
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1 cup ghee(or vanaspati butter)
• sliced almonds and cashewnuts
• 1 tea spoon baking soda
• 1 tea spoon fresh cardomom powder(or vanilla essence)

METHOD:


Sieve baking soda and flour for 2-3 times and keep it aside.Heat the ghee till it melts and add it to the flour and also add all the other ingredients except dryfruits and mix it well. Kned it well without using any water.While kneding press it well so that no air gap remains in it.


Form a ball of it and keep it aside for 4-5 hours.After the standing time is over grease a baking tray with ghee and preheat the oven for 180 degrees. You can even baking them after 30 mins if you do not have time, but keeping the dough longer yields better results.


Make small lemon size balls of the dough and press them a little, put dry fruits in the center hole.You can keep them plain also.While making dough balls and pressing them be careful as they can break soon as dough is not that sticky. You can grease your hands with ghee to make handling of the dough easier.


Arrange this balls in the greased tray and leave 2 inches gap between them.Bake them at 170 degrees for 25-30 mins or till they get slight cracks on top.


Cool them and keep in air-tight container.They remain fresh for 15-20 days.


Preparation Time: 40 mins

In Goa rainy season is going on now...and its the end of the wild natural mushroom also:-((...This mushroom start growing in july and grow till august end....I love this mushrooms a lot, they are very very yummy:-))....These mushrooms grow in forests and people pluck them and sell them.These mushrooms have lot of demand in Goan market..I have put a pic of this wild mushrooms below  for those who do not know much about them...This year also i enjoyed lot of this wild  mushrooms...i made the usual goan dishes  with them which i have already posted last year,and when i had lot of them still remaining i decided to try something new and different with them...Finally i decided to make a fusion of a punjabi gravy  and this mushrooms and "Mushroom Methi Malai" came to birth and it turned out very well:-))...the flavour of this mushrooms combined very well with that of methi leaves....
Last year i had posted some tasty dishes with this wild mushrooms. I have given the links below for those who missed it.


                                            
                                                          Goan Natural Wild Mushrooms

INGREDIENTS:

• 50 medium sized fresh wild mushrooms
• 2 cups packed of  fresh fenugreek leaves(methi)
• 1 1/2 cup fresh cream( i used low fat)
• 3 cups skimmed milk
• 1/2 cup cashewnuts
• 1/2 cup charmagaz (dried melon seeds)
• 1 big onion
• 2-3 green chillis
• 1" ginger
• 3 garlic cloves
• 2 tea spoon poppy seeds(khus khus)
• 4 cloves
• 4 green cardamoms
• 4-5 peppercorns
• 3/4 tea spoon fennel seeds
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1-2 tea spoon sugar
• pinch of fresh nutmeg powder
• 1/2 tea spoon garam masala
• 3-4 table spoons of butter(low fat prefered)
• 2 table spoons of kasoori methi
• oil/ghee
• salt

METHOD:


Soak cashewnuts and charmagaz in little water for  2 hours.Similarly soak poppy seeds , cardomomss,cinnamon,cloves,peppercorns and fennel seeds in little water for 2 hours.


This wild mushrooms has lot of mud as you can see it on the above pic on them so they have to be washed very well so that all the mud goes. The best method to wash them is soak them in water for 15 mins and then rub each one of them gently with a muslin cloth, all the mud on them gets absorbed by the cloth.After washing them chop them in 2 pieces and keep.


After the soaking time is complete we need to make the white paste.Take small grinder and in it add all soaked spices, cashewnuts, charmagaz,chopped onion, green chillis , garlic cloves and ginger pieces in it and grind using water used to soak them .Grind it to fine thick paste, do not use much water.


Now heat a non stick pan and add little  butter and saute the fenugreek leaves for 3-4  mins and keep them aside.After that saute the chopped mushrooms for 7-8 mins or till they are cooked.Close and cook  them for 2-3 mins while sauting.After they are done keep them aside.


Heat a pan and add 1 table spoon of butter.Add the grinded white paste and saute it for 7-8 mins on low flame till the raw smell goes.Keep stirring countinously or the paste can get burned.Whisk the cream for 1min.Then add the fresh cream and milk and mix well.Cook it on low flame till the mixture starts boiling.


When it starts boiling add the sauted fenugreek leaves and mushrooms and mix well and let it cook again.Add salt, sugar and nutmeg powder.Check the consistency of the gravy.It should be thick creamy gravy.Add more milk if required to adjust the consistency.When it starts boiling add garam masala and stir.Finally add kasoori methi and remove from flame.


Preparation Time: 35 mins


NOTE: You can even use button mushrooms instead of wild mushrooms if you do not get them.
This is a mildly spiced dish, so i have used little amount of spices,if you want you can increase the amount of spices added.

A VERY HAPPY NAGPANCHAMI TO ALL MY DEAR BLOGGER FRIENDS...!!!...Nagpanchami is celebrated in different ways in different parts of india.In Goa its done by doing pooja of Nad idol and offering it milk and other things. Today a special dish called as  "Patholi" is done in Goa...Its little similar to  stuffed steamed dumpling.Its made by stuffing rice dough with sweet coconut mixture and flavouring it with fresh turmeric leaves which gives its main taste and flavour. We celebrated this nagpanchami as every year and enjoyed lot of  this patholis also:-))...I had posted this dish for last nagpanchami so you can refer details of it it here.I am reposting it for my friends who missed it last year...its really worth trying.


PATHOLI RECIPE POST ( Click here to open)




Now coming to todays recipe i am posting recipe of very yummy pudding "Choco Coffee Pudding"...its a very tasty pudding...I have combined coffee along with chocolate cause when both the flavours combine they give a very nice taste and flavour.Its a very simple recipe and its vegetarian version with no eggs.

INGREDIENTS:

• 400 milk(skimmed preferred)
• 5 grams unflavored china grass
• 2 table spoon cocoa powder
• 2 tea spoon instant coffee powder
• 3-4 table spoons sugar
• 2 table spoon warm water
• 1 table spoons of fresh low fat  cream
• few dark chocolate shavings
• few glaced cherries

METHOD:


Take one cup water and mix the china grass in it.Heat it in a pan on low flame stirring continuously till it dissolves completely.Strain it and keep aside to cool.


dissolve cocoa powder in 2 table spoon of milk and coffee powder in 2 table spoon of warm water and keep it aside.Boil the remaining milk.Add the china grass mixture, sugar, cocoa powder paste, coffee powder paste in it and stir properly.


Mix well and cook over a low flame for around 10 minutes, stirring continuously till it thickens a little.Cool it for 10-15 mins and then add fresh cream and mix well.


You can set them in small serving dessert bowls or in a big bowl.Pour the mixture in small bowls and refrigerate it for 4-5 hours to set.You can garnish it with glaced cherries and dark chocolate shavings before refrigerating them.




Serve it chilled...!!!


Preparation Time: 30 mins

Today i am back with a very popular and tasty Goan fish dish..."Sola Bangde" or "Kokum Mackerels"...'sola' means kokum in konkani and 'bangde' means mackerels...Mackerel is one of the famous and common fish in Goa.This dish is specially made only of mackerel fish,any other fish cannot be used as the taste will differ a lot...This dish is called kokum mackrels as kokum is the main ingredient here, as kokum gives this dish a nice tanginess and gives it very nice taste and flavour.Its one of my favourite mackerel dish...its been made at my place from many generations and even i learned it.


INGREDIENTS:


8-10 fresh Mackerels(medium size)
8-10 dry kokum kernels
2 cups freshly grated coconut
6 green chilllis
6 dry red chillis
1 tea spoon tamrind pulp
2 inch ginger pieces
14-20 garlic cloves
1 tea spoon turmeric powder
1 table spoon corainder leaves
2-3 table spoon oil
salt


METHOD:


Clean the mackerels properly.Do not make pieces of them, just cut head and tail part and clean inside stomach.Make 3-4 slits on each mackerel.Medium size mackerels are perfect for this dish.Clean them and keep them aside.


Grind together freshly grated coconut,green and dry red chillis,tamrind pulp,ginger,garlic cloves,turmeric powder and salt using very little water.Do not grind it very fine, but it should be coursely grinded  to dry paste using very little water.


Now apply this paste to the cleaned mackerels and keep for marination for 1 hour.After the marination time is complete heat a wide pan, preferebly non stick.Add 2-3 table spoon of oil in it.Place marinated mackerels one by one in one layer in it.Pour the remaining marination paste over it.Make 2-3 pieces of each kokum kernel and place them evenly all over the mackerel layer.


Close and cook it on low flame for 15-20 mins.They  should not be turned while cooking, so they should be cooked on low flame and cooking n low flame also enhances the flavour of kokum.When they are cooked garnish them with corainder leaves and serve them hot.


They taste best when served with rice and fish curry.


Preparation Time: 30 mins


NOTE: Use of fresh mackerels for this dish is very important, as it gives the right taste.
If you do not get dry kokum kernels you can sprinkle some amount of kokum extract on them while cooking.It wont give the same taste as kernels, but you can use it if you do not get kokum kernels.
Use amount of green and dry red chillis according to your taste,but add equal amount of green and dry red chillis.

Hi...How are you all my dear friends?...i was not able to do blogging from quite some time, even i missed many of your posts...which i will go through now...Baking Fever again caught me some days back and i decided to bake something interesting and i remembered this pineapple upside down cake which i had not baked for so long and made it soon....it turned out soft ,fluffy and yummy as usual...:-)) i like baking this cake as it very simple and the result is awesome...the best thing is this cake does not require any icing...:-))




INGREDIENTS:


200 ml condensed milk(1/2 tin milkmaid)
11/4 cup(125 grams) maida
1 tea spoon baking powder
1/2 tea spoon baking soda
1/2 cup (60 grams) butter
1/2 cup milk
2 tea spoon pineapple essence
2-3 drops of yellow food colour
3 table spoon of sugar for caramalisation
3-4 fresh or tinned pineapple rings
few glaced cherries-cut in two pieces


METHOD:


Grease 7" round baking tin with butter.The pineapple slices should be well drained.Place one round slice at the center of the tin.then arrange half or quarter pineapple ring pieces around it accordingly so that the whole bottom of the tin is filled with them.Fill the gaps between the rings using the cherry halves.Keep the with the flat, cut side down touching the bottom.Arrange this properly in the tin and keep it aside.


Now heat the sugar in a small heavy bottomed pan n low flame till it melts and becomes golden brown.Now immediately pour this hot caramalised sugar in the tin above arranged pineapple rings, so that it coats them properly and fills the gap.Keep this tin aside to cool.


Now the batter for the cake must be prepared.Melt the butter and let it cool it.Then add condensed milk, pineapple essence and food colour in it and beat it welltill  this mixture is frothy.


Seive flour, baking powder and baking soda together 2-3 times atleast.Add half quantity of this flour mix to the beated milkmaid and little milk and beat.Then again add remaining flour and milk and beat it well  till mixture is beaten well.


Preheat the oven/microwave  at 150 degrees for 10 mins. Pour the cake batter in the caramalised pineapple cake tin.Bake it at 150 degrees for 30-40 mins till its done and a knife inserted in it comes out clean.




Cut in pieces and serve.Its a best to serve as a desert for a party.


Preparation Time: 50 mins

From past many days i had not posted any dish from Thai cuisine so i am posting today the famous starter from Thai cuisine " Chicken Satay".....This most popular starter is very easy to prepare...i have used few spices to make it little more spicy then usual, you can skip them if you do not want it spicy....Enjoy this tasty starter with peanut sauce, its a very kewl combo...:-)


INGREDIENTS:


FOR CHICKEN SATAY:

• 250 grams boneless chicken breasts( cut in thin long strips)
• 1 table spoon fresh garlic paste
• 1-2 tea spoon brown sugar(demerera sugar)
• 1 table spoon lemon juice
• 1-2 table spoon thick coconut milk
• 2 tea spoon soya sauce
• 1/2 tea spoon cumin powder(optional)
• 1 tea spoon coriander powder(optional)
• 1 tea spoon chilli powder(optional)
• 1/4 tea spoon pepper powder(optional)
• salt
• 5-6 satay sticks

FOR PEANUT SAUCE:

• 1 cup roasted peanuts
• 1 cup coconut milk
• 2 tea spoon brown sugar
• 2 tea spoon soya sauce
• 1/4-1/2 tea spoon chilli powder
• 1 tea spoon lemon juice(optional)
• 2-3 garlic cloves
• 2 tea spoon butter
• 1 tea spoon oil
• salt

METHOD:


Take the chicken strips in a bowl. Add garlic paste, salt,brown sugar,lemon juice,soya sauce, all the spices and coconut milk and mix.Apply it well on the chicken strips.Keep it for marination for an hour or two in a refrigerator.



After marination thread the marinated chicken strips into satay sticks.Heat a griddle plate and put little oil on it.Place the threaded satay sticks on the griddle plate.Pour some of the excess marinade over the chicken and cook on all sides  till cooked and fully brown.


For peanut sauce put roasted peanuts in the grinder and pulse them to fine pieces then add brown sugar,soya sauce,chilli powder,garlic cloves,butter, oil and little coconut milk.Grind it to fine paste, add remaining coconut milk and grind it until you get a fine paste of saucy consistency


Serve hot chicken satay with this peanut sauce.


Preparation Time: 30 mins

• 2-3 cups chikpeas(Soaked for 8 hours and then pressure cooked till done)
• 2 sliced onions
• 1 cup paste of raw onions(may be 2-3 onions)
• 3/4 cup tomato puree
• 2 tea spoon ginger-garlic paste
• 1 table spoon choley masala
• 1-2 tea spoon chilli powder
• 1/2 tea spoon turmeric powder
• 1/4 tea spoon cumin powder
• 1/4 tea spoon amchur powder
• 1/4 tea spoon chat masala(optional)
• 2 tea spoon kasoori methi
• 2 slitted green chillis
• 1 tea spoon sugar
• black salt
• salt
• oil

• 2 cups maida
• 1/4 cup fine semolina
• 1 tea spoon active dry yeast
• 2-3 table spoon yogurt
• 2 tea spoon kasoori methi(optional)
• milk
• salt
• oil

"Risotto"is one of the most popular dish in Italian cuisine...so how can i miss it posting in my blog. So i am posting this mushroom risotto recipe today, which i prepare frequently...its a very simple and easy one.If you do not get arborio rice  you can use short grained basmati rice instead. I have used mushroom soup powder which gives a very nice taste and even the flavor of mushroom is infused well.Give it a try and i am sure you will love it.

•  1  cup arborio rice(or short grain basmati rice)
• 3/4 cup chopped mushrooms
• 2-3 table spoon mushroom soup powder
• 1 small chopped onion
• 1 table spoon finely chopped garlic
• 1 bay leaf
• few strands of fresh thyme
• 1 cube of vegetable seasoning powder
• 2 tea spoon fresh cream
• 2 tea spoon butter
• 20 ml juice of fresh grapes(optional)
• 2 -3 table spoon grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 tea spoon freshly ground pepper
• olive oil
• salt

METHOD:


Heat a thick bottomed vessel.Add little olive oil in it and add chopped garlic and saute for 2 mins.Better if u use wooden spoon for it.Then add 1 bay leaf and few strands of fresh thyme and saute for few seconds.Now add the chopped onion and saute for few mins till its soft.


Meanwhile you can make the mushroom stalk.Mix the mushroom soup powder with 5 cups of water, stir it properly so that no lumps are formed.Heat this mixture for 4-5 mins till it gets mixed properly and thickens a bit.


Now when the onion is sauted well and is soft enough add the chopped mushrooms and saute them for few mins till they are done.Now add the grapes juice and cook till its fully absorbed by the mushrooms.Then add the rice and half amount of mushroom stalk which was prepared earlier.After few mins add the remaining  mushroom stalk and vegetable seasoning powder and close and cook for 15-20 mins on low flame.


After 15-20 mins the rice need to be fully cooked and mushy.All the water need to be dried up.Then add little salt if required as seasoning powder,stalk and cheese already contains it.Add butter, fresh cream and grated parmesan cheese and mix it well.Cook for 1 min and add pepper powder and mix a bit and remove from flame.


Garnish with fresh parsley and serve it hot.


Preparation Time 30 mins


NOTE: Always use a thick bottomed vessel for it , or else the rice might get burned in the cooking process.
Use the ready-made  available mushroom soup powder it gives a nice taste and flavour.
If you do not get fresh grapes juice, no problem you can follow the rest recipe or use white wine instead.Use of fresh grape juice gives a nice taste to mushrooms
For 1 cup of rice use of 5 cups of mushroom stalk is necessary.