Cooking Dil Se...!!!

Irani food is very popular. Today i am posting a recipe of a very different type of Irani chicken pulao. This pulao is combination of 3 items. Here Saffron Rice is served with spicy chicken gravy and steamed chicken kheema balls. Its a very tasty combo.Give it a try and i am sure you all will like it.






INGREDIENTS:


For Saffron Rice:

• 1 cup basmati rice
• few saffron strands
• 2-3 cinnamon sticks
• 3-4 cloves
• 4-5 peppercorns
• 2-3 green cardamoms
•  2 bay leaves
• 2 table spoon milk
• 1/4 tea spoon turmeric
• 2 tea spoon pure ghee
• salt

For Chicken Gravy:

• 2 cups medium size boneless chicken pieces
• 1 table spoon fresh ginger-garlic paste
• 2 green cardamoms
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 2 bay leaves
• 2-3 pepper corns
• 1 cup sliced onion
• 1 tea spoon chilli powder
• 1 tea spoon garam masala
• 1/2 tea spoon cumin powder
• 1/2 tea spoon coriander powder
• 1/4 tea spoon turmeric powder
• 2 tea spoon chopped corainder
• salt
• pure ghee

Steamed Chicken Kheema Balls:

• 2 cups chicken kheema
• 3/4 cup very finely chopped onion
• 2 tea spoon finely chopped garlic
• 2 tea spoon finely chopped ginger
• 1 egg
• pinch turmeric
• salt

For Serving:

• Caramelized Onion

METHOD:


First to make saffron rice.Soak saffron in milk. Wash the basmari rice and drain it and keep aside for 20 mins.Heat ghee in a pan. Add All the whole spices and saute for 2 mins. Add the drained rice and saute it for 2-3 mins. Add 11/2 cup of hot water and let it mixture get boiled. Add salt and turmeric powder.Then add the saffron milk and close and cook till the rice gets fully cooked and dry.


For chicken gravy. Heat a kadai. Add ghee and all the whole spices. Saute them for a while and add ginger-garlic paste and saute it for 1 min. Add the sliced onion and saute till they are light brown. Add the chicken pieces and saute them for some time. Add chill powder,turmeric powder, coriander powder, cumin powder and little water. Close and cook till chicken gets fully cooked.check the gravy consistency, add more water if required. When it starts boiling add garam masala, salt and chopped coriander.Cook on low flame for few mins and remove from fire.


Now to make kheema balls. Take the chicken kheema in a bowl.Add chopped onion, garlic and ginger ,salt,turmeric in it and mix well. Beat an egg well in a bowl. Add only 4 tea spoon of the beaten egg to the kheema mixture and kned it  well.Egg is added for binding.Shape this mixture into small smooth balls and keep aside. Heat 5 cups of water in a thick bottomed vessel. When the water starts boiling add the kheema balls.  Let them get cooked for 10 mins. When are done drain the water and keep the balls aside.You can use this water used for cooking kheema balls to make the saffron rice also.


Garnish the saffron rice with caramelized onions and serve with kheema balls and chicken gravy.


Preparation Time: 35 mins

WISHING A VERY HAPPY & PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR 2011 TO ALL MY DEAR BLOGGER FRIENDS...:-))....HOPE ALL UR DREAMS COME TRUE THIS YEAR...!!!
This is my first post o 2011...So i am posting a very special and unique Italian  recipe today...Its " Gnocchi  in creamy cheese sauce"...'Gnocchi ' are little dumplings made with either mashed potato and flour or semolina.They should be very light in texture and should not be overcooked.Ready made Gnocchis are easily available in stores but here i made them at home from scratch.Their combo with creamy cheese sauce is very tempting one.




INGREDIENTS:


For Gnocchi :

• 250 grams potato
• 1/4 tea spoon nutmeg powder
• 7 table spoon flour
• 3 tea spoon melted butter
• salt

For Cream Cheese Sauce:

• 4-5 mushrooms finely chopped
• 1 table spoon plain flour
• 2 table spoon butter
• 1 onion finely chopped
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 cup fresh cream
• 3 table spoon grated cheese
• 1 tablespoon chopped parsley or coriander leaves
• 1/2 tea spoon crushed pepper
• salt

METHOD:


Boil water in a big vessel and boil the potatoes till tender. Do not overcook them. Let them cool a little and then peel them and grate them using a very fine grater.Then add flour, salt, nutmeg powder, melted butter and mix. Kneed the mixture to a dough.They dough should be kneaded very lightly and should not be sticky.Add little more flour if the dough is sticky. When the dough is ready to be rolled make Gnocchis.


Now to shape the dough into Gnocchis divide it into 4 parts. Take a part on a floured flat surface and roll it into a 10" long and 3/4" thick roll. Take care not to over handle it as Gnocchis can become hard.Cut the roll into 1" long piece. Repeat it with the remaining dough.


Now take each 1' piece and take a folk. Gently, but firmly, press each piece against the tines of a fork to make ridges on the back side.Press it so that it widens and then roll it to form like a empty roll. Repeat it with rest pieces.


Now boil 10 cups of water in a big thick bottomed vessel and add  1 tea spoon salt in it.Drop 13-15 pieces of Gnocchi in it.After 2-3 mins the Gnocchi will rise to surface of boiling water that means they are cooked. Remove them and drain and keep aside.Repeat with remaining Gnocchis.


To prepare the sauce,heat butter in a pan. Add onion and mushroom . Saute till light golden.Add flour and saute for 1-2 mins on low heat,do not brown.Add milk and keep on stirring so that lumps are not formed. Add cream and mix well. Let it boil. Add little water or milk if the sauce is too much thick.Add salt, pepper powder and cheese and cook till cheese melts. Finally add parsley and mix. Add cooked Gnocchi and toss for 1 min.Remove from fire.


Serve Hot.


Preparation Time: 25 mins

This baby corn fritters are perfect during this chilling winter season. Red chili paste and curry leaves give them a nice flavor and taste. Enjoy with crispy fritters with a cup of hot coffee or tea.






INGREDIENTS:

• 100 gram babycorns
• 1 table spoon rice flour
• 2 table spoon besan flour
• 1 table spoon kashmiri chili paste
• 2 tea spoon ginger-garlic paste
• 3 table spoon chopped coriander leaves
• 2 tea spoon lemon juice
• 8-10 curry leaves 
• 1/2 tea spoon sugar
• salt
• oil

METHOD:


Take each baby corn and slice it vertically into 3-4 thin slices. Then chop each piece into two halves. Repeat it with rest of the baby corns.


Take this chopped baby corns into a bowl. Add kashmiri chilli paste, ginger garlic paste, sugar, salt, coriander leaves, lemon juice and mix it properly so that it coats all the baby corn pieces.Then add rice flour, besan and hand torn curry leaves and mix it properly so that the flour mixture coats the baby corns nicely. Do not add any water while mixing it.


Heat lots of oil in a kadai. Make small fritters of the mixture and deep fry them till crispy and golden brown.


Serve them hot with tomato ketchup or green pudina chutney.


Preparation Time : 10 mins

Goan Cuisine is influenced a lot by Portuguese cuisine . Many popular seafood recipes like balchao, vindaloo etc have the Portuguese impact on them. 'Fish Rechado' is one such dish.Rechado masala pronounced as 'reshad'  is a spice paste prepared using coconut vinegar.It is can be used as stuffing for many fishes, like pomfret, mackerel,red snapper,salmon etc. Today i am posting the recipe of "Mackerel Rechado" which is the most famous among all fish rechados.

Rechado Masala

• 25 kashmiri dry red chillis
• 5 green cardamoms
• 7 cloves
• 8 pepper corns
• 2 inch cinnamon
• 1 tea spoon cumin seeds
• 20 garlic cloves
• 2 inch ginger
• 1 cup coconut vinegar
• 2 onions sliced
• oil
• 4 big size fresh mackerels
• 4 table spoon lemon juice
• 2 table spoon rice flour
• 1 tea spoon sugar
• salt

METHOD:


Soak Kashmiri red chilli's and all the whole spices in coconut vinegar for overnight or min 8 hours. Heat a little oil in a pan and saute onions till brown in it Cool them.Grind the soaked spices and chillies along with garlic cloves,ginger and fried onion to fine and smooth red paste.Use coconut vinegar used for soaking to grind it, do not add any water.Add little salt and sugar and grind again for a while.


Heat 2 tea spoon oil in a non stick pan and add the spice paste. Saute it with stirring continuously for 5-6 mins , do not allow it to get burnt.Let it cool. Rechado masala is ready. It remains in refrigerator for a month also.


Clean the mackerels properly. Remove the head and tail and give it slits on both sides. Cut 2 pockets on both the sides below the fish bone and clean it from inside. This pockets can be used to stuff spice paste also.


Rub salt, lemon juice and turmeric properly on the cleaned mackerels and keep them aside for 20 mins.
Now Take each mackerel and stuff the rechado masala in both pockets and also rub the paste on both the slitted sides of them. Now dip this stuffed mackerel in rice flour and coat it evenly with it on both the sides.Repeat it with all the other mackerels.


Heat a griddle and add oil in it. Shallow fry this stuffed mackerels till nice brown and crispy. Serve hot with rice and fish curry.


Preparation Time : 30 mins


NOTE:
1)Well i have a nice option  for my vegetarian friends. They can stuff this spice paste in lady finger(okra) and make it. 'Lady finger Rechado ' is a very famous vegetarian version of it.
2)You can make this spice in bulk and keep in refrigerator. It remains good for a month in it as no water is used in it and coconut vinegar is a very good preservative.
3)Use this same paste to make pomfret or any other fish rechado.

Pasta in roasted bell pepper sauce is one of the most famous pasta. The flavour of roasted peppers give it a nice flavour and taste. I have altered the traditional recipe with few changes.




INGREDIENTS:
2 cups penne pasta
2 red bell peppers chopped roughly
1 medium sized carrot sliced
1 big size onion sliced
1 table spoon chopped garlic
1 tea spoon chopped green chillis
1 small onion diced
1/2 cup blanched sweet corns
1/2 cup chopped bell peppers
1/2 cup chopped baby corns
1 cup tomato puree
1 table spoon butter
1/4 cup pimento stuffed green olives
1 tea spoon Italian mixed herbs
1/2 cup grated mozzarella cheese
2 tea spoon chili flakes
1/4 tea spoon crushed peppercorns
2-3 table spoons olive oil
salt


METHOD:
Spread the chopped red bell peppers, carrots and sliced onion on a baking tray and sprinkle olive oil and little salt on them and bake them for 15 mins at 180 degrees.Cool them and then grind them using little water to fine paste.


Boil water in a big vessel and add little salt and oilive oil. Add the pasta and cook for 7-8  mins till its 'al dente'.Drain it and spinkle some olive oil and keep the cooked pasta aside.


 Heat little olive oil in a pan and add chopped garlic and green chillis and saute for 2 mins. Then add diced onions and chopped bell peppers.Add the sweet corn kernels, tomato puree and mix it well.Add the roasted pepper sauce to it and cook for 2 mins.


Add salt, peppercorns, olives, and chili flakes.finally add grated cheese and cook till it melts in the sauce. Now add the cooked pasta, mixed herbs and toss for some time. finally add the butter and remove from flame.


Garnish with stuffed green olives and sprinkle little EVOO and serve hot.

• 1 cup medium sized prawns chopped in 3-4 pieces
• 2 tea spoon lemon juice
•  2 wheat tortillas
• 2 tea spoon chopped garlic
• 2 tea spoon chopped ginger
• 1 onion finely chopped
• 1/2 tea spoon turmeric powder
• 1/2 tea spoon chilli powder
• 1/4 tea spoon pepper powder
• 1/2 tea spoon garam masala
• 1 table spoon tomato ketchup
• 1 tea spoon soya sauce
• 1 egg
• 200 grams mozzarella cheese
• butter
• oil
• salt

A VERY HAPPY DIWALI TO ALL MY BLOGGER FRIENDS!!!...Hope u all are enjoying this festive season...
I am back with some chocolaty ,tasty and unique Diwali sweet.This Ganache Bites are liked not only by kids but by all age groups as chocolate is liked by all:-))




INGREDIENTS:

• 200 grams marie biscuit
• 1/4 cup black raisins
• 200 grams cooking chocolate
• 100 grams cream
• 1/2 tea spoon vanilla essence
• few walnuts
• few glazed cherries
• few slivered almonds

METHOD:
Heat cream on a very low heat in a heavy bottomed pan. Add cooking chocolate pieces to it it and mix it well till the chocolate melts fully. Remove from flame and mix well to form a smooth ganache.


Crush the marie biscuits into tiny pieces.Add finely chopped raisins and vanilla essence to it and mix well. Add almost half of the ganache to the biscuit mixture so that it binds the mixture well. Add little more if required and mix well.


Take small muffin tray or small muffins pans for each.Line it with a butter paper.Add the mixture to it and press to level it with hands.After leveling the mixture well keep this tray or muffins pans in the freezer for 15 mins to set well


Now after setting demould the set biscuit mix on a wired rack.Heat the remaining ganache again if it has thickened and add 1 tea spoon  milk if required. Pour this melted ganache on the biscuit mixture pieces.Pour it in such a way that it covers maximum part of it. Wait for 5 mins for the poured ganache to set again and then again pour the second layer of ganache.Now after pouring ganache keep them in refrigerator for the ganache to set for 20 mins.


Now remove this ganache bites and keep them each in a muffin liner. Garnish each with glazed cherries, walnuts and almonds. Keep in refrigerator  to set again for 5 mins. 


You can serve them whenever you want.


Preparation Time : 25 mins.

NOTE: If you do not have muffins pans you can use a loaf pan. Pur ganache on the whole loaf and then after setting you can cut them into pieces and serve.

This is a very popular dish from Hyderabadi cuisine...Chicken baida roti is a roti coated with egg on both sides and stuffed with chicken and rolled and sealed with egg. When i heard about this dish i decided to try it soon and i got kewl results .its a very filling , yummy  and must try dish.




INGREDIENTS:

• 250 grams boneless chicken pieces
• 1 medium sized onion finely chopped
• 1 medium tomato finely chopped
• 4 eggs
• 2 fully cooked wheat flour rotis(medium thick)
• 1 tea spoon chilli powder
• 1 table spoon ginger garlic paste
• 1 tea spoon garam masala
• 1 table spoon chopped coriander
• 1/2 tea spoon turmeric
• oil
• salt

METHOD:


Heat a pan and add little oil.Add finely chopped onion and saute for some time.Add shredded boneless chicken,ginger garlic paste and chopped tomato and saute for 3-4 mins.Add little water and close and cook for some time till chicken gets fully cooked.Add salt, chilli powder,garam masala and chopped coriander and mix well. Cook for 2-3 mins till dry and done and remove from flame.


Take a bowl and break all the eggs in it.Add little salt and turmeric powder and beat them well.


Heat a non stick pan and add little oil in it. Take 1/4 quantity of the egg mixture and spread it like a big omellete on it. When its half done keep one cooked roti exactly on top of it, so that when this egg gets cooked it coats the whole lower side of the roti. Then pour the remaining 1/4 part of the egg mixture evenly  on the top side of the roti . When the lower side of the egg gets cooked flip the roti carefully so that other side of the egg also gets cooked well.


Now on the cooked roti side add half the chicken mixture and fold the roti on all four sides carefully like a roll.Pour litte more egg mixture to seal the open sides and cook till the egg gets cooked well.Coat the whole roti with egg in such a way that no part of roti is visible.


Remove from flame and cut it in two and serve hot.

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