Kheer Sagar (An Odia Sweet Dish)

Kheer Sagar

Kheer Sagar means Ocean of milk in Odia language. In this sweet dish soft marble size cottage cheese ( chhena balls) soaked in sweet and thick milk (rabdi). Saffron and cardamom is the main flavoring agent of this sweet dish. It is either served chilled or lightly warm. It can be said as sister of Rasmalai. But here the milk is thick as rabdi but in rasmalai it has  thin milk. This sweet is mentioned in our mythology.

Every year I used to prepare sweets which my brother loves. But this sweet dish I am dedicating to my dear bhabi and my best friend. They both love this sweet a lot. 

Here is the recipe 

Milk- 1.5 lits 

Milk- 500 ml

Sugar- 4 tbsp + 2/3rd cup

Green Cardamom- 4

Suji- 1tbsp

Pistachios- 5 nos for garnishing

Vinegar- 1.5 tbsp

Heat 1.5 lit of milk in a thick buttom pan. Cook this milk up to thick. But one has to be very careful while doing this. It can't be left unattended. Reduce this up to 3 cups. Then add 4 tbsp of sugar to it and seeds of 2 green cardamoms.

In another pan add 1/2 lit of milk and allow to boil. Then reduce flame and add vinegar and stir. Immediately switch off the gas.

Strain this on the muslin cloth. Add 1 lit ice water to it. It will stop cooking of chhena and also remove the flovor of vinegar.

Squeeze this chhena or paneer with hand to remove extra water.

In a grinder jar add paneer and suji and grind it up to very soft.

Remove this mixture to a plate and mash a little. Then shape them like small balls. I got Around 19 balls.

In another sauce pan add sugar, water sand 2 green cardamom. When sugar melt and water start to boil add paneer balls to it and allow it to cook..

Ist cook in high flame for 5 mins then reduce flame and cook for 10 mins more. Let it cool down completely.

Now fish out paneer balls from the sugar syrup and add to the already prepared milk. Kheer Sagar is ready.

Serve this in warm or room temperature or chilled as per your choice. while serving add chopped pistachios.

Soft Sandesh

SOFT SANDESH

Sandesh, a bengali sweet dish. It is made from milk and sugar. Sandesh can be prepared for every festive occasions. But during Durga Puja, it is particularly prepared. Sweet lover bangalis are crazy about sandesh.

For the occasion of Raksha Bandhan this year I am going to prepare Sandesh. This is very soft and melt in mouth. A very few ingredients and time needed.

Here is the recipe

Milk- 1lit

Vinegar- 3 to 4tbsp

Water- 3cups

Maida- 1tbsp

water- 2tbsp

Sugar- 3 to 4tbsp

Green Cardamom Powder- 1/2tsp

Ghee- 1tsp

Tutti frutti to Garanish

In a small bowl add maida and 2tbsp of water and keep aside.

In another sauce pan add 3 cups of water and 3 to 4 tbsp of vinegar and mix.

In a big sauce pan add milk and allow to boil. When it is boiled add maida and water mix and cook for 5 mins.

Now add vinegar and water mix and let the milk split. You get milk solid with greenish whey.

Now strain the paneer on a muslin cloth. Gather all the corner off the cloth and then tie it. Hang paneer for 1 hour, So that extra moister will be removed.

After one hour take  a non stick pan, add hung paneer and sugar and mix. Then keep it on gas and start cooking. Initially it will be runny as sugar will melt. Cook this mixture up to dry. Switch off the gas.

Take ghee and grease a mould. Then pour the cooked chhena mixture and spread evenly. And also level the upper side.

Now let it to cool down completly. Keep in fridge for 20 mins. Then cut in squares and garnish with tutti frutti.

Mawa kachori

MAWA KACHORI

kachori is a spicy and savory snacks from India. It is believed to be prepared first time in Uttar Pradesh or Rajasthan. But now a days it is available all over India. Though the preparation style and serving style makes the whole difference. There are a lots of varieties of kachoris. There are different stuffings available like onion, moong, peas or some other.

But there is one sweet variety. It is called as MAWA KACHORI. It is originated in Jodhapur, Rajasthan. It is invented by late Rawat Mal Ji Deora. It is a sweet dish. A flaky outer cover stuffed with soft, sweet and creamy mawa with a lots of nuts. Then diped in flavorful sugar syrup.

Here is the recipe.  

For The Crust

Maida- 1 cup

Ghee- 2 tbsp

Salt- 1/4tsp

Luke Warm Water- 1/2 cup

For The Stuffing

Mawa- 3/4 cup

Green Cardamom Powder- 1/2tsp

Mixed Nuts- 1/2 cup

(Almond, cashew, pistachio, walnut and raisins)

sugar- 3tbsp

Oil to Deep Fry

For Sugar Syrup

Sugar- 1cup

water- 1/2cup

Green Cardamom Powder- 1/8tsp

saffron- 1/4tsp

If mawa is not available, then don't worry. Lets do it at home. Instant mawa is very easy to prepare at home with milk powder. For that we need

Amul Fresh Cream- 1/2cup

Milk Powder- 1 cup

(I have used Amul Spray)

Ghee- 1tbsp

In a nonstick pan add milk powder, cream and ghee and mix properly without lumps. Then keep this on gas and cook up to thick. Stire this continuously to prevent from burning. Slowly this will form a soft dough. This will be called as instant mawa.

In a mixing bowl add maida, salt and ghee. Rub ghee properly so that a crumbly texture will come. Now add luke warm water to knead a soft dough. Adding water should be in batches. Cover and rest it for 20 mins.

Next start doing the sugar syrup. In a sauce pan add sugar and water. Let it boil and sugar to melt in.  Then slow the flame and cook up to one thread consistency.  

In a non stick pan add mawa (instant mawa also) then add sugar, dry fruits and green cardamom powder. Cook this mixture up to dry. First it will be runny then slowly it will dry up and make soft dough.

 Bring out the resting dough and knead it again for a min. make equal size balls.

Then bring out the stuffing and make equal number of balls as maida balls.

Roll the maida balls to a 2inch circle and place a stuffing ball on it. Now gather all the edges of the circle and seal the stuffing without giving any gap. now stuff all kachoris and keep aside.

Heat oil in pan for deep frying. keep the flame on medium.

Now take one kachori and flat with palm gently, so that it won't break. Prepare all the kachoris.

slide kachoris in the hot oil one by one. Don't over crowd the oil with lots of kachoris. Cook these in medium flame up to golden brown. If the kachoris are fried on high flame, these will soggy not crispy.

While serving the kachoris drizzle hot sugar syrup on them and garnish with sliced pistachios and almonds. These can be served without sugar coating. I personally love mawa kachoris without sugar coating.

Saoji Masala

Saoji / Savji Masala

Saoji or Savji masala is a famous masala mix of Maharastra. It is an important part of Vidarbha Cuisine, which can be found in Nagpur area. it is also known as Varhadi cuisine. This cuisine is famous for its spiciness. In this cuisine coconut use is less but dry coconut is used in lots. 

I wanted to try all the famous chicken recipes from every region of India. In this process I got to know about saoji chicken. Then I read about it and got to know that, a special masala mix needed for this. I did my research and got a recipe. I made a bit changes in the recipe as per my taste buds. I have used less spicy kashmiri red chili in this spice mix but in original recipe says for to go for very hot chillies. Here is the recipe..

Chana Dal- 1 tbsp

Rice- 1 tbsp

Star Anise- 1

Cinnamon- 2 inch

Kashmiri Mirch- 7 to 8

Poppy Seeds- 1 tsp

Stone Flower (Dagad Phool)- 1 tbsp

Bay Leaves- 3 to 4

Khopra(Dry Coconut)-1/2 cup

Nutmeg-1

Sesame Seesds- 1 tsp

Cumin- 1 tbsp

Saha zeera(Blavk Cumin)- 1 tsp

Coriander Seeds-2 tbsp

Black Cardamom- 2

Green Cardamon- 4

Black Pepper-1 tsp

Clove- 4 to 5

Heat  a pan add chana dal and rice and dry roast. Then add coriander, cumin, red chili and bay leaves and fry. 

Now add black cardamom, green cardamom, clove, cinnamon, star anise, nutmeg and black pepper an fry.

Now time for poppy seeds, sesame seeds, stone flower, dry ccocnut and fry. 

These should be roasted up to a nice aroma comes from the spices. Then allow to cool down. Then grind to a powder. Saoji Masala is ready.

The purpose of adding different spices st different stage is to save the spices from burning. Spices with more frying time will be added first, then others according to their frying timings.

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.