Masala Chai !

I was totally totally loved this weekend…was so happy waking up & looking at the flurries covered grass..and could see heaps of snow within no time… ❆☃❆☃❆☃❆☃❆…jumped out of bed to make our favorite Masala Chai …

Masala Chai

Ingredients:

Milk - 1 cup

Water - 2 cups

Black Tea Leaves - 1 1/2 table spoon

Chopped Mint Leaves - 1 table spoon

Chopped ginger - 1 tea spoon

Cardamom - 1 to 2

Cinnamon stick - 1

Anis flower - 1

Cloves - 2

Fennel seeds - 1/4 tea spoon

Sugar - As per your preference

Preparation:

Masala Chai

- Boil two cups of water & then add the chopped mint leaves, add chopped ginger, cinnamon stick, anis flower, cardamom, cloves one by one and let the water come to rolling boil.

Masala Chai

- Add the tea leaves and let the black tea boil until you feel the nice aroma of masala tea….

- Add the milk to the black tea and boil the tea to rolling boil for few more minutes, add the fennel seeds.

- Turn off the heat and add the sugar as per your preference, use a strainer and transfer the smoking hot Masala Chai into the cups..

Enjoy the chilling day with the smoking hot Masala Chai ….

Mint - Paneer Tikka !

Paneer ( Cottage cheese) Tikka is a special appetizer for vegetarians..and when Paneer tikka's taste is complemented by mint ❦❧ you will know, what I meant to say..once you try this recipe !

Mint Paneer Tikka

Ingredients :

Cottage cheese / Paneer - about 250 gm
Fresh mint leaves - 1 cup
Fresh Coriander Leaves - 1/2 cup
Green Chilli - 2
Ginger paste / powder - 1/2 tea spoon
garam masala - 1/4 tea spoon
Yogurt / curd - 4 table spoons (should be thick)
Salt - as per the taste
Skewers - 2 to 3
Bell peppers / capsicum, potatoes, onions - few (OPTIONAL)
Olive oil & kasoori methi - 1 tea spoon (OPTIONAL)

Preparation :

- Use the thick yogurt, if you feel yogurt is little runny.. strain it with a cheese cloth.
- Slice the paneer into about 2 * 2 inch cubes of 1/2 inch thick slices.

Mint Paneer Tikka 

- Grind the mint leaves, coriander leaves, green chillies & ginger into a fine paste.

- I used ginger powder, so I added it separately to the marination mix.

Mint Paneer Tikka 

- In a mixing bowl, add mint & coriander paste, yogurt & garam masala, salt and prepare the marination.

Mint paneer TIkka

- Add the Paneer slices to the marination mix and make sure all the paneer slices are well covered with marination mix.

Mint Paneer Tikka

- Let the paneer slices be marinate at least for 60 minutes.

Mint Paneer Tikka

- After 1 to 2 hours paneer slices are well marinated with mint and ready to go into the oven.

- Thread in the paneer slices with skewer & add some veggies like peppers , potato and onions which is totally optional.

- Bake the paneer for 20 to 25 minutes in a pre heated oven at 350 deg cent.

Mint Paneer Tikka

- Meanwhile add a pinch of ground pepper & kasoori methi to a spoon full of olive oil.

Mint Paneer Tikka

Once the paneer tikka is ready before serving coat the paneer tikka with the herb mixed olive oil.

Note : If not oven, Paneer slices can be thawed on a shallow frying pan too !

Coconut & Rava Laddoo !

Wish you all Happy Diwali !!! Beautifully decorated lamps, variety of fireworks & not to forget to mention festival special Sweets are all very much part of Diwali.. aside all these, I remember writing a page full of essay on ' Diwali - Indian Festival ' during my school days & buying variety of fireworks & crackers, competing with my sister to get bigger lot of fireworks….

Easy & Quick recipe of Coconut & Rava Laddoo when you have little time after coming from work to make some festival special sweet on the festival day !!

Coconut Rava Laddoo

Ingredients :

Semolina / Sooji / Rava - 1 cup

Sugar - 1 cup

Coconut scrape - 1 cup

Milk - about 1/4 cup

Butter / Ghee - 2 table spoon

Cardamom powder - a pinch

Dry fruits - a fistful ( OPTIONAL)

Preparation :

- Heat a tbsp of butter / ghee in the pan, add sugar & coconut scrape to the pan and fry under lowest flame.

Coconut & Rava laddoo

- Once you notice coconut turning light brownish, transfer the mixture into a mixing bowl.

- In the same pan add the remaining butter / ghee & roast the semolina under low heat.

- Once done, turn off the heat, add the roasted semolina to the coconut & sugar mixture, add the dry fruits and cardamom powder and mix well.

Coconut & Rava Laddoo 

- Milk should be warm, start adding the milk little by little to the coconut & rava mix and keep mixing, see the moisture is good enough to hold the mixture together to make the laddoo (ball).

- DO NOT ADD ALL THE MILK AT ONCE !

- Gently roll the coconut & rava mix between your palms to make the laddoos.

There you go…. easy to make & yummy yummy... Coconut & Rava Laddoo….are here…for you !

Coconut & Rava Laddoo

Mysore Masala Dosa !

In the Indian state of Karnataka.. ' Mysore Masala Dosa ' - The crispy dosa folded over a spicy potato filling has a very special place among the wide spread variety of breakfasts…..here is the recipe for you all...

Mysore Masala Dosa

INGREDIENTS :

Dosa Batter - 1 to 2 cups [See the 'NOTE' below for the dosa batter recipe]

For the potato filling :

Potatoes - 1 to 2 (depends on the size)

Green Chilli - 2

Curry Leaves - 2

Chopped onions - 1/2 cup

Turmeric powder - 1/2 tea spoon

Chopped Coriander Leaves - 1/4 cup

Mustard seeds - 1/4 tea spoon

Oil - 1 table spoon

Water - 2 to 3 table spoons

Salt - as per the taste

For the Red Chutney :

Chopped Onions - 1/2 cup

Roasted Chickpea - 1 table spoon (chutney dal)

Dry red chilli - 2 

Tamarind - a small quantity about 1 tea spoon

Garlic cloves - 2

Jaggery / Sugar - 1/4 tea spoon (OPTIONAL)

Salt - as per the taste

oil - to fry the onions & garlic

PREPARATION :

Potato Filling :

- Boil the potatoes, peel off the skin and mash and keep them ready.

- Heat the oil and add the mustard seeds, curry leaves & onions and fry until onions turn translucent.

- Add the mashed potatoes, split green chili, turmeric powder, salt & water, stir well and let it cook under low heat.

- Once done, turn off the heat and add the chopped coriander leaves.

Mysore Masala Dosa

Red Chutney :

- Soak the dry red chili & tamarind in some warm water.

- fry chopped onions and garlic in some oil.

- Grind fried onions & garlic, soaked red chilli, tamarind, jaggery, salt and chutney dal into paste.

Masala Dosa

Making Masala Dosa :

- On a Nonstick pan take a spatula full of dosa batter and spread into a thin sheet just like regular dosa.

- Add some oil / ghee / butter on dosa, then take a spoon full of red chutney and spread over the dosa gently.

-Once you see the edges of Dosa turning golden brownish, add the potato filling in the middle of dosa..

& fold over the dosa over the filling like a wrap & take the Masala Dosa on to a serving plate.

Mysore Masala Dosa

Serve the Spicy Mysore Masala Dosa with Coconut Chutney & Sambar on the side !!!

Mysore Masala Dosa

NOTE(Dosa Batter) :

- Soak 2 cups of parboiled rice (idly rice) along with 1/4 cup urad dal, fist full of split chickpea dal, fist full of raw rice (can be replaced with soaked stamped rice / poha), 1/2 table spoon fenugreek seeds (Methi seeds) overnight & grind all the soaked ingredients into fine batter adding as little water as possible.

Leave the batter to ferment for at least 4 hours (preferably 8 hours) & add some salt and the batter is all ready to make crispy Dosa !

Ajwain Cookies / Cookies with Carom Seeds !

Ajwain Cookies (Cookies with Carom seeds) are one of my favorite ♥ tea time snacks ☕ !!!

Ajwain Cookies

I, personally prefer salty.. ajwain cookies, so I bake them with minimal sugar but you can add as much sugar, as per your preference ☺

Ingredients :

All purpose flour / Maida - 2 cups
Butter - 1/2 cup (melted)
Powdered white sugar - 2 table spoons
Milk - 4 to 5 table spoons
Ajwain / Carom seeds - 1/2 table spoon
Salt - 1 tea spoon

Preparation :

- Sieve the flour into a mixing bowl.

Ajwain Cookies

- Mix all the dry ingredients with the flour.

- Add the butter to the flour and mix.

- Start adding the milk to the flour little by little and knead the dough. (DON'T add all the milk at once, it might make the dough runny!)

Salty Ajwain cookies

- Pre heat the oven to 350 ℉

- Dust the board with little flour & roll the dough (keep the thickness max by 1/2 inch) and use a cookie cutter / any bottle lid to cut out the cookies.

- Take them onto a cookie sheet and bake them for 12 to 15 minutes.

Ajwain Cookies

I preferred the cookies to be deep golden brown so, baked them for 15 minutes, if you prefer lighter just let them bake for 10 to 12 minutes.

- Once done, take them onto a cooling rack, let them cool down to room temperature, afterwards…Ajwain Cookies are all yours !!!