Paan/Betal Leaves Shreekhand

 

Shrikhand is a traditional sweet of the Indian subcontinent made from strained yogurt. It is often served as part of a thali or with puris. It is a traditional dessert in Gujarati and Marathi cuisine.

To prepare shrikhand, yogurt is poured onto a cheesecloth. The cheesecloth is then tied and hung for several hours to drain the whey. Afterward, the strained yogurt is transferred to a bowl, where sugar, saffron, and cardamom are added. The mixture is whisked thoroughly to blend the flavors and achieve a smooth, creamy texture. It is then covered, chilled for a few hours, and served. The prepared shrikhand may be garnished with almonds or pistachios.

Here, I used paan (betel leaves), and it turned out to be absolutely delicious.

Preparation Time:- 10 minutes 

Cooking Time:- 5 minutes 

Serves:- 4

Author:- Hem Lata Srivastava 

Ingredients:-

1. Hung curd 4 cup
2. Fresh cream 1tbsp
3. Paan puree  1 tbsp
4. Powdered sugar as per taste 
5. Cardamom powder 1/4 tsp
6. Chopped nuts .

Recipe procedure:-

1. Put dahi in a muslin cloth and hang for  two hours or keep in a strainer with fine mesh. Press to make sure that excess water is removed. Pass the hung dahi through strainer to get smooth thick dahi without lumps.
2. Take the hung curd into a large bowl and mix well.
3. Aad  powdered sugar,  cardamom powder, fresh cream and paan puree.
4. Mix well making sure everything is well combined.
5. Before serving garnish with nuts serve  chilled.

Dal Pakwan

 

Dal Pakwan is a famous Sindhi breakfast dish, comprising with crisp fried pakwan paired with spicy chana dal topped with sweet and tangy Dates and Tamarind Chutney. The pakwan, made from all-purpose flour or maida, is deep-fried to a crisp texture and flavored with cumin seeds, carom seeds, and sometimes semolina for added crunchiness.

 The chana dal, cooked until soft but retaining its shape, is seasoned with minimal spices and served alongside the pakwan. This dish is not only a breakfast favorite but also a staple at Sindhi weddings, auspicious occasions, and festivals.

 Chana dal, rich in potassium and magnesium, contributes to cardiovascular health by regulating blood pressure and promoting a healthy heart. Here's a simplified recipe for both the pakwan and chana dal:

Presentation Time:- 20 minutes 

Cooking Time:- 30 minutes 

Serves:- 4

Author:- Hem Lata Srivastava 

Ingredients :-

For Pakwan:-

1.  2 cups plain flour/Maida
2. 1 tbsp semolina 
3. 1tsp Chilli powder 
4.  3 tablespoons ghee
5. ½ teaspoon carom seeds
6. Salt to taste
7. Water for kneading as required 
8. Oil for frying

For  dal:-

1. - 1 Chana dal
2. - water
3. - ½ teaspoon turmeric powder 
4. - Pinch of asafoetida/heeng 
5. - Salt to taste
6. - 2 tsp ghee (for tempering)
7. - 1 tsp cumin seeds

For Garnish/ Serving 

1. red chili powder
2. Tamarind chutney 
3. Green chutney 
4. Chopped onions 
5. Chopped green chili 
6. Cumin powder (optional)

Instructions:-

1. Knead firm dough using flour, lemon, salt,ghee, ajwain and chilli powder,cover, and let it rest for 15-20 minutes.

2. Divide the dough into small portions, roll each out with a rolling pin, and prick with a fork.

3. Deep-fry the pakwan until golden brown and crisp.

4. Soak the lentils for 2-3 hours, then pressure cook with water, turmeric, asafoetida, and salt for 3 whistles.

5. In a pan, heat oil, add cumin seeds, let them crackle, and add to the cooked dal.

6. Garnish the dal with chili powder and cumin powder. 

7. Serve the dal and pakwan with chopped onions, green chutney, and tamarind chutney. 

Notes:-

"I love roasted cumin powder, but you can skip it if you prefer."

"I always use ghee for the dough, but you can use any vegetable oil instead."

"I use ghee because it gives a nice crunch."

"The dal should be retained in shape, not mashed."

Vrat Wala Cheesecake

 

Cheesecake is a dessert typically made with soft fresh cheese (like cottage cheese, cream cheese, or ricotta), eggs, and sugar, often with a crust or base made from crushed cookies or digestive biscuits. In this recipe, I have used homemade unsalted. The filling combines paneer, hung curd, condensed milk, roasted makhana powder, saffron, milk, and cardamom powder, garnished with pistachios and rose petals.

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**Cheesecake with Rajgira Base**

Ingredients:-

*For Cookies:*

- 2 cups Rajgira flour

- 1/2 cup powdered sugar

- 1 tsp Ilaichi powder (cardamom powder)

- 2 tbsp Ghee

- 1 tsp Araroot powder

For Base:-

- Rajgira biscuits

- 2 tbsp Homemade butter or as required 

For Filling:-

- 200g Paneer

- 1/2 cup Hung curd

- Condensed milk, to taste

- 1 cup Roasted makhana powder

- A pinch of saffron

- 1/2 cup milk

- 1 tsp Cardamom powder

- Pistachios and rose petals for garnishing

Recipe Procedure:-

1. Mix ghee and powdered sugar until soft.

2. Add Rajgira flour, powdered sugar, araroot, and cardamom powder. Knead into a soft dough, adding milk if needed.

3. Wrap the dough in clingfilm and chill in the fridge for 10 minutes.

4. Divide the dough into equal portions, make small balls, and place on a greased baking tray. Bake in a preheated oven at 160°C for 10 minutes.

5. While the cookies cool, prepare the filling by mixing paneer, hung curd, cardamom powder, roasted makhana powder and condensed milk.

6. Once the cookies cool, process them into crumbs using a food processor. Transfer to a mixing bowl, add melted butter and additional sugar as per your choice, Mix well.

7. Press the mixture into small serving bowls and chill in the fridge for 10 minutes.

8. Pour the filling mixture equally into the bowls.

9. Chill in the fridge.

10. Before serving, garnish with pistachios and rose petals.

Note:-

1. You can also garnish with chopped fresh fruits. 
2. The recipe uses makhana powder in the topping mixture, but you can skip it.

Gajar Ka Paratha/ Carrot Paratha

 

 

Parathas are Indian flatbread made from whole wheat flour. Knead the  whole wheat flour with water, rest it for 10 minutes then divide the dough into equal portion which is then rolled and cooked with ghee or oil.

The rich and flaky paratha can be served with curries, pickles or curd.

Parathas can be of many types- plain, stuffed, tandoor, pan-fried and whatnot. There’s a world of vegetables out there that you can use as stuffing for your paratha.

Most common type of paratha, is stuffed with boiled and mashed potatoes mixed with spices.

Today I am sharing a very healthy and delicious paratha recipe which is Gajar/Carrot stuffed paratha.

In this recipe I have used red carrots which is easily available in winters.

Let's start 

Preparation Time:- 15 minutes 

Cooking Time:- 20 minutes 

Served:- 6 persons 

Author:-Hem Lata Srivastava 

Ingredients:-

For Dough:-

1. Four cups wheat flour 
2. 2tsp salt
3. 2tsp carom seeds
4. Water

For Filling:-

1. Grated carrots 2 cups
2. Salt to taste 
3. Chopped green chili 2tsp
4. Chopped coriander leaves 
5. Amchoor powder 1tsp
6. Red chilli powder (optional)
7. Roasted cumin powder 1tsp
8. Cumin seeds 1tsp
9. Ghee 1tsp
10. Ghee for frying 

Recipe procedur:- 

1. Mix salt, ajwain in flour and knead the soft dough using water then keep aside. 
2. Now healt 1tsp ghee in a pan add cumin and let them crackle. 
3. Now add green chili and ginger saute and add grated carrots mix it well. 
4. Add salt, red chilli powder, amchoor powder, cumin powder mix all the masala. 
5. Roast the mixture until all the water evaporates. 
6. Switch off the flame and cool the mixture. 
7. Divide the dough into equal portions. 
8. Take a ball dust some flour and roll it into a thick round shape, add 1 tbsp mixture in the centre, seal the dough from all the edges tightly and flatten it. 
9. Now roll the paratha and  cook the paratha on a hot tava oven a medium heat. 
10. Cook the paratha on both sides evenly and apply little oil.
11. Serve hot with chutney or curd.

Kathal Ghee Roast

As I am vegetarian so I always make veg version of a non veg.

Mutton or chicken ghee roast is a popular side dish of mutton or chicken cooked in clarified butter or ghee and other aromatic spices. I have used kathal for making ghee roast and it turned out to be delicious .

Ghee is the star of this dish which gives it the rich taste.

Ghee Roast is a Mangalorian specialty. It is a spicy, rich, slightly tangy, red curry cooked in pure Ghee.

I always choose tender and small  Jackfruit which tastes much better then big size Jackfruit, also called Kathari. 

Let's start the procedure 

Ingredients:-

• Jackfruit 1kg.

Ingredients for spice paste:-

• Baydagi or Kashmiri chili 12 no.
• 1 tbsp cumin seeds 
• 1/1/2 tbsp coriander seeds 
• 1tsp fennle seeds 
• 12 black pepper 
• Cloves 5no.
• Cinnamon stick 1
• 4 to 5 garlic cloves 
• Tamerind pulp 2 tbsp

For Ghee Roast:-

• 1 cup Desi Ghee 
• Thinly sliced onion 2
• Whipped curd 2tbsp  
• Salt to taste 

Recipeprocedure:-

• Peel the skin of jackfruit and cut it into cubes.
• Take 4 glass of water, add 1 tsp turmeric and 1tsp salt then put jackfruit in this water for 5 minutes. 
• Now drain all the water then pet dry it with kitchen towel.
• Heat 2tbsp ghee in a pan or pressure cooker and add jackfruit then fry until it turns lightly brown. 
• Once the jackfruit turns light brown the take it out and set aside.
• Dry roast cumin, fennle, coriander, cinnamon stick, fenugreek seeds, chili, black pepper, and as they release the aroma switch off the gas. 
• Once cool transfer the spices into the blender jar and add garlic & tamerind pulp then blend it into smooth paste. Keep aside.
• Take a large heavy bottom pan heat ghee then add onion saute until transculant.
•  It will take 5 to 6 minutes on medium high heat. 
• Add spice paste cook until the oil separates. 
• Add jackfruit stir and mix roast on medium heat until oil separates 
• Now add curd mix and stir well when all the spices and curd mix is cooked well then add 1 cup water, cover and cook till it done. 
• Switch off the gas. 
• Ghee roast best goes with boiled rice. 
• Serve hot with paratha or chapati.

Notes:-

• Peeling and cutting the jackfruit is a big task. Before peeling the jackfruit apply oil in your hand and knife too.
• I use Kashmiri and Beydagi chilli in equal amounts, you can use only Beydagi mirch.
• Do not use much saur curd.
• If you are using dry tamerind soak for 2hours then squeeze the pulp.

Vatana Kebabs/ Dried Green Peas Kebabs

 

I was so confused between Peas and Vatana then I asked my   friend based in Mumbai and she told me that both are same.

This month we have letter V for A to Z Challenge so I decided to make Matar/Vatana  Kebabas. 

For Kebabs I use dried green Vatana and made delicious vatana Kebabs hope you all like it. 

Hara vatana refers to dried green peas. When fresh peas are not available or when you want to enjoy a flavoured legume then  dried peas or hara vatana is the perfect choice as it is available throughout the year.

Vatana or dried green peas can be used in making soups and various dishes like sabji, tikki, chat and ghughni. 

Vatana Kabab with potato and corns as ingredients are used to make this Indian fried snack recipe. I added some hung curd and little malai which helps to keep it moist.

Preparation Time:-10 minutes 

Cooking Time:- 20 minutes 

Recipe Type:-starter 

Author:- Hem Lata Srivastava 

Ingredients:-

• Dried Green Vatana 2 cup
• Boiled banana 2 
• Salt to taste 
• Red chili powder 1tsp 
• Crushed black pepper 1tsp
• Chopped ginger 1tbsp
• Chopped green chili 2 
• Chopped onion 1 large 
• Nutmeg powder 1/4 tap
• Cinnamon powder 1/4 tsp 
• Clove powder 1/4 tsp 
• Cumin seeds 1tbsp
• Lemon juice 2tbsp
• Malai 1tbsp
• Hung curd 2tbsp
• Roasted chana powder 1tbsp
• Oil for shallow frying 
• Ghee 1tbsp
• Chutney for serving 

Recipe procedure:-

• Soak the vatana over night. 
• Drain all the water then boil in sufficient water along with 1tsp salt.
• Once cooled, drain all the water and mash them.
• Now grate the banana keep aside. 
• Heat ghee in a pan, add cumin and as they change colour add green chili, ginger and onion saute until transculant. 
• Now add boiled Vatana and grated banana.
• Now add dry ingredients stir and mix it well.
• Add malai, lemon juice and curd switch off the gas. 
• Allow the mixture to cool down. 
• Now add coriander leaves and chana powder. 
• Mix and make kebabs. Shape as per your choice. 
• Heat non stick pan fry both sides until golden and crisp by applying oil.
• Serve hot with chutney. 

Notes:-

You can blend the Vatana in mixer. 

• Add curd and malai as per your choice. 
• You can add bread crumbs besides chana powder. 
• You can use boiled potato besides banana.
• I prefer banana in my kebabs instead of potato.

Urad Dal Pakode

 

Pakoda is deep fried fitters and served as a snack. 

Usually pakoda is made from gram flour using some veggies like onions,  potatoes,  baingan and many more. But we can make pakoda with urad dal or moong dal also. 

Crunchy pakoda serves as starter in any party. You need only few ingredients to make this mouthwatering snack. 

A famous food from the streets of Kolkata, also known as Biuli Dal Er Boda in Bengali, this vada or pakoda recipe is made with a thick mixture of grounded urad dal, sooji chillies, onion along with some spices. 

Last month I was not well so could not participated in A to z recipe Challenge. 

This month we have word U for this Challenge and from word U there is only one ingredient which is urad dal and I made urad dal pakoda.

Urad, is also referred to as urad dal, udad dal, urd bean, urd, urid, black matpe bean, black gram,

Dal is a good source of proteins, carbohydrates, lipids, iron, and calcium. In addition, whole urad has dietary fibre, whereas urad dal (split urad) does not contain fibre.

Preparation Time:-

For soaking- 5 to 6 hours 

Other Preparation:- 10 minutes 

Cooking Time:-15 minutes 

Serves :- 4

Recipe Type:- snacks 

Author:- Hem Lata Srivastava 

Ingredients-

• Urad dal 2 cup
• Rice flour 1tbsp
• Salt to taste 
• Red chili powder 1tsp
• Chopped ginger 1tbsp
• Chopped green chili 1tbsp
• Chopped coriander leaves 
• Chopped onion 2 no.
• Crushed cumin 1tsp
• Crushed coriander seeds 1tbsp
• Chat masala powder 1tsp
• Oil for frying 

Method :-

• Wash and soak the dal for 5 to 6 hours. 
• Now drain the water. grind soaked urad dal along with water in a grinder. 
• Whipe until dal gets fluffy. 
• Add all the ingredients besides oil. Mix it well.
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• Heat oil in a large bottomed pan, add a spoonful of batter one after another..
• Wait until both the sides of the fritters become brown and crispy.
• Once done transfer them in a  serving plate.
• Serve hot with chutney.

Notes :-

• I use mustard oil for frying you any vegetable oil.
• I use rice flour you can use semolina. 
• Batter should be fluffy.