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 !!!

Lamb Biryani / Mutton Biryani !

" Biryani " ♔ ♨ doesn't require any introduction, whether it is a veg or non - veg biryani..we equally appreciate & enjoy  ♥The Biryani♥ !! Don't we ?!! Earlier, I posted Chicken & Mixed vegetable biryani recipes here and now it's time and space for The Mutton Biryani !!

Lamb Biryani

Ingredients :

Lamb / Mutton - 1 lb

Sliced Tomatoes - 1 cup (Approx 2 small sized tomatoes)

Chopped Onions - 1 cup

Diced Potatoes - 1 cup (OPTIONAL)

Green chills - 3 to 4 (slitted)

Red chili powder - 1 tbl spoon

Ginger & Garlic paste - 1 tbl spoon

Turmeric powder - 1 tea spoon

Dhaniya / Coriander powder - 1 tbl spoon

Cumin powder / Jeera - 1 tea spoon

Chopped Coriander leaves - 1/2 cup 

Chopped Mint leaves - 1/2 cup

Saffron strands -  soaked in 1/4 cup warm milk

Lemon juice - 2 table spoons

Oil - 2 tbl spoons

Ghee  - 2 tbl spoons

Water - 3/4th to 1 cup

Salt - 1 to 2 tbl spoons / as per the taste

For Rice :

Rice - 2 cups ( I used basmati rice)

Water - 3 cups

Salt - 1/2 tbl spoon

Ghee / Oil - 1 tbl spoon

Whole Garam masala Ingredients :

Bay Leaf - 1 to 2

Cinnamon - 1

Cloves - 4 to 5

Green / black cardamom - 2

Anis flower - 2 to 3

Nutmeg - small piece

Preparation:

- Wash the rice thoroughly & add water, salt, ghee & all the whole garam masala ingredients to the rice and cook the rice. 

- Once done, keep the rice aside, while preparing the mutton for biryani. 

Mutton Biryani

- It is best to use a thick, wide & even bottomed utensil for cooking biryani..and I am using the pressure cooker.

- Wash the mutton / lamb pieces thoroughly with water and remove any excess fat.

- Heat the oil in the pan / cooker (whichever you have chosen to use) add the chopped onions and fry until they turn translucent & then add the tomatoes and let them cook until turn softer.

Lamb Biryani

- Add the Diced potatoes which is totally optional, if you are not using potatoes you can totally avoid this step.

- Add the meat to the pan and stir well and start adding the red chili powder, coriander powder, ginger & garlic paste, cumin powder, turmeric and the salt. Stir well & add about 3/4th cup of water, stir thoroughly and cover the pan with a lid and let the meat be well cooked under low to medium heat.

(May take approximately 10 to 12 minutes).

- Meanwhile warm a 1/4 cup of milk & add the saffron strands and keep it aside.

- Once the meat is cooked (gravy will be thickened), turn off the heat and let it sit for 5 minutes.

- Now, place half of the earlier cooked rice with whole garam masala ingredients on top of the meat, add chopped coriander, mint leaves, milk with saffron strands, slitted green chili, ghee & lemon juice.

Mutton Biryani

- And repeat the same for the second layer until the rice is finished.

- Turn on the heat, keep it low, cover the pan with the lid and place some weight on top of the lid so that steam stays inside the pan allowing biryani to be steam cooked (dhum).

- If you are using a pressure cooker, close the cooker with the lid & DO NOT PLACE THE WEIGHT / WHISTLE on.

Mutton Biryani

- Let the biryani steam cook for about 7 to 10 minutes under low heat & once done, turn off the heat, open the lid and gently run the spatula through the biryani to mix the meat with the rice while serving.

There it is.. Spicy & Smoking hot Mutton / Lamb Biryani… complement The Mutton Biryani with Korma, Raita & some onion and lemon wedges on the side !!!

Lamb Biryani

Sabudana Vada !

Sabudana (Tapioca Pearls) vada is the balanced blend of soft & crispy..and mouth melting snack, while you eat..it is hard to stop eating unless you are diet conscious ☹ !! But a perfect evening snack to go with hot tea during   ☁ ☂☃evenings !!!

Sabudana Vada

Ingredients :

Sabudana / Javvarsi / Tapioca Pearls - about 1 cup
Potatoes - 1 to 2 (depends on size)
Finely chopped Green Chilli - 1 table spoon
Cumin seeds / Jeera - 1 tea spoon
Garam Masala powder - 1 tea spoon
Ground Coriander / Dhaniya powder - 1 tea spoon
Chopped coriander leaves - 1/4 cup
Salt - As per the taste
Oil - As much required to fry
Water - about 3 to 4 tbl spoons

Preparation :

- Soak the sabudana in water for 4 to 5 hours or just leave them to soak overnight. Sabudana has to be soaked well to be soft enough to mash with the fingers.

Sabudana Vada

- Drain all the water and take the soaked sabudana aside in a mixing bowl and mash them & keep it aside.

- Boil the potatoes and peel off the skin & mash the potatoes. I used 2 small potatoes, if you are using medium to large, one potato would be enough.

Sabudana Vada

- Add mashed potatoes, chopped green chili, coriander leaves, jeera, coriander powder, salt, garam masala powder to the mashed sabudana & mix well.

- While mixing add spoon full of water little by little to get the dough consistency don't make the dough too runny / watery, it would be tough to make vada.

Sabudana Vada

- Once the dough is ready to make sabudana vada, just wet your palms with few drops of oil and take small quantity of dough on to your palms and make small patties and keep them ready to fry in the oil.

Sabudana Vada

- Heat the oil in the pan and slowly place the patties in the pan and let them fry on low to medium heat.
NOTE: Make sure to fry sabudana vada on low - medium heat as sabudana retains water, it splatters while frying.

- Once you see the edges turning brownish, turn the sabudana vada on to the other side slowly and let them fry until golden brownish, once done take them on to a plate covered with paper napkin just to get rid of excess oil.

Sabudana Vada

Soft & Crispy Sabudana Vada are ready to be served (self too ☺)
While serving Sabudana Vada, sprinkle some Peanut Chutney powder ( Check out ☞ The Peanut Chutney Powder ) on the top and serve with coriander chutney on the side !!