Dal Ka meetha

Dal ka meetha is a traditional sweet which we make during weddings, eid and family gatherings.

The best dal ka meetha is made by my mom. :)

This is her recipe which i followed.

Ingredients:

• Chana dal - 1 cup
• Almonds - 2 cups
• Khova - 250gms
• Milk - half litre
• Sugar - 2 cups
• Kesar food colour - a pinch
• Vanilla essence - 2 - 3 drops
• Cardamom - 2
• Cinnamon stick - half inch
• Ghee - 2 tbsps
• Almonds - blanched & sliced (for garnish)
• Raisins

Method :

1. Soak almonds in enough water for 6 hours minimum. Peel and grind the almonds to a fine paste, use few tbsps of milk while grinding it. Do not add water.
2. In a cooking pot add the dal and one big glass of water and soak it for 2 hours.
3. Now keep the pot on the stove and cook it until the dal is soft and make sure the water dries up while cooking the dal. If needed you can add more water for the dal to cook but don't add too much water as it has to dry up during the cooking process of dal.
4. Grind the cooked dal, now add khova and milk and grind it again. The consistency should be slightly thick and not watery.
5. Take a thick bottom vessel, add the dal mixture, almond paste, sugar and food colour, give it a good mix , cover the vessel and cook it on medium to low flame for 20 minutes, keep stirring every 5 minutes, add vanilla essence in the last and keep it on simmer for 5 minutes.
6. Once it is cooked turn off the stove and keep aside.
7. Take a separate pan, add ghee and fry cardamom, cinnamon, raisins and almonds (blanched & sliced) on low flame and add it to the dal ka meetha and its ready to serve.
8. Tastes good hot and cold :)

Note: Adjust the consistency of the dal mixture with milk while grinding and cooking. Add more milk if the mixture is getting too thick while cooking. Also adjust the quantity of sugar as per taste.

Chicken Shashlik

My first attempt on pan fried Chicken Shashlik, must say this dish is worth cooking often :)

Ingredients:

  
For chicken marination:

• Boneless chicken cubes - 500gms
• Ginger garlic paste - 1 tbsp
• Soya sauce - 2 tsp
• Vinegar - 2 tsp
• Red chili powder  - 1 tsp
• Tandoori chicken masala - 2 tsp
• Black pepper powder - half tsp
• Cumin powder - 1 tsp
• Garam masala - half tsp
• Chat masala - half tsp
• Oil - 1 tbsp
• Salt as per taste

Marinate this chicken and refrigerate it for 6 hrs or overnight marination would be the best.

 

For veggies marination: 

• Onions cut in to cubes
• Capsicum cut in to cubes
• Tomatoes cut in to cubes
• Soya sauce - 1 tsp
• Red chili powder  - half tsp
• Tandoori chicken masala - 1 tsp
• Black pepper powder - half tsp
• Cumin powder - half tsp
• Garam masala - a generous pinch
• Chat masala -  a generous pinch
• Salt - half tsp
• Oil - 1 tsp

Marinate veggies and refrigerate it for an hour before cooking.

 

Method:

1. Take wooden skewers and soak it in water for 30 minutes.
2. Thread cubes of marinated capsicum,onion, tomato and chicken in the skewer, repeat the process depending upon on the length of the skewer. 
3. In a non stick pan add 4 - 5 tbsps of oil and shallow fry it, keep it covered and cook it on medium to low flame, keep turning it every 5 minutes until it is cooked.

Paneer Fry

My kids favorite paneer fry !!

A quick and tasty paneer recipe when you are in a hurry, also it needs only a few basic ingredients from your pantry :)

Ingredients:

• Paneer - 300 gms
• Olive oil - 2 tbsp
• Chat masala - 1 tsp
• Ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp
• Turmeric powder - half a tsp 
• Cumin powder - half a tsp
• Garam masala powder - half a tsp
• Black pepper powder - half a tsp
• Salt as per taste 
• Oil for frying

Method:

1. In a bowl add olive oil and rest of the ingredients (except paneer) and mix well.
2. Now add paneer cubes to the above mixture and mix well.
3. Refrigerate this for one or two hours .
4. In a frying pan, add 3 - 4 tbsps of oil and shallow fry the paneer until golden in colour and its ready.

Sweets and more sweets :)

Veg Pasta

 This is what i call..Taste bhi Health bhi !!! :)

 

 

Ingredients:

• Pasta
• Carrot
• Capsicum
• Onions
• Broccoli
• Garlic - Finely cjopped 
• Soya sauce
• Mixed herbs 
• Olive oil
• Salt

Method:

1. Cook the pasta according to the packet instructions.
2. In a wide pan, heat olive oil , add garlic and all the vegetables and saute this for 10 minutes, now add soya sauce, mixed herbs, salt and cook this for another 5 minutes.
3. Add the pasta and give it a good mix. Cover the pan and cook this for another 2 - 3 minutes.

Veg pasta is ready !!

Egg masala from chicken gravy

As the name says it all, i made this with leftover pepper chicken gravy which had no chicken pieces, so boiled few eggs , chopped them and mixed it in the gravy and garnished it with chopped coriander and voila awesome egg pepper masala is ready :)

Qubani ka Meetha

I use to always have qubani ka meetha in Hyderabadi restaurants , never thought i would end up making it one day, this is new addition to my dessert menu, as it involves less effort to make and yet it is delicious. 

 

 

 

 

Ingredients:

• Dried Apricots - 250 grams
• Sugar - 150 grams
• Chopped almonds
• Water - 3 cups
• Custard

Method:

1. Rinse the apricots and soak them in water overnight.
2. Make custard according to the packet instructions, let the custard be slightly thick in consistency.
3. Remove the apricots from the water and deseed them, do not throw the water.
4. Break the kernels which were deseeded, u will find almonds like nuts inside, keep it aside.
5. In a non stick pan, add the apricots and the water which it was soaked in and cook this on medium flame, once the water starts boiling add sugar and mix well.
6. Cover the pan and allow it cook for 25 to 30 minutes, in between u can take a masher and mash the apricots while its cooking.
7. U can add little more water if needed.
8. Once the mixture starts thickening add the almond like seeds removed from the kernels.
9. Take it out in a serving bowl and top it with few tablespoons of cold custard and chopped almonds and its ready to relish.

Note: 

• You can also top it up with some fresh cream or ice cream.
• My guest preferred the dessert without nuts so i haven't used almonds, as seen in the above pic.

Pepper Chicken Gravy

 Enjoy the super HoT chicken gravy.. !!

 

 

Ingredients:

• Chicken - 1 Kg
• Onions finely chopped - 4 medium sized
• Tomatoes finely chopped - 2 medium sized
• Ginger garlic paste - 1 tbsp
• Green chillies finely chopped - 2 - 3
• Black pepper powder - 1 - 2 tbsp
• Garam masala powder - 1 tsp
• Dhanya powder - 1 tsp 
• Cumin powder - half tsp
• Coriander finely chopped - half a cup
• Lemon juice - 1 tbsp 
• Water - 1 cup
• Salt as per taste
• Oil- 5- 6 tbsp

Method:

1. Heat oil in a cooking pot, add onions and cook them until slightly golden in color.
2. Add ginger garlic paste and green chilies fry this for a minute , add tomatoes and add all the powders, mix well , cover it up and cook this on low flame for 5 minutes.
3. Now add chicken to it and mix well. Cover it and cook this on medium to low flame for ten minutes.
4. Add water and finely chopped coriander and cook this until the chicken is cooked completely. 

Serve this with hot rotis, naans, phulkas...etc 
It also goes well with rice items like pulav, veg biryani.. :)