Tomato & Beetroot soup

Tomato &  Beetroot Soup is one of the easiest soup recipe I use to prepare. It is easy because it doesn't need any preparations and with the help of available ingredients you can make it in very short time.

Ingredients require for this recipe are as follows
Tomatoes: 8-10 medium size.
beetroot : 1 big
garlic: 8-10 cloves
ginger 1"piece
green coriander roots with some stems: 1/2 cup (usually we through it but  they are very rich in Vitamins, folic acid and other nutrients, wash them properly and use them , this also gives a nice aroma to soup)
salt: to taste
pepper powder: for garnishing
coriander leaves : for garnishing
bread slices: 2 (substitution of corn flour)
Method:

• crush ginger and garlic
• break bread into pieces
• wash coriander roots
• roughly chop tomatoes and beet root.
• place them all in pressure cooker with 1 glass of water
• cook on a high flame till 3 whistles
• let is cool completely
• open the lid and remove all the coriander roots
• with the help of hand blender, blend  till smooth puree
• pass it through soup strainer
• again boil it for 3-4 minutes, add salt
• garnish it with pepper powder and coriander leaves
• you can have a teaspoon of butter over it

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Gur Ka Paratha

Gur or jaggery is warm in nature and is healthy to have it in winter season. Gur can be used in various ways in our meal but for daily intake of it , paratha is one of the easiest option for me. Grated jaggery is stuffed in paratha, you can use a pinch of ajwain, saunf powder or grated almonds with jaggery, use only one ingredient at a time.Detailed procedure of the recipe is as follows:

Refined oil:  1 tablespoon
Kneaded dough for 4 paraths(normal chapati dough)
grated jaggery 2 tablespoon(1/2 is needed for each paratha)
1/2 teaspoon ajwain( or saunf powder or almonds)
Method:

Roll out normal chapati, spread grated jaggery on 1/2 of the paratha, sprinke a pinch of ajwain on it, fold it in half circle. Press gently with your fingers to seal the edges. With the help of fork make a design on it, securing  the edges  will prevent jagery syrup to come out. Heat tawa on high flame, simmer the flame and cook from both sides till golden brown.

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KACHOURI

Kachouri is my favourite recipe for every festival,  occasionally I make it on holidays. This is best served with aalo wadi ki subji or simply with Meethi Chutney as an evening snack.

The ingredients required and procedure for kachouri is as follows:
Ingredients:
For coating:
Refined flour (Maida) ½ kg.
Oil : 3 tbspns for kneading(extra for frying and roasting daal masala)
Salt : to taste.
Ajwain: 1/2 teaspoon.
For stuffing:
Moongdal (green split): ½ cup
Urad Dal (green split): ½ cup (mix both dals and soak overnight)
Ingredients for Masala:
Fennel seeds: 1 tablespoon
Jeera(cumin seeds) : 1 tablespoon
Whole red chillies: 8-10
Peppercorns: 8-10
Cloves 4-6.
Salt to taste
Hing ½ teaspoon
Amchur powder : 2 teaspoons
green chillies : 4-5,
Green coriander : finely chopped 2 tablespoon
Method:
Take maida, salt ajwain and 3 tablespoons of oil in a bowl rub well till crumb like consistency , knead stiff dough with cold or chilled water. Cover the dough with damp cloth and let is rest for ½ an hour.
Drain water from soaked daals, grind them without using water, the consistency should be thick,(coarse) some pieces of dals may remain ungrinded.(vegetable chopper is best for grinding)
Dry roast all the ingredients for Masala on gridle (from fennel seeds to cloves) till nice aroma. Let them cool and grind to coarse powder.
In a heavy bottomed pan ( non stick will be easy or regular kadhai is ok.) heat one tablespoon oil add hing to it, as it cooked add grounded masala powder, salt and daals mix well , low the flame cover the pan , stir occasionally in between (removing the mixture from the base of the pan) till mixture is light brown in color this will take 10-12 minutes. When mixture is ready add amchur powder green chilles and coriander mix well and let is cool.
Method for rolling kachouris:
Divide dough in equal portions, roll out thick puris, place 2 teaspoon of stuffing in each puri Pull the edges of puris to wrap the dal filling.(like daal filled balls) Repeat the same process with the remaining dough portions.
Let the puris sit for 3 to 4 minutes before rolling.
Take filled puri on your rolling pin for flat surface with the joining side up, with the help of your palm, gently flatten them in circle.
Heat sufficient oil in frying pan on medium heat, drop 3 to 4 kachouris at a time, on medium to low heat fry them till they are golden brown in color from both sides.
Notes: : As daals are soaked overnight they are cooked easily, grinding without water helps in roasting the mixture as it stick less to the pan(using non stick pan there is no problem in roasting)
Dough is kneaded with chilled/cold water cause kachouris to puff up.
Shaping kachouris with the help of your palms prevents mixture to come out from kachouris and can spoil the oil.
In the same manner your can prepare aaloo ki kachouri , stuffed with boiled potatoes mixture, In Northern India it is very popular breakfast dish.

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Tikrey

Tikrey or lolas (sweet flour triangle cakes)is a sindhi recipe, prepared on occasion of Satain a day before Janmashtami.  The detailed recipe for tikrey is as below:

Refined flour (maida) : 500 gm
Sugar: 150 gms(may increase as per your taste)
Refined oil :1 cup(150ml approx) for moyan
Refined oil for frying
Fennel seeds : 1 tablespoon
Water : 100 gms for soaking sugar +extra for kneading the dough
Method:
Soak sugar in water mix well till sugar dissolves completely.(you can soak it 2-3 hours before kneading the dough) In a bowl mix 1 cup  of refined oil  and maida, fennel seeds  rub properly, adding sugar syrup  knead soft dough, add additional water if required.
Roll out thick chappati with the help of knife cut it in four equal parts, this will make four triangles. That’s why it is called tikrey. Heat oil in a heavy bottomed pan, on medium to low flame deep fry till golden and crisp. Let them cool completely store in an airtight container.

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FAREY (KARVA CHAUTH RECIPE)

Farey is traditional north Indian recipe, prepared on occasion of Karva Chauth. This a prepared in various ways with variation in ingredients and method. Usually farey are steamed , but similar to rajasthani gattey they can be boiled also. Detailed procedure and ingredients required for this recipe are:

Chana dal: 1/2cup(soaked for 3 hours)
Urad dal : ½ cup(soaked for 3 hours)
Green chillies: 2 nos.
Ginger: ½ inch piece
Rice flour: 3/4th cup
Salt : to taste
Cumin seeds: 1 teaspoon
Redchillipowder: 1 teaspoon
Hing : ½ teaspoon
Curry leaves: 10-12
Amchur powder : ½ teaspoon
Oil : 2 tablespoons

Method:
drain water from soaked dals, and coarsely grind them with green chillies and ginger(I use my chopper for grinding as texture of mixture comes out coarse.) From salt to oil take half quantity of ingredients in making mixture of farey and remaining half quantity will be required for shallow frying. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a pan, add cumin seeds as they splutter add hing powder redchilli powder curry leaves , amchur powder and salt, add grinded dals to it. Roast on medium heat, stirring continuously till mixture is light brown in color and moisture is reduced.Remove the pan from heat, let it cool completely.
Knead soft dough of rice flour with adding water and salt to it.
take a portion of dal mixture shape it like muthia(refer picture no. 1)

take rice flour in wet palm, flatten it, place dal muthia in it and cover it with rice flour(picture no.2) .
repeat this process with the whole dal mixture and rice flour.

Boil enough water in a saucepan, place steal strainer over the pan, place all the the farey over it cover the strainer with thali or plate. Steam on medium heat for 10-12 minutes.
When they cool slice them,

For shallow frying again heat 1 tablespoon oil , add all the remaining half ingredients, and cooked sliced farey , shallow fry them till golden color from both sides. Serve hot with chutney of your choice.

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