SWEET CORN CHAAT

A simple healthy chaat recipe made from sweet corn,onions,chat masala etc.
Preparing Chaats is actually very easy since you only need to assemble everything together and there is no actual cooking required.One good thing is that you can personalize according to your taste.Trust me you are going to love it,I definitely do.A great filling with one serving for breakfast or as a quick snack.

Ingredients: My serving yields to two people.

Whole Sweet corn - 1 cup( I used frozen pack)
Onion - 1 Finely Chopped
Chaat masala - 1/4 tsp
Red chilli powder - 1/8 tsp
Butter - 1 Tsp
Fresh Lemon juice - 1 tsp
Black Pepper powder - 1/8 Tsp
Sev - 1 tsp
Salt - to taste
Cilantro leaves for garnish
Green Chilli Sauce - two drops (optional)

Method:

1. In a microwave safe bowl,add little water and cook the sweet corns for about
    two minutes.

2. Drain the excess water,in a separate mixing bowl,mix all the above items except
    sev.Garnish them with cilantro and sev and add fresh squeezed lemon juice.

   

ONION BUNS/KHARA BUNS

Soft,fluffy and perfectly baked onion buns with less ingredients.Can say almost tasted and smelled like a bakery khara buns and similar to Bagels.Never tried this before,made this first time just about a cup as a sample try of All Purpose Flour and wheat flour mixed together with little minced onions in it,was able to make just five buns.

Ingredients:

All Purpose Flour 1 Cup
Wheat Flour 1/2 Cup
Finely Chopped Onion 1
Crushed Garlic Pod 1
Active Dry Yeast 1/2 Tsp
Green Chillie 1
Chopped Coriander
Salt to taste
Baking Soda 1/8 tsp
Warm Milk 1/4 Cup
Melted Butter 2 Tbsps

Method:

1. Mix the warm milk with yeast in a small bowl and set aside for about 15 mins till it
    becomes frothy.

2. In a large bowl,mix the flours together with salt,onions,Chilli,chopped coriander,
    garlic and  a Tbsp of butter.

3. Now add the frothy warm milk to the flour without adding water.Leave the dough
    for atleast an hour.Its almost double the size after sometime.

4.  Preheat oven to 190 deg,make a balls from the dough.Place them on a baking
     tray and make sure to leave enough space among each dough,as they are
     sure to increase their size.Brush them with butter on top of each dough,bake
     them atleast for 20 to 25 mins until golden brown.
    

DRY FRUITS PULAV

A finest and elegant rice dish recommended by my brother,he happened to taste it in a HOTEL TAJ VIVANTA.A simple pulao is made rich in taste with dry fruits and nuts and slightly added spice to it. I made tomato & onion raitha as a side dish, it was excellent however you could also try other North Indian gravies like dal makhni, masala curry etc. This is more like using fruits and nuts instead of vegetables and this comes out like restaurant style pulao.

Ingredients:

Basmati Rice 1 Cup(uncooked)
Onion 1( cut lengthwise)
Cashews/Raisins/Almonds 1 Tsp Each
Bay Leaves/Cloves/Cinnamon Sticks,few of them
Grated Ginger & Garlic Paste 1/4 Tsp Each
A few Saffron Strands soaked in warm milk
Ghee 2 Tbsps
Oil to deep fry the onions
Salt to taste
Water 1 1/2 Cups

Method:

1. Cook the rice in a cooker,and slightly roast the nuts with little ghee in a small pan.

2. Deep fry the onions to mild golden brown.Spread them into a paper towel to
    remove excess oil.

3.  Again a pan,add ghee with bay leaves/ cloves,cinnamon sticks,ginger garlic
     paste and saffron stands with soaked milk.

4.  Mix well with the cooked rice,roasted nuts,deep fried onions and salt.

5.  To be served well with any raitha's,for me dal makhni would be is perfect choice.

SEMOLINA & SPLIT CHICKPEA FLOUR LADOO

Normally all sweets does contain ghee which has more calories,but this is absolutely a low calorie sweet dish.Roasted chickpea flour(Hurgadle pudi) mixed with semolina,sugar,coconut and little quantity of milk.So easy to try,I made just one cup each so yields to about 12 to 14 ladoo's and can be stored in an air tight container for 5 to 6 days.

Ingredients:

Roasted Dalia( chick pea) 1 Cup
Fine Sooji or Semolina/Chiroti Rava 1 Cup
Dry Coconut I Cup
Powdered Sugar 1 Cup
Warm Milk 1/4 Cup
1 Tsp of ghee
Almond powder 1 Tsp
Cardamom powder to taste
Cashews and raisins

Method:

Roast the cashews and raisins with little ghee,in the same pan roast the sooji for atleast 2 mins.In a separate pan roast the dhalia and coconut powder till light brown,but again this is optional,as it can stored for 3 to 4 days.

Grind the dhalia and coconut to fine powder.Add sugar,grinded powder,roasted cashews and raisins almond pwd,ghee and cardamom powder,mix well.

To this,add a warm milk little by little,just to make Ladoo.Dont add too much milk.
Shape the Ladoo with your hands.

 

CORNFLAKES AND POHA/BEATEN RICE FRITTERS

They look like cutlets but not,These are deep fried cornflakes and poha fritters mixed with onions ,garlic and few others.No need to grind anything,can be done within minutes as a quick snack/breakfast recipe,specially during winter season with hot cup of tea.An adapted recipe by Hari Chandana,only variation I made is I added cornflakes to this which gives a crunchy deep fried taste.

Ingredients:

Cornflakes 3/4 Cup
Poha/Beaten Rice 1 1/2 Cup( I used thin poha)
Chopped Onion 1
Green Chilli 2 to 3
Rice Flour 2 Tbsps
Gram Flour 1 Tbsp
Cumin seeds 1/4 Tsp
A bunch of Chopped Cilantro
Minced ginger and garlic 1/2 Tsp
Turmeric powder 1/4 Tsp
Salt to taste
Oil to deep fry

Method:

1. Pulse the cornflakes in a grinder for few sec without adding water.Soak the poha
    in water for just for 10 mins,remove excess water.

2. In a mixing bowl add all above listed ingredients including cornflakes and soaked poha without adding water.

3. Make flat size balls just like cutlets and pat them gently with your hands.

 

 

 

4. Heat oil and deep fry them.As usual,can be served with tamarind sauce,green
    chutney,tomato chillie sauce etc.

WHOLE WHEAT BREAD JAMUN

Since I have looked into so many food blogs and have come across bread jamoons and i always wanted to try this one ! But Instead of usual bread, I tried from whole wheat bread,no need to knead the dough,so simple to try and healthy and the good thing is all purpose flour is totally an excluded ingredient.

My serving yields to 18 to 20 jamoons.

All you need is:

8 to 10 Whole Wheat Bread Slices
1 1/2 Cups of Sugar
3/4 Cup of Water
3/4 Cup of Cold Milk
A pinch of crushed cardamom powder
Oil for deep fry

How to make??

1. Remove the edges of the bread,dip them quickly in cold milk and immediately squeeze out the excess milk with your hands.

2. Pulse them in a grinder for few seconds,no need to add milk or water to this.
    Transfer them in a large bowl and apply little ghee onto your hands to make small
    balls.

3. Make the sugar syrup to thread consistency.

4. Deep fry the bread balls to golden brown and soak them into sugar syrup.

5. Be happy to serve the bread jamoons to get best compliments from family and
    friends.

STEAMED & SPICY CORIANDER CAKES

 I always try to make some interesting fusion in preparing any new food.A popular snack food in Maharastra and elsewhere made from Gram flour,onions and mainly with fresh whole bunch of corianders which has a rich iron content.Its kind of mild spicy cake first steamed and then later shallow fried.Happy to share with my friends as a evening snack.

Ingredients:

Gram flour/ Besan 1 Cup
Wheat flour and Rice flour 1/4 Cup each
Whole Bunch of  Fresh Coriander( chopped) 1 Cup
Onions 2(chopped)
Grated ginger,garlic 1/4 tsp each
White sesame seeds and poppy seeds 1 Tsp each
Green Chilli 3 to 4
Garam masala and Turmeric powder 1/4 Tsp
Asafeotida and salt to taste
Sugar 3/4 tsp
As an optional Baking soda( normally I try to avoid using soda in most of my dishes)
Oil to shallow fry

Method:

Method:
First grind the sesame seeds,poppy seeds and Chilli to fine paste.Mix all the ingredients in a large bowl except the oil.No need to add water as onions itself are watery.The batter I made was thick and stiff batter.

Grease a flat steel cooker vessel with oil and pour batter into it to and spread evenly. Steam it using a pressure cooker for around 8 to 10 mins without whistle. Turn off heat allow the vessel to cool,turn upside down in a tray.Make sure the batter is cooked properly insert a fork or knife in the middle of the batter.
 Cut it into desired shapes.

Heat a tablespoon of oil in a pan and arrange these slices to cook both sides till golden brown to crisp to shallow fry.

Serve these spicy coriander cakes with ketchup,chutneys or with a hot cup of tea.

CARROT CUSTARD HALWA

Have done Carrot Halwa quite lot of times, but this recipe has been modified by adding custard powder which in turn mixed with cold milk, this extra ingredient lets you to get a superior in taste. It comes out as a delicious dessert and surely gives you a new impression to try.

Ingredients:

Grated Carrots 1.5 Cups
Sugar 1 Cup( May lessen to adjust taste)
Cold Milk 3/4 Cup
Custard Powder 1.5 TBSPS( I used vanilla flavor)
Melted Ghee 1/4 Cup
Roasted Cashews and Raisins 1 Tsp Each
Cardamom Powder 1/2 Tsp

1. Peel the skin of the washed carrot and grate them.Roast the cashews and raisins with little ghee and roast them to set aside.Mix the custard powder with cold milk and keep ready.

2.  In a pan with ghee add grated carrots and saute them for 3 mins. To this add sugar and keep mixing for about 6 to 8 mins till the carrots shrink to their original volume.

3.  Now add the custard milk ,roasted nuts and cardamom powder and mix well till are separated from the pan.Ready to serve.