Tri Colour Panacotta

Tri Colour Pannacotta

On 15th August India is going to celebrate its 72nd Independence Day. It is a day of pride and pleasure for every Indian. Every one celebrate it as per their choice. when I was a kid I used to go to school early in the morning, then there would be flag hoisting  and then parade and distribution of sweets. Now I miss those days. Being a home chef I thought of celebrating this auspicious day by preparing a beautiful tri colour sweet dish, PannaCotta.

PannaCotta is an Italian cold dessert. It is a sweetened cream thickened with gelatin or agar agar ( for vegetarian version) and molded. It is a melt in mouth dish. I have given Indian flvours to this pannacotta as it is independence day. Here is the recipe..

Milk- 500ml

Condensed Milk- 200ml

Milk Powder- 7tbsp

Water- 1/2cup

Sugar- a tbsp (option-al)

Orange Colour- 1/4tsp

Green Colour- 1/4tsp

Saffron- 1/2tsp + few for garnishing

Cardamom powder- 1/2tsp

Pista Extract- 1/4tsp

Pista- 5 to 6 for garnishing

Agar Agar- 8gms

Soak agar agar in normal water.

Heat milk in a sauce pan, then add condensed milk to it and mix properly. 

In a cup add milk powder and water and mix without lumps.

Now add this milk powder mixture to the milk and cook. after 5 mins add sugar and allow to melt in.

Add soaked agar agar to it and stir continuously so that agar agar will melt in.

Now divide this liquid in 3 separate bowls.

In the 1st bowl add kesar and orange colour. In the 2nd bowl add cardamom powder and mix. In the 3rd bowl add pista flavour and  green colour.

In a glass pour green colour pannacotta first. Then keep it fridge up to bit firm. Then pour white pannacotta and keep in fridge. Finally pour the orange pannacotta and keep in the fridge to set. It will take 6 hours to set

Garnish this pannacotta with pista and kesar. 

serve cold.

Chicken Razela

Bengali Style Chicken Rezala

Rezala is a traditional bengali dish mostly influenced by Royal Mughal cuisine. It is believed to be invented by the Lucknow nabab's chef. This dish generally not available out side West Bengal. It is often described as a white gravy dish. It  got its colour from the ingredients used as yogurt, cream, poppy seeds and cashew nuts. It always thought to be a hot dish as the more chili is used. 

My search of good chicken dish landed me on this recipe. When I made this I was very doubtful about the taste. But the out come of this dish blown me away. I am in love with this recipe so do my friends. So here is the recipe of this amazing dish..   

Chicken- 300gms

Onion- 2medium

Garlic- 6

Ginger- 1/2inch piece

Green Chili- 1

Cashew Nuts- 10numbers

Poppy Seeds- 1tbsp

Curd- 1/4cup

Ghee- 1tbsp

Oil- 1/2tbsp

Kashmiri Mirch- 4 to 5

Cumin- 1/2tsp

Clove- 3

Green Cardamom- 2

Bay Leaf- 1

Cinnamon Stick- 1/2inch

Coriander Powder- 1/2tsp

Black pepper Powder- 1/2tsp

Salt To Taste

Sugar- 1/4tsp

2 medium sized onion, 6 garlic, 1/2inch ginger and 1 green chili make a smooth paste.

Soak 10numberz of cashew and 1tbsp of poppy seeds and make a smooth paste.

In a bowl add chicken 300gms, curd 1/4cup, onion paste and salt. Mix everything properly and keep aside for 40mins.

Heat ghee 1tbsp and oil 1/2tsp oil , add 4 to 5 Kashmiri red chili and fry up to crispy. Remove from oil and keep aside. In the same oil  add zeera 1/2tsp, clove 3, green cardamom 2, bay leaf 1 and cinnamon 1/2inch and let it infuse in oil. Then add marinated chicken with marination.

Let this cook for 10 mins. By this time it will almost dry. Then add above cashew and poppy seeds paste, coriander powder and black pepper powder and mix.

Let the cook for another 10mins in low flame.

After 10 mins, gravy will be thick and chicken will soft and cooked properly. At this stage taste and add more salt or proper if needed. Switch off the gas

Finally garnish this with above fried red chili.

Best to eaten with rumali roti, nan, kulcha, pulao or biryani

Paneer Peshawari

Paneer Peshawari

Paneer or cottage cheese is every vegetarian's first love. This is also very versatile. You can make any gravy with this. Paneer Peshawari is a creamy, flavorful and tasty dish.

Every home maker's first and foremost tension is what to cook for dinner. Even i used to face the same situation. One night while thinking what to cook for dinner I got this beautiful recipe. This is a  combination of paneer and creamy gravy. After having this it becomes our family favourite dish.

Here is the recipe

Paneer- 200gms
Onion- 1big
Tomatoes-2medium
Ginger and Garlic paste- 2tsp
Cashew- 10
Cream- 4tbsp
Kasuri methi- 2tsp
Oil- 1/2tbsp
Butter- 1tbsp
Cumin- 1tsp
Bay leaf- 1
Green Cardamom- 3
Turmeric- 1/2tsp
Red Chili Powder- 1/2tsp
Garam Masala Powder- 1tsp
Cumin Powder- 1tsp
Coriander Powder- 1tsp
Salt- 1/2tsp
Sugar- 1/4tsp

Cut the paneer in cubes. I use local hutsun paneer which very tasty and soft. You can use home made also. Keep aside.

Soak cashew in water for 15 mins. Then in a blender jar add tomatoes and soaked cashew nuts and make a smooth paste.

Peel and chop onion.

Heat oil and butter in pan and bay leaf and cumin. Let it crackle. Open the green cardamom pod and add to oil and let it infuse.

Now add chopped onion and saute up to golden brown. Then add ginger and garlic paste and saute up to raw smell goes.

Its time to add tomato and cashew nut paste to it and saute for 10 mins. Add all the dry spices except garam masala. Cook everything properly up to oil separates.

Add cream to it and little water and cook properly. Now add paneer cubes and cook in that creamy gravy for 5 mins covering all the way.

inally add crushes kasuri methi and garam masala keepin a little a side. Mix everything well and give a nice boil.

Sprinkle kasuri methi and garam masala on the top for garnishing.

This is perfect to serve with roti, naan or kulcha.

Malpua

MALPUA

Malpua is a deep fried sweet dish from indian subcontinent. It is very famous in Nepal, Bangladesh and India. It is very popular dish of Odisha and also served as a prasad at Lord Jagannath temple with other delicacies. It is a part of chhapan bhog. It is a festive dish but during Raja Festival it is prepared in almost every household of odisha. Raja Festival is basically a celebration of women hood. 

In this article I have given two versions of malpua. One is prepared in odia household and other one is served in hotels. Though the basic ingredients are almost same, some special ingredients make odia version bit special.

Odia Malpua 

Maida- 1cup

Ripe Banana- 1

suji (rava/ semolina)- 1tbsp

sugar- 3tbsp

salt- 1/4tsp

saunf (fennel seeds)- 1tsp

milk- 1cup

Baking Powder- 1/4tsp

oil for deep frying

ghee- 1tbsp

                                          Sugar Syrup                                          

sugar- 2/3cup

water- 1cup

Peel the banana and mash it properly.

In a mixing bowl add maida, sugar, suji, baking powder, salt, fennel seeds, mashed banana and mix.  Now add milk in batches and prepare the batter. for 1 cup maida 1 cup milk is enough. Rest it for 15mins.

In the meantime in a sauce pan add sugar and water and prepare sugar syrup.

Heat oil in a pan and add 1tbsp of ghee for flvour. You can also fry it in ghee.

Then mix the batter again. With the help of a small spoon pour the batter in the hot oil and deep fry up to golden brown both sides. Remove from pan and dip in sugar syrup for 5secs. Then keep on the plate and serve.You don't need rabdi to serve with this.

MALPUA WITH RABDI

Maida- 1cup

Suji- 3tbsp

Milk powder- 3tbsp

Salt- 1/4tsp

Sugar- 3tbsp

Cardamom powder- 1/2tsp

Saunf- 1/2tsp

Oil for deep frying

Ghee- 1tbsp

Baking powder- 1/4tsp

Milk- 1cup

SUGAR SYRUP

Sugar- 2/3cup

Water- 1cup

Cardamom powder- 1/4tsp

RABDI

Milk- 3cup

Sugar- 4tbsp

Dry fruits- 1/4cup

Cardamom- 1/4tsp

FOR SERVING

Rabdi- 1cup

Dryfruits- 1/4cup

In a pan add milk and keep on the gas.Rreduce the milk up to half. then add sugar to it and cook. Then add dry fruits and cardamom powder and switch off the gas. Keep aside the rabdi until futher use.

IC a sauce pan add sugar and water and cook up to sugar melt in. cook the syrup for 3 to 4 mins. Then add cardamom powder and switch off the gas. keep the sugar syrup warm.

Heat oil in a pan and add 1tbsp of ghee for flvour.

In a mixing bowl add maida, suji, milk powder,salt, sugar, baking powder, cardamom powder and saunf and mix. Then add milk in batches to it amd mix. Mix it properly without any lumps. Rest the batter for 15mins.

Mix again properly. then with a small spoon pour the batter in hot oil.  Try to make it less thick so that sugar syrup will soak properly. Cook the malpua up to golden brown. Then remove from oil and dip in sugar syrup for 5 secs.  Then keep on a plate.

serving

Pace a malpua on a seving palte then pour rabdi on it. Then sprinkle chopped nuts on it. 

Chhole Murg

Chhole Murg

It is the time to celebrate 2nd birthday of my blog. When it's a birthday a special dish is must. So this time I choose a recipe which is from my neighbouring country Pakistan. The name of the dish is CHHOLE MURG. It is an unique combination of two protein packed ingredients.

India, Pakistan partition brought partition in food also. Some dishes stayed in punjab of Indian side and some went to punjab of Pakistani side. Chhole Murg is a dish of punjab of Pakistani side. It is a famous street food for Lahor people.

A beautiful combination of chhole and Murg/ chicken give an awesome taste. Soft chicken and chhole in silky gravy. This is a great combo for roti, naan or plain rice. Here is the recipe of the protein loaded dish....

Chicken- 1/2kg

Chhole- 250gms

Whole masoor dal- 3tbsp

Onion- 3big

Ginger garlic paste- 2tbsp

Tomatoes- 3medium

Curd- 1/2cup

Haldi- 1/2tsp

Red chili powder- 2tbsp

Coriander powder- 1tbsp

Cumin Powder- 1tbsp

Cumin- 1tsp

Garam masala- 1tbsp

Green chili- 3 to 4

Chopped Coriander Leaves- 1/2cup

Ghee- 4 to 5tbsp

Salt to taste

Soak chhole for 3 to 4 hours. Then boil it for 2 whistles. I kept it bit hard as it will cook along with the chicken.

Wash and clean chicken properly and then Pat dry the pieces. In a mixing bowl add chicken and also add 2tbsp of curd. Mix it nicely and keep aside for  15 to 20mins.

Wash whole masoor dal and cook it up to soft.

Clean and chop onions. Also clean and chop tomatoes. Make slit to the green chilis. Keep everything aside for further use.

In a big Kadai heat ghee, then add Cumin(zeera) to it and let it crackle. Now add chopped onion to it. Saute the onions up to golden brown.

Add ginger garlic paste and saute up to raw smell goes. Now add marinated chicken to it and saute up to chicken becomes brown. 

When chicken is brown add other masala, haldi, red chilli powder ( for less spicy one can add Kashmiri red chilli powder), salt, Cumin Powder and coriander powder and saute for a min. Also add tomatoes and saute for 5 to 6 mins.

At this stage at remaining curd and saute up to dry totally.

When curd water is dried up properly add boiled chhole and masoor dal and saute again. Saute this mixture up to oil separates.

Now add chhole stock if you have, if not then add 1/2lit of water to it. Keep the Kadai in high flame and let it boil. Then lower the flame, cover and cook up to soft. Stire the curry in between. It will take around 15 to 20 mins to cook

After 20 mins chicken and chhole will be Soft and masala are Infused in gravy. If you want less gravy then keep it in high flame and reduce the gravy. Now it's time to add garam masala, green chilis and chopped Coriander Leaves. And also switch off the gas. Let this stand like this for 5 mins. 

Then serve hot with roti, paratha or plain rice. 

Thandai mousse

Thandai Mousse

In my previous article I have given the recipe of Thandai Masala and Thandai. But in this article our traditional thandai will get a fusion look. That is Thandai Mousse.

Mousse is a French dish which is soft prepared food. Sometimes it is light and sometimes it is creamy and thick. There are sweet and Savory varieties of mousse.  It is generally served chilled. Here I am giving an eggless version of mousse.

The spices of thandai nad creaminess of cream gives a beautiful textured mousse. This is a delightful dessert. This can be a star in any holi party. It can be prepared beforehand and served chilled.

Milk- 1cup

Thandai Masala- 3tbsp

Sugar- 2tbsp

Agar-Agar- 3tbsp

Water- 1/2cup

Amul Cream- 1pkt

Icing Sugar- 2tbsp

Chopped Cashew- 1tbsp

Saffron- few attends.

Keep a bowl and whisk rod in fridge to whip cream.

In a small bowl add agar- agar and water. Soak it for 15 mins. Then keep it on gas and let the agar agar melt.

In a sauce pan add milk and sugar and mix. Keep it on gas let the sugar melt in. Then switch off the gas and let it cool down a bit. Then add 3tbsp of thandai masala and mix properly.

Now add the melted agar agar to it. Keep aside.

Whip the Amul cream up to soft peaks by adding 2tbsp of icing sugar.

Then mix the whipped cream to the prepared thandai and mix it. It should be mixed in light hands. And also it should be mixed in two batches.

Pour the prepared mousse in individual bowls and keep in fridge for 3 to 4 hours or up to set.

When it's ready garnish with chopped cashew nuts and saffron and serve chilled.

Thandai Masala Powder And Thandai

Thandai Masala 

Thandai, whose other name is sardai, is an Indian milk based cold drink. Apart from milk and sugar, this dish contains almond, cashew, pistachio, fennel, black pepper, poppy seeds and some other things too. It is prepared during maha sivaratri or boli festival. There are variations of this dish too.

The main Ingredient of this cold drink is it's masala. It is available in market in northern part of India. But being in south India getting this masala is bit difficult. And also preparing masala at home is always good. Every year before boli I used to prepare thandai Masala and store for some days. It can be prepared and stored any time of a year.

It is a very healthy drink. It has beautiful health benefits. It enhances energy in body. It is good for digestion and also has cooling effect on body. Thandai also boosts immunity power during season change

Here is the recipe of Thandai Masala

Almond- 1/4cup

Cashew- 1/4cup

Pistachio- 1/4cup

Melon Seeds- 1/2cup

Saunf (fennel)- 1 1/2tsp

Poppy Seeds- 1 1/2tsp

Black pepper- 2tbsp

Rose Petals- 10 to 15

Saffron- 1/2tsp

Clean all the nuts. In a pan add nuts and dry roast them. Keep aside and lei it cool down.

In the same pan add saunf and dry roast and keep aside with nuts.

Again dry roast poppy seeds and black pepper separately. Keep aside. Let everything cool down completely.

Put everything in the blender jar. Also add rose petals and saffron to it. Make a smooth powder.  

Keep this in an air tight container to retain it's flavour.

Thandai

Cold Milk- 3/4cup

Sugar/ Honey- 3tbsp 

As per the taste

Thandai Masala- 2tbsp

Ice cubes- 5 to 6

In a blender jar add milk, sugar, ice cubes and thandai  Masala and blend it properly. It will be forthy and creamy.

Pour this in glass and garnish this with rose petals, crushed ice cubes and chopped almond. But I kept it simple with saffron only.