Frithad

Ingredients :

500gm Mutton, Chicken or Beef

2 Potatoes ( medium size )

1 small ball  Tamarind ( the size of a lime )

6 Kashmir Chillies

1 table sp Coriander seeds ( Dhania )

¼ tea sp Cumin seeds ( Jeera )

1 tea sp Sesame seeds ( Teel )

1 tea sp Poppy seeds ( Khus khus )

2  inches Cinnamon sticks ( Dalchini )

5 Pepper corns

2 Cardamom ( Elaichi )

3  nos Cloves ( Lavang )

¼ tea sp Turmeric ( Haldi )

5  Cashew nuts ( optional )

9 flakes Garlic ( Lasan )

2 Onions ( medium size )

2 table sp     Cooking oil

1 ½  cups water

1 tea sp  Salt ( adjust amount to taste )

Instructions :

Cut meat into small ( about 1 inch ) pieces.

Peel potatoes, and cut into pieces.

Soak tamarind in water for at least 10 minutes. Extract juice/pulp by squeezing.

Put chillies, coriander, cumin, sesame, poppy, cinnamon, pepper, cardamom, cloves, turmeric, cashew, and garlic into a mixer / grinder and grind (add sufficient water ) to a smooth paste.

Slice onions. In a heavy bottom sauce pan heat oil and fry onions until light brown.

Add the ground mixture and fry on medium heat for about one minute ( until you get a nice smell ).

Add the meat pieces and stir fry for a few minutes, until almost dry.

Add water and salt and bring to a boil. Lower heat to medium and cook till almost done.

Add potatoes and peas. Cook until potatoes are soft.

Add tamarind pulp/juice. Stir and remove from heat.

Frithad Masala

Frithad Masala is usually wet-ground and used immediately.

This recipe is for dry Frithad Masala that can be stored for a few months. For the wet masala, refer to the recipe for Frithad Curry

Ingredients :

60        Kashmir Chillies

10        table sp         Coriander seeds ( Dhania )

3          tea sp            Cumin seeds ( Jeera )

10        tea sp            Sesame seeds ( Til )

10        tea sp            Poppy seeds ( Khus khus )

20        inches            Cinnamon sticks ( Dalchini )

2          tea sp            Pepper corns

20        Cardamom ( Elaichi )

30        nos     Cloves ( Lavang )

2          tea sp            Turmeric ( Haldi )

Instructions :

Leave the ingredients in the sun and allow to dry.

Put all the ingredients in a mixer / grinder and turn on the machine until the spices are finely ground. Sieve. Repeat this procedure with the thicker pieces.

Allow the ground mixture to cool and store in a sterilised air-tight bottle. Keep it away from heat and sunlight.

Notes :

This recipe yields about 60 tea spoons of Frithad Masala.

Bombay Masala Toast Sandwiches

Ingredients to make 4 :

For the green chutney:

1 cup coriander leaves
1/ 4 cup mint leaves
1 green chili
salt

For the potato filling:

2 cup mashed potatoes
1/2 onion – chopped finely
1/2 tomato –  chopped finely
1 small green chilly –  chopped finely
1/2 sprig of curry leaves – optional
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/4 tsp mustard seeds
a few chopped coriander leaves
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
a pinch of asafoetida
1/4 tsp red chili powder (optional)

Other ingredients:

8 slices of bread – brown or white
a few thin round slices of onions, tomatoes, capsicum
Amul Butter or any other brand of Butter
Chaat Masala or pav bhaji masala

Method to make the Bombay Masala Toast Sandwiches:

• Method to make the green chutney

1. Grind the ingredients for the green chutney with little water to a smooth paste. If this chutney remains, then you can use it as a dip for pakoras, samosas, or even serve it as a side dish with pulaos or biryanis

• Method to make the potato filling

1. In a pan, heat some oil. Add mustard seeds. Let them splutter.
2. Add cumin seeds. Then add onions. Fry the onions till transparent.
3. Now add the tomatoes. Fry the tomatoes till they become soft and are cooked.
4. Add the chopped green chilli. Add the all the spice powders mentioned above. Mix them well.
5. Now add the mashed potatoes. Add salt. Mix the stuffing really well. Keep on stirring on a low flame so that the mixture does not stick to the pan.
6. Cook for 5 minutes. Let the mixture cool before you start using it for the sandwich.

• For making the sandwiches

1. Trim the edges of the bread
2. Apply amul butter evenly on the bread.
3. Now apply the green chutney on the bread.
4. Take the potato mixture and apply it on this bread. Keep  one or two onion, tomato and capsicum rings on this mixture. Sprinkle some chat masala or pav bhaji masala.
5. Now cover this potato laden bread with another slice of bread, to which both butter and chutney has been applied.
6. In a sandwich toaster or grill, toast or grill the sandwich till browned from both sides.
7. Remove and apply some butter on top of the sandwich. The butter melts. Ah….. melted butter on hot sandwich.
8. Its crisp from outside and spicy and soft from inside. Serve the sandwich hot with the green chutney and tomato ketchup.

My Son's Money Box

My Son's Little Money Bank

CHRISTMAS GOODIES

Marzipans

Marzipan

Ingredients :

250 gms Cashew nuts

400 gms Sugar (finely powdered) – actually we have to use 500 but I use less

2 Egg Whites ( I use 2 egg whites)

½ cup Rosewater

Food Color as desired

Method :

Grind cashewnuts to a fine powder & soak with rose water for about 15 mins.

Grind cashewnuts to a fine paste. Lightly whisk the egg whites.

In a thick bottomed pan, combine cashewnut paste, sugar, whisked egg whites; mix well. (I used a pressure cooker without the lid). Place the pan on a low fire; keep stirring continuously.  Make sure that the mix does not stick to the bottom of the pan & does not burn. Cook till mixture thickens & starts leaving the sides of the pan.

Pour out the mixture in  a plate & muscle with a spoon/spatula till the mixture cools down.

When cool, muscle again using some rose water sparingly. Knead till it forms a soft dough. Keep aside to rest for awhile. You should be able to mould it easily.

Divide into balls if using color. (I divided it into four parts). Add color as desired.   Use a rubber or plastic moulds to shape them. You may even shape them into fruits if you like. Place the moulded pieces on a tray.  Let it dry & then store in an airtight container.

MILK CREAM

Ingredients :

1 litre Milk

400 gms. Sugar

100 gms. Cashewnuts

1 tbsp. Butter

Method :

First grind the cashewnuts to a very fine powder.

Then boil the milk in a pan which has a thick bottom on very low flame till it reduces to half the quantity. Keep stirring in between so that the milk does not burn.

Add sugar & stir continuously till the sugar dissolves completely & the milk thickens further.

Add the powdered cashewnuts when the milk is nice & thick.

Keep stirring the mixture continuously without allowing the mixture to stick at the bottom of the pan.

When the mixture bubbles at the edges of the pan, it is almost ready.

Test the mixture in a bowl of water if it is ready to turn out. The mix should hold together & not separate & dissolve in the water. Add some butter & reserve some to butter the moulds.

Stir again till the mixture holds together but separates a little & you can see the bottom of the pan while stirring with the spoon. Turn the mixture on a plate & let it cool thoroughly. When completely cool, then butter the rubber mould & mould the milk cream.  Place them on a tray & let it dry overnight.  Store in an air-tight container.  Serve & enjoy at Christmas.  

Date rolls

Ingredients:

200 gms maida

100 gms butter

60 gms ground sugar

200 gms dates (de-seed and cut into strips)

200 gms walnuts (cut into strips)

1 egg

Method:

Beat the butter till fluffy.

Add the sugar and beat till fluffy again.

Add one well beaten egg and beat again.

Fold in flour and mix till well blended.

Knead lightly till it forms a smooth dough and roll out into ¼ inch thick chapatti.

Cut into 2 inch squares. Put two strips of walnut and date in and roll. Apply water to seal the edges.

Place on a well greased baking tray leaving sufficient space between each.

Bake for 10 to 15 minutes at 160° C.

Brush the top of each date roll with egg yolk before baking for that lovely glazed look.

Death By Chocolate

 Made this cake for my Son's 8th birthday !




INGREDIENTS
225 g  dark semisweet chocolate (40-50% cocoa)

2/3 cup (140 g) butter

1 cup (210 g) sugar

4 eggs

4 heaped tablespoons all-purpose flour

4 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

1½ teaspoon baking powder or 1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

4 tablespoons hung curds or sour cream

Ingredients for frosting

2/3 cup (1.6 dl) heavy cream or whipping cream

9 oz (260 g) semisweet chocolate (40-50% cocoa)

Method

Preheat oven to 350 deg F (Gas mark 4 or 180 deg C).

Line a circular 10 inch (25 cm) cake tin (3 inches tall) with grease proof or other non-stick paper and grease the tin. (Please note that the cake will rise to 3 inches and collapse somewhat when cooled. If your cake tin is less than 10 inches wide and 3 inches tall I recommend that you use two cake tins.)

Break the chocolate into small pieces and melt it with butter over hot         water.

Beat the eggs with sugar, mix with flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and vanilla extract.

Slowly fold in the melted butter and chocolate and the sour cream.

Bake at 350 degrees until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out     clean, approximately 40 to 50 minutes (if using 2 cake tins 20-30 minutes may be sufficient).

Cool the cake completely. When it has obtained room temperature place it in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before removing the   cake from the tin (the cake is sticky and difficult to cut when it is warm!) Remove the crusted surface on the top of the cake, and cut in half, horizontally.

Frosting

Heat 2/3 cup (1.6 dl) of heavy cream or whipping cream in a sauce              pan.

Remove from heat, add 9 oz (260 g) of finely chopped dark              semisweet chocolate, stir until smooth, and let it cool until in thickens.

Use one 1/3 of the frosting between the two layers, 1/3 on top, and the rest around the cake.

Put the cake into the fridge for one hour or  more to harden the frosting.

This cake should have room temperature when served.

Punjabi Thali

MENU FOR THE THALI

Aloo Paratha /Chole/Jeera Pulao/Malai Paneer/Raita/ Sooji Halwa

Aloo Parantha
2 cups plain wheat flour
1/2 tsp salt
warm water to make dough
1tsp oil
Filling
1 cup boiled potatoes (mashed)

1/4 cup boiled peas crushed
1/2 tsp grated ginger
1 tsp chopped green chillies
1/4 cup fresh chopped coriander leaves
1/4 tsp ajwain (carom seeds)
1/4tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp turmeric
salt
1-2tbsp oil

Preparation

Prepare a soft dough combining salt, warm water, oil and flour.

Set aside.

In a pan add oil and cumin & carom seeds.

When they starts spluttering, add ginger and chillies. Fry for a minute, add mashed potatoes and peas, turmeric, salt and saute well.  Add chopped coriander leaves. Keep aside.  

Once it cools down, it is filled in to the dough, rolled into paranthas and fried till done on  the tava  just as you make your usual parathas.

Chole

Ingredients2 cup kabuli chana soaked overnight
1 tea bag
1 large tomato chopped
1 large finely chopped onion
1 tsp. garlic paste
1 tsp. ginger grated
3 green chillies chopped
1/3 tsp asafoetida (hing)
1 tsp. red chilli powder
1 tsp dhania powder
1 tsp jeera powder
1/2 tsp. garam masala
1/4 tsp. turmeric powder
1 cinnamon stick
2-3 cloves
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
4-5 tbsp.thick tamarind extract
3-4 tbsp. oil.  Salt to taste
For Garnish
1 small onion sliced into rings
chopped coriander leaves
whole green chillies

Preparation

Pressure cook the chick pea along with one tea bag and 2tsp salt, for not more than 3 whistles.

Keep the chickpea aside after discarding the tea bag . 

In a deep bottomed pan add oil, once it heats up add cumin, bay leaf, cinnamon stick and cloves.

Once you see them splutter, add ginger, garlic paste, green chillies, chopped onions and fry well till onion turns translucent.

Next add finely chopped tomatoes, turmeric, all the other masala powders and cook till the oil separates from the tomato mixture.

Now add the cooked chick peas.  Once the chana gets well coated with all the masalas add some of the water from the boiled channa.  Next add the tamarind extract and mix well.

Keep on low heat for about 5 minutes and remove.

Garnish with onion rings, chillies and chopped coriander leaves.

Jeera Pulao (with green peas)

Ingredients2 cups long grain Basmati rice
1/2 cup frozen peas
1 onion chopped fine

2 tsp cumin seeds
3-4 cloves
2 bay leaves
1 cinnamon stick
1 star Anise
Salt
41/2 cups water
4-5 tbsp oil or ghee

Preparation

Soak the rice for 30 minustes. After 30 mins wash the rice and drain the water and keep aside.

In a non-stick vessel add oil .  When the oil heats up add cumin and allow it to splutter. Add bay leaves, cloves, cinnamon and star anise to the oil till you get a nice aroma.  Next add the onions and fry till  it browns a bit, add the rice and fry till rice is well coated with the spices and onion.  Next add the peas.  Mix gently so as not to break the rice grains.   Now add water and salt. Give it a gentle stir and cover the vessel with lid and cook till the rice is done.

MALAI PANEER

Ingredients1 cup paneer cubes (cottage cheese)
10 Cashew nuts
1/4 cup milk cream
1 cup chopped onions
2 tomatoes
1 tsp ginger paste
1 tsp garlic paste
2-3 chopped green chillies
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp Cumin seeds
2-3 cloves
1 Bay leaf

1 cinnamon stick

1 star Anise

1/2 tsp garam masala

2-3 tbsp oil

1/4 cup water

Salt

Coriander leaves for Garnish

Method

In a blender combine cashews and tomato to make a thick puree. Keep aside. In a deep bottomed pan heat oil , add cumin seeds. While they splutter add cinnamon, cloves and bay leaf and star anise. When you get the aroma of the spices, add ginger-garlic paste, green chillies and fry. Then add onions and fry till translucent. Add Paneer cubes and fry for 2 minutes. Now, add the cashew-tomato paste, turmeric, salt and garam masala and fold in together all the ingredients.  Add 1/4 cup water as the cashew paste intends to thicken. Simmer the heat and add heavy cream.  Leave the gravy on medium low heat for 5 minutes and remove from heat.

Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.

Raita

Ingredients
1 cup thick yogurt
1 cucumber chopped fine
1 small onion chopped fine
finely chopped green chillies
finely chopped coriander leaves
roasted Jeera (cummin) powder
salt

PreparationBeat the yogurt well, add all the ingredients except cumin powder. Garnish with cumin powder and serve.

Sooji Halwa

Ingredients
1-cup semolina (Sooji)
1/2 cup sugar
1cup ghee
1/2 cup milk
1tbsp cashews
1tbsp raisins
1/2 tsp cardamom powder
ghee for frying cashew nuts and raisins

PreparationIn a deep, heavy bottomed pan warm up the clarified butter, add semolina . Fry continuously till the color changes to light brown. Keep the heat on medium. Once the mixture is well fried, add sugar and milk and stir continuously so that no lumps are formed. Stir gently until the milk is fully absorbed and the mixture comes to an halwa consistency. Separately fry cashews, raisins and add it to the halwa.

Srilankan Cutlets

Whilst in Sri Lanka, just loved their cutlets.  You can make these with tuna fish too. 

This Cutlet recipe is among the finest and easy to make Sri Lankan fish recipes. If you ever go to any sri-lankan restaurants, you will find this fish cutlets listed along with many delicious based appetizers.

                            

Ingredients:

For the chicken mix:

2 medium potatoes, cubed

1/4 kg mince cooked with salt and pepper

½ medium red onion, chopped finely

2 – 3 green chilies, chopped finely, deseeded

4 - 5 curry leaves, shredded

½ tsp black pepper, freshly ground

 1 tsp or more chili powder

½ tsp coriander powder

½ tsp cumin powder

½ tsp Lime juice to taste

1 tsp Dijon mustard

Salt

For Frying

4 tbsp plain bread crumbs for coating

2 medium egg whites beaten

Oil for deep frying

Directions:

1. Boil the potatoes until soft. When they’re done, drain the potatoes and leave to cool in the sieve.

2. In the meanwhile, except for the salt and lime juice, mix all the remaining ingredients in a bowl. When the potatoes have cooled down, mash them and add to the mixture in the bowl. Add the lime juice and salt accoding to taste (as the mince as salt).

3. Sprinkle a little oil in a pan and sauté the mixer for 10 mins and let it cool.

4. Take about a golf-ball sized amount of mixture and roll it into a ball. Next dip the ball into the egg, and then into bread crumbs. Do all the cutlets in this way.

5. Pour oil into a deep pan, or a wok and put on medium high.

6. Fry the cutlets for a few min on each side, until they’re heated through and the coating is cooked.

PRAWN PULAO

Ingredients

1/2 kg prawns

1 1/2 cup rice

2 onion (chopped lengthwise)

1 large tomato (chopped)

6-8 cloves

1 large stick cinnamon

1/2 tsp. while peppercorns

4 cardamons

1/2 tsp. turmeric

salt to taste

Green Masala to Grind

1 bunch coriander leaves

3 green chillies

1 tsp ginger paste

1 tsp garlic paste

1 onion

10 black peppers, 2 elaichi, 1 pc cardamom, 2-3 cloves

1 small marble size ball of tamrind

 Method

1. Grind the masala and maranade the prawns in the same for 1 hour

2. Soak the rice for 1/2 hour atleast.

3. Fry the prawns till they are half cooked. (reserve the green masala from the maranade)

3. Fry onions till brown,remove half the onions and keep aside. Add cloves,cinnamon, peppercorns, cardamon to the balance onions.

4. Add the rice and fry till the rice is opaque and well coated with onion mixture.

5. Add the green masala (which you maranade the prawns) to the rice, add 3 cups of water and salt. Cover and let cook.
6. Once the rice is half done and the water has dried a bit add the fried prawns on top of it.  Add fried brown onions and coriander leaves.  Cover and cook till done.  Serve hot with green coconut

chutney.