Paan (Betel Leaves) Ice Cream

So I am back with one more ice cream recipe. I thought before the harsh winter knocks at your door why not enjoy the full on summer with cold novelties and treats. And whats better than a scoop of ice cream. Or a tub? That sounds better I must say. By the way you don’t need any excuse of weather to enjoy any food. . . For me, weather has never been a decisive factor to enjoy any type of food. I can very well enjoy a hot bowl of  soup in a hot summer day or ice creams and other cold novelties in winters. Ice cream in winters is actually fun as there is less of dripping and melting. So you can enjoy it long and you will also have less people to share, I guess so. Food is all about comfort and whats better than an ice cream. It works well even when you are having a bad day and I think many of you would agree to that. I am one of those guilty mom who sneakingly enjoys her favorite ice cream or cake when the little one is taking his afternoon nap and blame it all on my mood, bad day ,exertion or whatever works. So point here is food gives me inner pleasure and it would be same for many of my kind.

My motto for this summer was to try various interesting flavors. The Ice cream recipe which I am sharing here today is unique and my second favorite flavor after Mango. Paan or betel leaves are very good for digestion and is very famous in India as a mouth freshener. Mostly its enjoyed after a meal but people who loves it can be seen chewing anytime. The thought of Paan ice cream would not have strike me had I not tried it on my own. And I instantly fall in love with the fresh flavors and pleasant taste. So what are you waiting for. Try this and do let me know your reviews.
Ingredients :-

Betel Leaves, washed and finely chopped	5
Fennel Seeds	1 teaspoon
Pitted Dates, Finely chopped	2 tablespoon
Tutti Frutti/Candied fruits	2 tablespoon
Gulkand/Rose petaled jam	2 tablespoon
Rose essence	1/4 teaspoon
Cardamom Powder	1/4 teaspoon
Cashew and Almond, chopped	2 tablespoon
Whole Milk, chilled	1/4 cup
Condensed Milk, chilled	1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoon
Heavy Whipping Cream, chilled	1 cup

Method :-

• Soaked the dates in half of the milk for about 1 hour.
• Put one big bowl along with whisk attachments in refrigerator for 15- 20 minutes
• In a blender jar add the chopped betel leaves, fennel seeds, gulkand, dates along with remaining milk and blend all the ingredients very well to form a homogeneous mixture.
• Beat the chilled whipping cream in the bowl on medium speed until the cream is nice and thickened.
• Add condensed milk to it and beat for 1 more minute.
• Now add the betel leave paste, tutti frutti, rose essence, chopped nuts and cardamom powder to the ice cream base and fold them gently into the mixture until well combined.
• Transfer the ice cream mixture into airtight container.
• Garnish it on top with some tutti frutti and chopped nuts.
• Cover it tightly with plastic foil wrap. Make sure the plastic foil touches the ice cream mixture everywhere and there is no air between the ice cream mixture and plastic foil wrap.This ensures that there is no ice crystal formation in the ice cream. Finally put the air tight lid.
• Let the ice cream set overnight.
• Enjoy it all alone or if you are generous enough to share enjoy it with your loved ones.

 

Notes :-

• Tutti Frutti (Candied fruits), betel leaves, gulkand( rose petaled jam), fennel seeds and rose essence can be easily found in any Indian grocery store.
• Optional – If you want you can add 1-2 drops of green food color to enhance the color of ice cream. Personally I don’t like food colors so I skipped it. 
• As always mentioned in all my ice cream recipes chill the ingredients specially the whipping cream, condensed milk, evaporated milk if using any.

Tandoori Chicken – All time favorite

I wonder how simple things in life can bring so much peace to your inner self. It can be anything like your one cup of coffee or tea in the morning or one sweet gesture from a stranger. These simple little things makes your life so easy and uncomplicated. For me its my son’s sweet smile and his unconditional love. He makes my imperfect life so perfect. Same thing applies for food. You may drool over all the fancy items you see in the restaurant but when it comes to homemade food nothing can beat it. Not only its simple, healthy and nutritious but also its made with so much love. Today I am presenting you a dish which is very simple to make at home and is one of the world famous Indian dish which can be found in all or most of the Indian restaurants (Except vegetarian ones) – Tandoori Chicken or Tandoori Murgh. The dish tastes best when marinated overnight which enhances the flavor. In restaurants, its made in a Tandoor (bell shaped clay oven also used to make Naan and Roti) which is the traditional way of cooking this dish. This dish is deliciously spiced with super crisp skin to die for. Generally, in restaurants it gets its bright red color with artificial color which is not only unhealthy but also unnecessary so I skip it. The red chilli paste instead provides excellent color but it also increases spice level. The Kashmiri red chili powder or Paprika will keep the spice level low but also add rich color to the dish.
Ingredients :-

Chicken drumsticks	8 pieces
Red Chilli Paste	4 teaspoons
Ginger and garlic paste	3 tablespoons
Salt	to taste
Chat Masala	1 and 1/2 teaspoon
Tandoori Masala	1 and 1/2 teaspoon
Oil	1 tablespoon
Hung Curd	3 tablespoons
Lemon juice	1 tablespoon

Method:-

• Preheat the oven at 400 degree Fahrenheit.
• Mix everything except Drumsticks under ingredient list in a big bowl.
• Wash the drumsticks properly and pat dry with kitchen towel or tissue paper.
• Using a sharp knife make deep slashes in the drumsticks. This makes ensure that the marinade penetrate deep in the meat.
• Toss the drumsticks with marinade well, cover and refrigerate it minimum for 4-5 hour or overnight. 
• Line a baking tray with aluminum foil and place an oven proof rack over top.
• Arrange the marinated drumsticks on the rack keeping some distance in between.
• Cook for 30-40 minutes until the chicken is well cooked.
• Turn the oven switch to broiler and flash each side of chicken under the broiler for about 5 minutes until the skin is super crisp and bit charred.
• Serve it hot as a starter or a side dish.

Notes :-

• As usual I like my Chicken dishes bit spicy but here you can adjust the chili paste according to your taste.
• If you don’t have chilli paste you can use Kashmiri or paprika powder for color.

Mexican Corn Rice Patties Wrap

Being mother is hard, fun, challenging and life changing. Each day you learn so many things from your child, from the circumstances, etc., you hardly get time to enjoy yourself by having your own personal time. When things are tough, you have to find alternate ways of keeping yourself busy and overcome unwanted / unpleasant situations. Luckily, there is food to the rescue. I eat or make food when I feel sad, overwhelmed, exhausted, happy, etc. Creating something new and healthy gives inner satisfaction to my soul. Sometimes they do not turn out as I wanted (and I get mad) but slowly I start analyzing positives and learn from mistakes.

Coming back to this post, it’s one of the most delicious dishes and can be made in a jiffy. This recipe makes good use of the leftover rice (brown or white) which otherwise might be sitting idle in refrigerator. I always like fresh ingredients hence using fresh corn in this recipe will make it taste even better. The patties can form base for many dishes like burgers, wraps, sandwiches, subs etc. I have used them in the form of a wrap and it becomes the wholesome dinner/lunch OR can be enjoyed as snacks with a hot cup of tea.  You can even add grilled shredded chicken or scrambled egg to make it more hearty and meaty. The combination is endless so get your creative mind rolling and try it on. It also works well with picky toddlers/kids who likes specific type of food.

Ingredients :-

For Corn Rice Patties/Cakes:-

Fresh boiled corn/Canned corn kernels	1 and 1/2 cup
Oil	4 tablespoons
Onions, chopped	2 medium
Cilantro, finely chopped	2-3 tablespoon
White/Brown rice, boiled	1 and 1/2 cup
Potatoes, peeled and boiled	2 medium
Salt	to taste
Green chillies, finely chopped	2
Crushed red chillies	1/2 teaspoon
Fresh bread crumbs	1 cup

For Wrap/Roti

Whole wheat flour	1 cup
Oil	1 tablespoon
Salt	a pinch

Method :-

• If you are using fresh corns take out the kernel and boil it until soft. Discard the extra water.
• Heat 2 tablespoon oil in a nonstick pan. Add onions and saute it until onion turns light brown.
• Add the corn kernels and saute for 2-3 minutes.
• Take out the onion corn mixture in a bowl.
• Add rice, mashed potatoes,salt, green chilies, crushed red chilies, cilantro leaves and mix well mashing the contents slightly.
• Add the fresh breadcrumbs and mix well. Keep the mixture aside for 10-15 minutes.
• Heat 2 tablespoon oil in another non stick pan. Divide the mixture into equal parts and make oval or round shape patties/cakes out of it.
• Place the patties on the second pan and cook each side till both sides are equally golden.
• Serve hot with any sauce, salsa or tomato ketchup. 
• For oven spread the patties in a baking sheet and spray a little oil over them.Then cook them in a preheated oven of 350 degrees Celsius for 15 minutes.
• If you want charred effect broil it both sides for 2 minutes each.

For wraps :-

• Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and knead into a soft dough using enough water. Keep aside.
• Divide the dough into four equal portions and roll out each portion into a round circle approx of 8 inch diameter using a little flour.
• Heat a non-stick griddle and lightly cook the rotis/wraps on both the sides. Keep aside.

Assembling :-

• Cut julienne of a medium onion.
• Just before serving warm a roti on griddle.
• Place the roti/wrap on a clean, dry surface and spread one teaspoon of green chutney, ketchup or any of your favorite sauce or salsa on the wrap/roti.
•  Arrange 2 patties/cakes in a row in the center of the roti/wrap
• Spread some onion julienne over the patties.
• Roll the wrap tightly and serve it hot.

Notes :-

• Instead of rotis you can try this rolls with soft tacos.
• You can even deep fry the patties/cakes.
• Amount of chillies can be increased or decreased according to your taste. 
• If you like the taste of mint leaves you can add some of it in patties.
• Here I have used yogurt sauce for the rolls. If you want you can follow the recipe for yogurt sauce here Falafel – The Healthy Way

Chicken Chettinad

Chicken, in any form and style, is one of my favorite food. Chettinad is a region in Tamil Nadu state in India and famous for its spicy and flavorful cuisine. I would love to visit this place to try other dishes of this cuisine. I have tried this recipe many times mainly with Chicken but also with Mushrooms and it has always turned out good with its bursting and tickling taste. I have never tried this dish at a restaurant but researched online before making it. Also, I don’t get good variety of food in Indian restaurant in our town. As always, the inspiration behind this recipe is the great chef Sanjeev Kapoor. Traditionally, the Chettinad cuisine offers spicy food with lot of red chillies and spices. The most important thing about this dish is the freshly grounded masala made of roasted spices and fresh coconut. For a vegetarian version, you can try this with Mushroom as they are as meaty and similar in texture as Chicken. Of course, my preference is Chicken over the Mushroom. Don’t let the long list of ingredient scare you as the end result will be very delicious. Enjoy this dish with ghee (clarified butter) rice or roti (whole wheat flat bread).

Ingredients :-

Chicken	1 pound (approx 500gm)
Oil	2 tablespoon
Poppy seeds, soaked	2 teaspoon
Ginger, chopped	1 inch
Garlic, chopped	1 tablespoon
Cashew nuts, soaked	8-10
Onions, finely chopped	1/2 cup
Curry leaves	8-10
Tomatoes, finely chopped	2 medium
Turmeric	1/4 teaspoon
Salt	to taste
Crushed black pepper	1 teaspoon
Lemon Juice	1 teaspoon
Cilantro, finely chopped	1/4 cup

For Chettinad Masala :-

Coconut, scraped	1/2 cup
Coriander seeds	1 teaspoon
Cumin seeds	1/2 teaspoon
Fennel seeds	1 teaspoon
Dried red chilies	6-7
Green Cardamoms	3
Cloves	2-3
Cinnamon	1 inch piece

Method :-

• Add a pinch of salt, turmeric powder and lemon juice to the chicken. Keep it for marination for one hour
• Heat one tablespoon of oil in a nonstick pan. Add the coconut, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, fennel seeds, red chillies, cardamom, cloves and cinnamon and saute on medium heat for four to five minutes.
• Cool and grind the above mixture with ginger, garlic, poppy seeds and cashew nuts and some water into a smooth paste. Put water as little as possible.
• Heat the remaining oil in another non-stick pan.
• Add the curry leaves and onion. Saute onion till golden brown.
• Add the ground paste and saute for 5 minutes.
• Add the tomatoes, salt  and mix well
• Cook for five to seven minutes or till the oil separates.
• Add the chicken, crushed peppercorns and saute for more five minutes.
• Serve hot garnished with coriander leaves.

  

  Notes :-

• I have used here boneless chicken breast but you can try it with thighs or chicken with bone. The cooking time would differ.
• You can decrease the hotness of this dish by reducing amount of red chillies.
• If you can’t find fresh coconut you can use the dried coconut powder.
• This curry is known for the flavors, the spice and the aroma due to its fresh grounded spices. You can get ready made store bought masala but it will not justify the real taste of this dish. 

Mumbai Laadi Paav – Bombay Style Buns

Continuing my commitment to post recipes regularly, I started to look at the pictures I took in the past to inspire me for the next post. It was then I stumbled across above picture and started writing this post. I love these buns aka paav aka dinner rolls especially the ones made in Mumbai. They are so fresh, soft, buttery and delicious. The paav forms a base of many popular street foods of Mumbai like Paav Bhaji, Vada Paav, Dabeli, Misal Paav, Masala Paav, etc. Being away from Mumbai since a long time and unavailability of good paav in our town, I decided to try making them. I was tired of using burger buns brought from the store since they do not taste that great with our street food. What’s so special about the laadi paav? It’s the pillow-like texture which you can eat all the time as it is. They are light yellowish brown in color. The overall effort put in to making laadi paav is little bit overwhelming and tedious but results are awesome. Now, I do not fear to make them at home and have stopped buying buns from the store.
Ingredients :-

All Purpose flour	3 cups
Active Dry Yeast	1 packet
Salt	1 teaspoon
Sugar	2 tablespoon
Butter, room temperature	3 tablespoon
Water, lukewarm	1 and 1/4 cup

 

Method :-

• Mix yeast and lukewarm water together along with sugar. Give it a stir and keep it aside until frothy.
• Add salt and butter to the yeast and stir well.
• Slowly add the flour one cup at a time to this mixture until well incorporated. 
• The mixture will be slightly sticky but don’t worry. The stickiness will be removed while kneading.
• Lightly dust your clean kitchen counter. Start kneading the sticky dough into the surface for about 10-15 minutes. This process needs lots of your muscle power as you need to knead the dough very well as kneading will help the gluten to develop in dough. It is ok to use some dry flour if needed while kneading ( approximately 2 tablespoon ).
• Keep the dough into a large lightly greased bowl and cover it with a plastic wrap or damp cloth.
• Keep it aside for one hour or until the dough is doubled.
• After an hour knead the dough which would have doubled by size for 5-8 minutes. 
• Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces and roll it into round shapes. Place the balls on greased baking tray leaving some space in between like about 1 inch.
• Again cover the dough balls and let it double again. It will take about 45-60 minutes. The balls will get stick to each other.
• Bake them in a preheated oven at 350 F for 15-20 minutes or until lightly browned.
• Cool them for half an hour before eating as they will feel hard when hot but will turn super soft once cold.
• Enjoy it as Daabeli, with Pav Bhaji or just simple Maska Pav ( All Mumbai streetside dishes)

Notes :-

• You can make this buns/pavs with half all purpose flour and half whole wheat flour or even with whole wheat flour. The whole wheat flour will be bit dense.
• Remember to use good quality yeast. Also yeast reacts best with sugar along with lukewarm water. So water should not be cold or very hot. Lukewarm water has the best temperature for reaction of yeast.
• Ladi Pav/Bun will stay fresh when stored in air tight container but its most delicious when eaten fresh. 

Shaam Savera – Spinach & Cottage Cheese Balls in Tomato Gravy

As I promised myself to post recipes of many of the dishes I made in 2015, I am trying to live up to it. It was tough to choose a specific one from the pool but I picked this one since I love this dish a lot. Its closer to my heart since it won as the ‘best dish’ in the food event at my husband’s office. This is one of the famous recipe of the chef Sanjeev Kapoor and it was showcased in Masterchef India too. Its a hard core ‘Punjabi recipe’ since its rich with cashew paste and cream, melt-in-mouth fried koftas and delicious gravy. Ooh la la, I am drooling. If you are a ‘calorie conscious’ person,  you will definitely need tweaks to make it low on calories. You will not be able to resist temptation of this alluring dish. I have tried both the versions and the no-fry-no-cream-no cashew version tastes as good as the original one. I have tried my best to replicate this dish but don’t know if it will match up to what was made by the great Sanjeev Kapoor, nevertheless, I am very satisfied with the end result. Please check the Notes section where I have mentioned some points for making this dish in alternate way keeping healthy options in mind. I hope you like it. Enjoy!!!

Ingredients :-

For Koftas :-

Fresh Spinach Leaves	5 bunch
Cottage Cheese/Paneer	1 cup
Salt	to taste
Green Cardamom Powder	1-2 pinch
Oil	2 tablespoon
Cumin seeds	1 teaspoon
Garlic, finely chopped	6-7 cloves
Green Chilli, finely chopped	5-6
Gram flour(besan)	4 tablespoon
Turmeric powder	1/4 teaspoon
Corn flour/Corn starch	1/4 cup
Oil, for deep frying	as required

For Makhani Gravy :-

Tomato, roughly chopped	10-15
Oil	2 tablespoon
Green Cardamom	10-12
Garlic Chopped	10-15 cloves
Salt	to taste
Red chili powder	2 1/2 teaspoon
Butter	1/2 cup
Fenugreek leaves (methi), roasted and powdered	2 teaspoons
Honey	3 teaspoons
Fresh cream	1/4 cup
Boiled cashew paste	2 tablespoon

Method :-

• Blanch the spinach leaves in 4-5 cup of water for 2 minutes. Drain and put it in cold water or ice water.
• Drain out all the water and then chop it finely. Keep it aside to cool in a bowl.
• In other bowl mash the paneer along with salt and cardamom powder. Divide it into 8 -12 equal portions and roll into bowls.
• Heat two tablespoon oil in a non stick pan and add cumin seed. After 2 minutes add garlic and green chilies and saute for 1 minute. Add the gram flour and saute for 1-2 minutes till gram flour gets little roasted and starts giving nutty flavor. Add the turmeric powder and stir.
• Add the spinach and salt and saute. Keep stirring it continuously until the mixture is dry and starts leaving the sides of pan. Keep it aside to cool. Divide the spinach into as many equal portions as paneer balls.
• Take water in a bowl and wet your palms. Take each spinach portion , flatten it onto your palm and place a paneer ball in the center. Gather the edges together and shape into a ball. Take cornstarch in a plate. Roll the stuffed spinach balls into it and shake the ball lightly to get rid of extra cornstarch. In same way make all the spinach balls.  Don’t forget to wet your palm with water in between as the spinach mixture can get sticky.
• Heat oil for deep frying in pan. Gently slide the spinach balls when oil is hot and fry on low to medium heat until it turns golden brown. Drain it onto an absorbent paper and keep it aside.
• Alternatively you can prepare a baking tray by spraying oil on it. Place the Spinach balls in it. Bake it for 15 minutes at 400 Fahrenheit and then broil it for 2-3 minutes on one side and again 2-3 minutes on other side.
• For makhni gravy puree the tomatoes till smooth. Heat the oil in a deep non stick pan as the gravy tends to splutter a lot. Add the butter along with two tablespoon of oil as butter tends to burn.
• When butter is hot add Green cardamoms and finely chopped garlic. Cook it for 1 minute and then add tomato puree. Let it cook until the rawness of tomatoes goes off and the puree leaves the oil. It will take about 20-25 minutes.
• Add boiled cashew paste and cook it for more 5 minutes. Add salt, honey, fenugreek leaves, red chilli powder and cook it for 5 minutes. Add 1/4 cup water and let it simmer. Add the cream and cook for 2 minutes more. Your makhani gravy is ready.
• Pour the makhani gravy into a serving bowl and place the koftas on the gravy and serve immediately. 
• If you are not serving immediately keep the koftas and makhani gravy separately. While serving reheat both of them seperately and serve together as Koftas will turn soggy if kept for long in the gravy and reheated. Enjoy it with Naan or Tandoori Roti. 

Note:-

• You can even use garlic paste instead of chopped garlic in the makhani gravy.
• For the healthier version you can skip the butter and cream part. Instead of cream add 1/2 cup of milk.
• Instead of making your own tomato puree you can use 2 cup of ready made tomato puree. But mind you the homemade puree tastes much better and gives a character to the dish. I personally like the homemade one.
• Original dish didn’t demand for cashew paste so you can skip it. If trying for healthier version add 2 tablespoon of boiled almond paste.

Chupa Rustam Kebab – Melt in Mouth Vegetarian Kebabs

I can’t believe it’s August already and my Lo will soon turn 1.5 years and keeping me super duper busy. All his toddler tantrums is so overwhelming and exhausting. I was thinking of posting this recipe a month back but just could not find time to write and post the recipe. I always keep looking for vegetarian recipes that are easy to make and yummy to give any meat lovers a delight. Kebabs is one of my favorite dish, especially Chicken Kebabs. My hubby is a vegetarian so keep exploring options and try to convert non vegetarian dish into a vegetarian dish by adding some twists. This ensures that even vegetarian people can equally enjoy food as compared to non vegetarian people especially Kebabs. The type of Kebab which I am writing down make my mouth water whenever I see, eat or even dream about it. The ‘melt-in-mouth’ texture due to Paneer (cottage cheese) and regular cheese and loads of nutrition from vegetables makes it extraordinary, yummy and in way healthy. You can either pan fry or deep fry this type of Kebab. You can make the mixture one or two days ahead of party / get together and fry it on the “D day”. Its definitely a crowd winner which was evident when I won 1st prize in cooking competition at hubby’s office. This recipe is adapted from my favorite chefs website Mr Sanjeev Kapoor.
Ingredients :-

Paneer , Indian Cottage Cheese	1/2 cup
Potato, Boiled and Mashed	1 large
Carrot, Boiled and mashed	1/4 cup
Spinach, Blanched and chopped	1/4 cup
Green Peas, Boiled and mashed	1/4 cup
Cauliflower, Steamed and mashed	1/4 cup
Mozzarella Cheese, Cubed	1/4 cup
Whole wheat bread crumbs	1/2 cup
Chat Masala Powder	1 1/2 tablespoon
Garam Masala Powder	1 teaspoon
Red Chilli Powder	1/2 teaspoon
Salt	to taste
Oil	for deep/shallow frying

Method :-

• Mix all ingredients together except mozzarella cheese, oil and bread crumbs to form a firm dough.
• If the dough is not firm add some bread crumbs into it.
• Keep it in refrigerator for at least one hr.
• Divide the dough in 12-14 equal portion.
• Make a round ball out of each equal portion and stuff one cube of mozzarella cheese into it.
• Flatten the dough into Pattie and roll it into wheat crumbs generously.
• Heat a non stick pan and put oil in it.
• Shallow fry the patties into the pan until both the sides get golden brown in color.
• You can even deep fry the patties but before that test one of the patties. If it breaks add some more breadcrumbs into the dough.

Notes :-

• You can increase/decrease the heat of chilli powder and garam masala powder depending on your taste buds.
• You can even use toasted oats in place of whole wheat breadcrumbs.
• Keep in mind that vegetables should not be over boiled or over steamed. Too much moisture will leads in addition of too much bread crumbs and you will loose the real taste of kebabs.
• You can also use Ricotta Cheese instead of Paneer.
• You can even used crushed cornflakes in place of breadcrumbs to roll the patties. It taste yummier because of crunchy cornflakes.

Makke Di Roti and Sarson ka Saag

One of the coldest and ‘snowy’ Winter is soon coming to an end but there’s still lot of time to eat heavy and rich food. Its easy and safe to say that ‘Sarson Ka Saag’ and ‘Makke Di Roti’ is one of the best food combination originated and very popular in Punjab (state in Northern India) but is also relished all over India (and may be by the world). It is made from mix of Mustard greens and spinach and is very nutritious. This recipe requires lots of patience and time. But the results are definitely worth it.  This Saag (curry) is traditionally served with Makke ki Roti (unraised corn flat bread) topped with homemade fresh Butter (unprocessed, white in color) or with Ghee (clarified butter). All diet conscious people can easily eliminate dollop of butter/ghee from the dish which might still be OK without impacting taste. Mustard greens is a bit bitter in taste so if you are not used to this taste or if you are trying for first time you can add spinach as I have added. Spinach not only reduces the bitterness but also gives the dish a unique earthy flavor. Makka is cornflour and roti is Indian flat bread. Its somewhat similar in look and feel like Mexican corn tortillas. Lack of gluten makes it difficult to roll out which turns out it to be unleavened bread unlike traditional Indian roti.

Ingredients :-

For Sarson ka Saag

Fresh Mustard Leaves	5 bunch
Fresh Spinach Leaves	2 bunch
Salt	to taste
Ginger, Chopped	1 inch
Ghee/Oil	1-2 tablespoon
Onion, Chopped	2 Medium/1 Large
Green Chillies, Finely sliced	4
Tomato, Chopped	2
Cornmeal	2 tablespoons

For Makke ki Roti

Cornmeal/Makke ka atta	1 1/2 cups
Whole Wheat Flour/atta (optional)	1/4 cup
Salt	to taste
Unsalted Butter/Ghee	as required
Green chillies,Finely chopped	1-2
Ginger, Grated	1 inch piece

Method :-

For Sarson ka Saag :-

• Clean the leaves properly in cold water. Chop them roughly.
• Take a pressure cooker and place the leaves in it with 1-2 teaspoon of water and 1/2 teaspoon of salt.
• Cover the lid of pressure cooker and let it it cook till one whistle.
• Remove it from heat and let the pressure release from the cooker.
• Mash it with the back of laddle or with potato masher.
• Put the cooker back into stove, add cornmeal and let it simmer on medium heat.
• Cook this mixture until creamy.
• For preparing the tadka heat a pan and add ghee/butter/oil into it.
• Add chopped ginger, chillies and saute it for 1 minutes.
• Add chopped onions and cook till onion turns translucent.
• Add chopped tomatoes and cook it on medium heat stirring continuously, till the tomatoes turn mushy and fat has separated out from the mixture.
• Add this cooked onion tomato mixture to the cooked greens. Simmer it for 10-15 minutes.
• Serve it hot with dollop of butter and makke ki roti on chilly evening.

For Makke ki Roti :-

• Take all ingredients except oil and mix it well.
• Add warm water and knead to make a medium soft dough. Divide into eight equal portions and shape into balls.
• Pat each ball between dampened palms to make a roti of medium thickness. Alternatively, roll out each ball between the folds of a greased plastic sheet.
• Heat a tawa and place a roti on it. Cook on moderate heat till one side is half-done.
• Turn over and spread some unsalted butter/ghee over the surface. Turn over and spread some more butter on the other side. Cook till both sides are golden brown. Serve hot with a dollop of white butter.

Note :-

• You can adjust chillies according to your taste.
• You can even add grated raddish to the makke ki roti and cilantro leaves before kneading the dough.

Chicken Xacuti – Exotic Goan Delight

Goa, the smallest state of India, is remarkably one of the most highly ranked tourist destinations in the world with thick forest mountains of Western Ghats and plenty of beautiful beaches. I instantly fell in love with the place, people and lovely food/cuisine. The Goan cuisine is very tasty and delicious which includes wide varieties of seafood and other meat. This cuisine comprises of local and Portuguese flavors which makes the food rich and simple. Most of the Goan dishes are hot (spicy) and very pungent. Without further delay, let me present ‘Chicken Xacuti’ (pronounced as ‘Shakuti’) which instantly became one of my favorite Chicken dishes when I tasted it in Goa. Traditionally, this dish is very spicy and you could customize it to your taste but I wouldn’t recommend it. This dish is full of exotic flavors,  with complex and lot of ingredients making it a great dish. It does require good amount of effort in preparing the recipe but its definitely worth it. So what are you waiting for! Enjoy this dish on a cold or rainy day as the spice level will complement it.

Ingredients :-

For Marination

Chicken, cut in 1 inch pieces	1 kg /2.30 pound approx
Turmeric Powder	1/4 teaspoon
Salt	1 teaspoon

Paste 1 for Marination

Ginger	2 inches
Garlic Flakes	10
Cilantro/Coriander Leaves	1/2 bunch
Green Chillies	5

Paste 2 for Xacuti Masala (Spice Mix)

Groundnut Oil	1 teaspoon
Onion, sliced	1 big / 2 medium
Green Chillies	2
Ginger	1 inch
Garlic Flakes	5
Large Coconut, grated	1
Cilantro/Coriander Leaves	1/2 bunch

Paste 3 for Xacuti Masala (Spice mix)

Cinnamon	2 inches
Peeled Cardamoms	3
Aniseed	1 teaspoon
Black Pepper Corn	1 teaspoon
Poppy Seeds	1 tablespoon
Coriander Seeds	1 tablespoon
Kashmiri Red Chillies	8-10
Star Anise	1
Maize Flower	1
Turmeric	1/2 inch
Nutmeg	1/4 piece

For Finishing

Groundnut Oil	2 teaspoon
Onions, sliced	2 medium
Green Chillies, slit	2
Water	1/4 cup

Method :-

• Add salt and turmeric to chicken.
  
• Add paste 1 of  of ginger, garlic, coriander, chillies and marinate for half an hour.
• To make paste 2 heat oil in a pan and saute sliced onions, green chillies, ginger, garlic for 3 minutes. Add 1 grated coconut and saute for another 5-7 minutes till it turns golden brown. Once onions are crispy, keep aside.
• To make paste 3,  heat a separate dry pan and roast cinnamon, cardamom, aniseed, black pepper corn, poppy seeds, coriander seeds, Kashmiri red chillies, star anise, maize flower, nutmeg, and turmeric.
• Make Xacuti masala (spice mix) by grinding together paste 2 and 3.
• For the final preparation, heat oil in pan and add onions and green chillies
• After one minute add the marinated chicken pieces.
• After two minutes add Xacuti masala (spice mix) and water. Cook for 10 minutes or until chicken is done.
  
• Serve hot with bread or rice.

Note :-

• This dish taste better if eaten next day.
• Do not over cook the chicken.
• Make sure you toast the coconut to a golden brown.
• Make sure to toast the spices well as it gives out a fragrant aroma.
• You can omit green chillies to reduce the spiciness level but do use Kashmiri Chillies as it gives good color. Kashmiri chillies are not spicy.
• You can also marinate chicken overnight to bring out the flavors better.
• You can use any oil instead of Groundnut oil.
• You can use any part of chicken. I used chicken thighs. It taste best if you use chicken with bones.

Diwali Delight – Corn Cheese Fritters/Makai Paneer Tikkis

Diwali is here and every household in India is buzzed with activities like cleaning, making sweets (Mithais) and snacks (Namkeen). For me Diwali means thrill, joy, happiness, fun, bursting firecrackers, etc. As kids, we use to fight for ‘who gets the most firecrackers to burst’. Diwali usually lasts 15 days before and after actual day which means 1 month of fun and happiness. During Diwali, we use to help mom with cleaning the house & making sweets, purchase new clothes, etc. Oh those were the best days of my life. Coming back from memories, let me share Diwali delight with this healthy & yummy recipe. The Tikki is one of my favorite snacks which I can relish anytime. It can be eaten in various forms like chaat, or just with chutney. This will be a very easy and yummy dish to serve to guests this Diwali and will surely give new dimension to your party.

Ingredients :-

Crumbled Paneer/Cottage Cheese	1 cup
Corn kernels	1/2 cup
Potato, Boiled and mashed	1/2 cup
Onion, Finely chopped	1/4 cup
Chilli powder	1 teaspoon or as to taste
Garam Masala Powder	1 teaspoon
Amchur/Dried Mango Powder	1 teaspoon
Fresh Ginger, Grated	1 inch
Green Chillies, Finely chopped	4-5
Black Pepper Powder	1/4 teaspoon
Cilantro, chopped	1 teaspoon
Salt	to taste
Cornflour	1 tablespoon
Bread Crumbs	1/4 cup
Oil	For shallow frying

Method :-

• Boil the corn kernels, pat dry and crush it. Keep aside to let it cool.
• Heat two teaspoon of oil in a pan and add green chilies and onion to it. Sauté it till the onion turns translucent and pink.
• Let it cool and then mix onion mixture,  paneer (cottage cheese), potatoes, boiled corn kernels, dry masalas(spices), ginger, salt, cilantro and corn flour. Mix it well.
• Divide the mixture into small equal tennis ball sized portions, flatten it and lightly press in the shape of tikkis/fritters.
• Roll the tikkis/fritters with bread crumbs and shallow fry in oil till they turn golden brown in color from all the sides.
• Serve hot with green chutney or ketchup

Note :-

• You can increase/decrease the quantity of chillies as you want.
• You can even stuff the tikkis/fritters with mozzarella cube cheese.