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.

---

**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.