Masala Kaju(Maida)

Masala Kaju: as a name suggests they are not fried cashewnuts, but they are cashew shaped made from maida. Basically they are similar to namakparey, spice powder coating to this change the taste .

Ingredients

For Kaju
Maida(all purpose flour): 250 gms
Oil 2 tablespoon for kneading and extra for frying
Salt: ½ teaspoon or less( as it is also added in spice powder)
Ajwain: 1 teaspoon
Water: as required for kneading the dough.
For Spice Powder:
Black salt: ¼ teaspoon
Chat masala: ½ teaspoon
Pepper powder: ½ teaspoon
Dried mint leaves powder: 2 teaspoon
Roasted cumin powder: 1 tablespoon
Method:
Sieve maida, add salt, ajwain & 2 tablespoon of oil, mix well till it becomes crumbs like consistency, if it appears that mixture is very dry you can add some more oil, with the help of water knead stiff dough, cover it with wet muslin cloth, keep aside for 5 minutes.
Grease your palms with oil, knead the dough thoroughly for 2 minutes. Now divide the dough in 4-5 portions of equal size. Take one ball of dough, roll out thick roti as big as you can, with the help of sharp lid of any small container or bowl, cut the half moon shaped pieces of maida, as seen in pic.

Repeat the same process with the remaining dough and spread kaju pieces on thali or tray.

Heat oil in kadhai, check if oil is properly hot or not by frying one piece of kaju in it, as it floats upwards, this mean oil is ready, fry some kaju pieces on high flame as they start changing color to pinkish, set the flame to medium to low and let them fry( this way they are properly cooked from inside, on high flame they quickly change the color but remain uncooked from inside) this will take approx 7-8 minutes. When they are golden in color and crisp, remove them on a plate. As you remove one batch of fried kajus from kadhai, sprinkle spice powder and mix well, as they are hot powder will stick to them properly.
Repeat the same process with the remaining dough.
Let them cool completely and store them in an airtight container. An ideal snack for evening tea.
For a variation you can also add few fried cashewnuts( real one) to this in order to make them rich.

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RAS WALE GOBHI ALOO

Ras wale gobhi aloo & methi matar pulao is a perfect combination for winter dinner , as it includes – veggies, rice and protein content(peas). If you have small preparations ready , this can be prepared with ease. Ingredients required and detail instructions for the recipe are as follows:
Ingredients:
Cauliflower: 1 medium size( cut into medium size florets)
Potatoes: 2 medium size(cut into cubes)
Onion : 1 big ( sliced)
Ginger 1” piece
Garlic: 8-10 pods
Tomatoes: 3 big
Green chillies: 2-3
Salt to taste:
Turmeric powder: ½ teaspoon
Red chilli powder : ½ teaspoon
Coriander powder: 1 & ½ tablespoon
Garam masala powder: ¼ teaspoon
Everest kitchen king Masala : 1 teaspoon
Kasuri methi: 1 teaspoon
Oil: 2 tablespoon ( ½ for frying gobhi and aloo and remaining for curry)

Method: Peal and cut potatoes, extract florets from gobhi, crush ginger & garlic,
Wash gobhi and potatoes in vegetable strainer, water should be completely extracted , place a bowl below the strainer to collect water you can air dry them for 5 minutes while making other preparations. Heat ½ tablespoon of oil in kadhai( preferably nonstick) on a medium to high flame fry gobhi aloo, all in a single time, stirring continuously till they are pinkish in color. Remove from kadhai,
Heat remaining oil in a pressure cooked, fry onion slices as they are golden brown in color, add crushed ginger garlic and cook till raw smell of garlic disappears, add red chilli powder to it as it starts frying immediately add one tablespoon of water, mix well, add chopped tomatoes, green chillies, coriander powder, turmeric powder and kitchen king masala and salt to it mix well ,add some more water to it.cover the lid and cook till one whistle, switch off the flame, let it cool completely. Open the lid blend the entire mixture with the help of hand blender( alternatively shift the mixture to grinding jar and grind for few seconds).Add gobhi aloo to it, mix well and on a high flame roast for 5-6 minutes as oil starts coming out, lower the flame, cover the lid( don’t lock it, simple put over it) cook for another 3-4 minutes, now add water according the consistency of gravy you require. Lock the lid and cook only for 1 whistle, switch off the gas. As the vegetables are fried earlier they will easily cooked, over cooking will mesh up the entire dish. After opening the lid, you can boil the gravy for 2-3 minutes, heat tawa, roast kasoori methi over it, as aroma spreads, add this to gobhi aloo. Mix gently.Finally add garam masala to it. Serve hot with methi matar pulao.

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SAAI THOOM JA PHULKA: GREEN GARLIC PARATHA

Green garlic stuffed parathas are slightly bitter or you can say strong in taste, but as far as health benefits are concerned green garlic should be included in diet, as it is available only in winter season, I try to make maximum use of it in different types of recipes like pulao, gravy dishes and in some Chinese dishes and soups. Like my husband if you are not comfortable with the strong taste of garlic you can take ½ portion of garlic and ½ coriander leaves or green onion stems, they moderate the strong taste of garlic. The detailed recipe is as below:

Ingredients:
Wheat flour: 2 cups
Garlic stems: ½ cup
Coriander leaves: ½ cup
Ginger : ½ “ piece, grated
Amchur powder: ½ teaspoon
Black pepper powder : ½ teaspoon
Salt: to taste
Chaat masala : ½ teaspoon
Oil : 2 tablespoon
water: As required for kneading the dough
Method:
Chop garlic and coriander wash them thoroughly, squeeze out excess water. Place grated ginger, garlic and coriander in grinder jar, don’t add water to it, grind it for few seconds, open the lid mix it and again grind it for approx 10 seconds. Mixture should be dry you don’t have to make a puree of it
Remove it from grinder jar to a strainer, with the help of spoon squeeze all water from it and collect it in a bowl.

With this water knead the dough, you can add more water to if required. Make a soft dough.
Take a ball of dough, roll out a small chapati, apply oil to it, sprinkle salt, amchur powder, chaat masala to it, add one 1 to ½ teaspoon of garlic coriander mixture in the center of it, Pull the edges of paratha to wrap the filling. Quickly roll out paratha with light hands.
Cook paratha on hot griddle from both sides by appling some oil to it, till it is completely cooked and golden brown in color. If you wish you can apply butter to it, serve hot with tea or any other accompaniment of your choice.
Tips:
squeeze water from garlic and coriander mixture as much as you can, if the mixture is moist it will be difficult for you to roll out parathas.
Salt quickly causes mixture to wet, hence it is essential to quickly roll out paratha.
Alternately instead of sprinkling salt to paratha you can add salt to the dough while kneading.

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Baddhi Moong Dal, Puri : Sindhi Breakfast

Baddhi Moong Dal , Puri is a sindhi breakfast, you are familier with aloo puri, chholey puri but this combination is very popular among sindhis .

 Simple and delicious, easy to cook and no extra  preparations are needed, if you have soaked yellow moong dal earlier, it will hardly take 15 minutes for you to ready with your breakfast. Ingredients required for the recipe are as follows:
For Puri: 2 cups of wheat flour.
cumin seeds : 1/2 teaspoon
red chilli powder: 1/2 teaspoon
salt : to taste
garam masala powder: 1/2 teaspoon
kasoori methi: 1 teaspoon
water: for kneading the dough.
Oil : for frying.
 For daal
moong dal : 1 cup
turmeric powder: 1/4 teaspoon
salt to taste
ginger grated : 1 " piece
green chillies: 4 Nos.
Seasoning(tampering):
Let me inform you one thing that in normal daal we heat oil , mix jeera rai etc, after cooking it for seconds, mix it in dal but in this recipe, raw spices are sprinkled over the daal and than hot oil is poured over it, this gives  a unique taste to the recipe.
Oil :  1-2 teaspoon for each katori daal
 red chilli powder, amchur powder, coriander powder, roasted cumin powder - all these ingredients are required as tadka has to given on each katori , hence you can sprinkle these ingredients according to your taste.
Method:

• Mix  all the ingredients of puri except oil  & water, knead stiff dough with the help of water, keep aside.
•  wash soaked moong dal,  ( if you are not in a hurry and ready to spend some time for cooking I suggest you to boil  dal in a heavy bottomed vessel (in sindhis we call it Sipri) you will feel & understand the difference of taste , try it for once). If you are using pressure cooker take dal, add salt, ginger, green chillies, turmeric powder and two cups of water boil till one whistle. In a pan you have to check in between  till dal is cooked and water is absorbed. Consistency of dal should be thick but you can adjust according to your taste.
• heat oil in a kadhai , roll out puris and fry them .
• pour dal in a bowl or katori, sprinkle red chilli powder, amchur powder, coriander powder & roasted cumin powder to it, pour 1-2 teaspoons of hot oil over it. 
• serve hot with papad and pickle of your choice.

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KHURAK: SINDHI RECIPE

Khurak is a sindhi sweet recipe, basically it is a dry fruits and wheat flour fudge, prepared in winter season.
From the childhood days, we are enjoying this recipe, For a long time I wanted to post this on my blog, and here is the time to share this with all of you.

Ingredients required for this recipe are:
wheat flour: 1/2 kg
mix dryfruits: 1/2 kg (dry coconut grated, almonds, cashewnuts, raisins, muskmelon seeds : (25gms)poppy seeds: (25 gms)
sugar: 600gms
refined oil or ghee: 350gm ( it is needed more than this but i use less, you can also take 50:50 ratio of ghee and oil)
edible gum: 1/4 cup
water:  200ml
green cardamom : 15 - 20 (powdered)
Preparations:
fry gum or microwave them on turntable on high for 40-50 seconds they will pop up depending upon the power levels of your microwave. Grind them to fine powder , and pass it through strainer. preserve  powder of it
Mix sugar and water boil it till one string consistency.
Grind all the dry fruits (except poppy seeds , grated coconut and muskmelon seeds they are to be added later, ) you can either powder them or coarsely grind them if you like the chunks. I preferred coarse grinding.
Grease 2 or 3 three thalis with oil for setting the khurak

Method:
Heat oil in a heavy bottomed pan , be sure to take the big one,(i would suggest you if you are trying for first time just take half measures of all ingredients and then try, they will be plenty) as it has to contain all the ingredients.
Add cardamom powder and wheat flour to it,( if you find that it is difficult to stir the mixture you can add some ghee at this time, if you are easy than its ok.,)  on a medium heat roast wheat flour continuously stirring till it is golden in color this will take approx 20-25 minutes or more( you have to be patient while roasting , ). Add poppy  muskmelon seeds and  grated coconut and roast again for just 3-4 minutes, add dry fruits powder, gum powder mix well and stir once, simmer the flame, carefully add sugar syrup to it, at this stage temperature of mixture is very high so it can splutter, mix well till it starts to leave the sides of pan.
Quickly pour it on greased thalis, flatten it with the help of spatula, after 5 minutes with the help of knife make marks on it. Let is cool completely as it sets. Finally cut the pieces and store in a container.

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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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