Bhawana

Rajma Masala

January 27, 2022 by Bhawana

I never thought of sharing this recipe until my son mentioned me, “You didn’t take pictures of my favorite dish?” Taking pictures of food means “something special has cooked today” for him. That made me realized, he is right! Rajma Chawal is the most popular recipe in north India. Both children and adults likes it with same intensity, even the most picky eater is happy to see it served for lunch or dinner. It is the most easily cooked dish for parties or potlucks. Serve it with Jeera Rice, Chapatis or Naan, it goes well with everything and for everybody.

Rajma Masala

Author: Bhawana

Ingredients

2 cups Rajma (Kidney beans) soaked overnight, boiled
2 medium Onions, finely chopped
2 tsp. Ginger-Garlic paste
4 tbsp. Tomato puree
few Green chilies, slited
2 nos Tejpatta (Bay Leaf)
2 tsp. Coriander powder
1/2 tsp. Turmeric Powder
1/2 tsp. Cumin Seeds
1/4 tsp. Asafietida
Red Chili Powder To taste
3/4 tsp. Garam Masala
Fried Green Chilies and Coriander Leaves for garnishing
Salt to taste
3 tbsp. oil

Instructions

Heat oil in a heavy-bottom pan.
Add bay leaves, cumin seeds and asatefida powder.
When seeds start to splutter, add onions and saute till light brown.
Add ginger-garlic paste and cook for a minute.
Add tomato puree and turmeric powder mix it well and cook for 3-4 minutes till oil separates on the side of the pan.
Add coriander powder, red chili powder and salt. Mix it well.
Add boiled rajma along with water according to consistency needed.
Cook for 10-15 minutes on low heat.
Mash the beans with the back of the ladle, add garam masala powder and mix it well.
Add more water and salt if required.
Garnish with fried green chilies and coriander leaves.
Serve hot with rice or chapatis.
Add 1/4 cup cream for more richer and creamy taste.
tsp of desi ghee enhance its taste.

Khajoor Mewa Roll

January 25, 2022 by Bhawana

Gifts, new clothes, mithais and lot of happiness and exuberance around….yes! that’s what festivals gives us while breaking the monotony of work and busy life. If festivals are not there our lives will be like robots with no emotions and feelings to share with family and friends. Festivals are regular days, just an excuse to rejoice and spend special time with loved ones. These are the days to break rules, diets and enmity whereas strengthens the bonds of love and responsibilities for each other. One such day to celebrate the emotional bonding between brothers and sisters is around the corner. A very very Happy Raksha Bandhan to all of you in advance.
I wanted to dedicate this post to my brother. Happy Raksha Bandhan Bhai!

Any festival is incomplete without sweet. And in the time of healthy, sugar-less sweets, this sweet will be a perfect treat for a health conscious, exercise freak, brother. This roll is like an energy bar with dates and nuts. Khajoor rolls are not new to me, my friend in UK introduced this recipe to me almost 8 years back. This is a quick recipe with hardly any work and looks delicious.
What will be a more healthier way to celebrate “bond of love” ? Be ready with an extra box to pack this yummy treat for your brother.

Khajoor Mewa Roll

Author: Bhawana

Ingredients

2 cups Khajoor (Dates), pitted & chopped
1 cup mixed Dry Fruits, toasted & chopped
1 tsp. Desi Ghee
1/2 tsp. Cardamom Powder
Few drops Rose Essence (optional)
Shredded coconut for garnishing

Instructions

Heat ghee in a nonstick pan. Add khajoor.
Cook khajoor while mixing it well.
Cook until they are soft.
Mix dry fruits, cardamom powder and rose essence.
Mix it well and let it cool for sometime.
Roll the mixture into a thick log.
Roll it on shredded coconut and wrap it tightly in cling film.
Refrigerate it until firm.
Cut it in to slices and serve.

Dry Fruit Biscuit/Cookies

January 19, 2022 by Bhawana

I don’t like baking cookies, not that I don’t like cookies in fact I am the official (“Me want cookie!”, “Me eat cookie!”), cookie monster of our home. And the reason for my aversion for baking cookies is, that most of them goes straight in to my much needed workouts tummy. Yeah! its strange that even the youngest one in our family does not go around the cookie jar as much as “ME”. My Love affair with cookies are not new, I still remember going to the bakery with my parents, and the first thing that grabbed my attention was nicely lined up round and square pieces of these buttery delights with different toppings and making them more desirable. Though its really hard for me to say any of them my favorite, as I love all of them equally but still i used to like flower shaped biscuit (yeah! back home we call them biscuit) with red jelly topping in the middle and coconut biscuit that looks like macaroons (or may be they were macaroons who knew then..:-)).

I always like the idea of serving different types of cookies lined up in the tray for guests, but irony is even now, when ever they are needed my cookie jars are always empty. So I really request my friends and family to visit us either on the day I bake cookies or on the day I get my groceries from store, so that I can serve few of them to our guests and feel better while eating rest of them in privacy. :-))
Today we are talking about Nuts Cookies, these are kind of icebox cookies without eggs and with lots of nuts. We can add cardamom powder and saffron to enhance the Indian ethnic taste to our palate.

Dry Fruit Biscuit/Cookies

Author: Bhawana

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups All Purpose Flour
2 tbsp. Custard Powder
3/4 cup chopped Dry fruits
1 tsp. Vanilla Extract
2 sticks of Butter, softened
1 cup Sugar
Sliced Nuts for garnishing

Instructions

Cream butter and sugar. Add dry fruits and vanilla essence. Mix it well.
Sift all purpose flour and custard powder.
Mix flour into butter mixture slowly without over-mixing it.
Make a soft dough out of it.
Use little milk or extra flour if needed for the soft dough.
Shape the dough in to logs and tightly wrap it in a wax paper.
Refrigerate the logs for an hour until firm.
Preheat oven at 350 °F.
Cut logs in to 1/4-inch thick slices. Garnish them with sliced nuts.
Bake for 12-15 mins until cookies are little brown from the edges.
Cool them for 10 mins.
Enjoy freshly baked biscuit/cookies with tea or coffee.

Saibhaji – A Sindhi Delicacy

November 25, 2021 by Bhawana

If you are looking for a recipe that is guilt-free to eat, healthy, full of protein and nutrients, you are at right place. Saibhaji, one of the most loved dish from Sindhi Cuisine. It literally means green vegetable. (Sai-green Bhaji-vegetable) It tastes so good with rice that my picky eater son ate the leftover next day too. Nimisha, my very first friend in this country, who happened to be Sindhi introduced Saibhaji to me. She is a good cook and makes the best Sindhi Kadhi and Kandha Poha. Oh! I miss those carefree days when we used to talk a lot about food, friends, life and other things. Being new to this country, she helped me a lot in adjusting and making me comfortable in this new lifestyle. Though we both are busy now and miles apart, she still hold a special place in my heart.

Sindhis are famous for their love for food. Saibhaji is a one pot meal that goes well with brown rice but when served you can see different accompaniments like aaloo tuk, sindhi papad, chutneys and pickles served on table. The most interesting and delicious one is with sindhi kadhi. Yes! sindhi kadhi is served with white rice, aloo tuk or fried eggplant and sweet boondi. And the whole think on plate tastes heavenly delicious and a full meal.

Saibhaji

Author: Bhawana

A Sindhi Delicacy

Ingredients

1 bunch Spinach
1/2 bunch Fenugreek Leaves
Handful of Sua (Dill Leaves)
1/2 cup Channa Dal (soaked in water)
3 nos. Tomatoes
1 small Brinjal
1 medium Potato
1 big Onion
Green Chillies to taste, finely chopped
1 tsp. Garlic, minced
1 tsp, Ginger, grated
1 1/2 tsp. Coriander Powder
1/2 tsp. Turmeric Powder
1/2 tsp. Red Chilli Powder
1/4 tsp. Cumin Seeds
Pinch of Hing (Asatedfida)
Salt to taste
2 tbsp. Oil

Instructions

Wash all the greens thoroughly and chop them roughly.
Peel and chop all the vegetables.
Heat oil in pressure cooker. Add cumin seeds and hing.
When splutter, add ginger, garlic, onion and green chillies.
Mix it well, now add channa dal and vegetables.
Cook for a minute and add all greens and spices.
Mix it, add salt and water as it needed.
Cook it on medium flame until 5-6 whistles.
Mesh it well to the consistency required.
Serve it with table spoon of desi ghee on top.
It goes well with brown rice or onion rice.

Kathal Biryani

November 23, 2021 by Bhawana

You can find inspiration anywhere, anytime if you keep your eyes open and have a hunger to learn and create. Best inspiration comes from your mother and the people around you. Sometimes, something just clicks in your mind and you know that very moment this is it!. The dish I am sharing today has an interesting story and an inspiration from a friend.

Well, truly the guiding light for this amazing dish was an invitation from a friend. Today I am so happy that even with a pain in my neck (well, seriously it was bad!) still I was able to join her for a lunch get together. She served Jackfruit Biryani with spinach raita. With one spoon in my mouth I knew that this dish is going to be a part of my cooking excursion. Thank you Nidhi, and please let me know if you think my recipe is missing any important ingredients from what you have created that day. It was delicious. (Thank You for that pain relief cream :-))

Biryani always gives an impression of lot of work and patience but if we do the prep work its easy and exotic dish to impress your friends and family. Its a one pot meal that can have a impact of array of dishes.

Kathal Biryani

Author: Bhawana

Ingredients

2 cups cubed Jackfruit (boiled with salt and turmeric)
1 1/2 cups fried Onions
1 1/2 cups Yogurt
2 tbsp. Biryani Masala
2 tbsp. Ginger/Garlic Paste
Green Chillies slit, to taste
Salt to taste
1/2 cup Milk
Few Saffron Threads
1 tsp. Rose Water
Few drop of Kewra Essence
2 tbsp. Desi Ghee
Pinch of saffron color
1 cup Mint Leaves (fresh and chopped)
1/2 cup fried Cashewnuts and Resins
1/2 tsp. Shah Jeera
Whole Garam Masala (small amount)
2 tbsp. oil
2 cups Basmati Rice (soaked in water for an hour)
2 small Bay leaves
1 small stick Cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp. Salt
1 tbsp. Desi Ghee

Instructions

Mix yogurt, biryani masala, 3/4 cup fried onion, Green chillies, ginger/garlic paste, 1/2 cup mint leaves.
Mix boiled kathal (jackfruit) and let it marinate for 1/2 an hour.
Mix saffron, rose water and milk.
Mix 1 tbsp of Desi ghee with saffron color.
Boil rice with bay leaves, cinnamon, salt and ghee until 80% done.
Heat oil in a deep heavy-bottom pan. Add shah jeera and whole garam masala.
Add marinated kathal, mix it well and cook it for 2 minutes on medium flame.
Now add salt, half of desi ghee, cashewnuts and resins. Mix it well.
Layer the cooked rice over the jackfruit mixture.
Sprinkle fried onion, mint leaves, cashew and resins.
Add all around saffron milk mixture and desi ghee with color.
Sprinkle few drops of kewra essence
Cover and cook it on dum for 12-15 minutes on low flame.
Let it rest for a while.
Serve with chilled raita and salad of your choice.

Tutti Frutti Pound Cake

November 4, 2021 by Bhawana

My cravings and weather go hand in hand. Yeah! if its raining nothing is better than crunchy spicy mix pakodas with steaming ginger tea. What is better than hot steaming Kadhi Chawal with Spicy Aloo on any snowy day for lunch or dinner. Cucumber Sandwich with Cold Coffee can make me happy for lunch on any sunny summer afternoon. But when the sun is lazy and hiding somewhere and there is a nip in the air, my craving for slice of pound cake with my evening tea can push my lazy bum in the kitchen. No kidding! sometimes my cravings are really strong. And this was exactly what happened to me few days back. Whatever happens, happens for something good but in this case it was delicious.

Tutti Frutti was not in my mind but I decided to add it for color and my son’s love for them. While eating a slice, I got nostalgic about old school tea time cake that all of us have loved and relish -Britannia Fruit Cake. Oh! I still remember those two slices in my lunch box used to made my day. Either its a road trip with parents or picnic with friends Britannia fruit cake never disappointed our hunger pangs. Back then, no idea about baking I used to wonder sometimes “What is the recipe for this magical slice?” And now I realized making this cake from scratch to calm my own wicked craving have long roots and a story to tell……

Tutti Frutti Pound Cake

Author: Bhawana

Ingredients

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
4 large eggs, room temperature
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup Tutti Frutti

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Butter and flour a loaf pan, set aside.
Beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
Add eggs one at a time, beating well after adding each one, add vanilla and salt.
With mixer on low, add flour in small batches, beating just until combined (do not over mix).
Add tutti frutti mixed with little flour. Mix it well in cake batter.
Pour the batter in prepared pan.
Bake for an hour, until a toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean.
Let cool in pan for 15 minutes.
Take it out and place it onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Slice and enjoy!

Baklava – Nutty Sweet Multilayer Pastry

October 1, 2021 by Bhawana

I have a Cooking Bucket List, Yes! It is long and I wanted to make each item in the list in my lifetime. When I accomplish any recipe in the list as per my satisfaction, its a proud moment for me and very motivating for my tiny cooking repertoire. Well, in a time of “no sugar-no oil” healthy food (pun intended if you find one) fulfilling cooking bucket list is a big dream. Putting check sign on any particular dish gives me immense pleasure and few extra pounds on my waist.
I wanted to share one of that happy day for me with you guys and my trophy for the day is Baklava- Nuts Filled Flaky Multilayered Pastry sweetened with rose flavored Sugar Syrup.

Baklava is a Middle-Eastern dessert, famous all around world for its flaky, nutty, sweet and rich taste. Home made baklava tastes so good, its fresh, pastry is more flaky and crunchy and sweetness according to taste. It was in my list for really long, i have no idea why i didn’t try it before…its really easy and delicious.

Baklava

Author: Bhawana

Nutty Sweet Multilayer Pastry

Ingredients

1 box Phyllo Pastry Dough
1 cup Walnuts
1 cup Almonds
1 cup Butter, melted
1/4 cup crushed Pistachios for garnishing
Sugar Syrup
2 cups Sugar
1 cup Water
1 tbsp. Lemon Juice
(I used 1/2 tsp. Rose Water and 1 tsp. of Orange Blossom Water for extra flavor)

Instructions

haw phyllo sheets according to package instructions.
Mix nuts and pulse them in food processor until coarsely ground.
Boil sugar and water in a pan for sugar syrup.
Add lemon juice and continue boiling syrup for more 10-12 minutes.
Add rose water or orange blossom water for extra flavor.
Preheat oven at 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
Take a deep baking dish and butter the bottom and sides.
Trim phyllo sheets to fit in to the baking dish.
Place a phyllo sheet in a dish, butter it all over with a brush.
Repeat the same process until you stack 15 sheets at the bottom of the dish.
Spread half of the nut mixture over phyllo sheets.
Add five more phyllo sheets brushing butter in between each sheets.
Spread rest of the nut mixture over phyllo sheets
Again, repeat stacking 15 more layers of buttered phyllo sheets.
Cut Pastry diagonally in to diamond shapes.
Pour rest of the melted butter over the phyllo sheets.
Bake for 50-55 minutes until the top of the baklava are golden brown.
Pour the sugar syrup on hot Baklava.
Garnish with Pistachios.
Set aside for few hours or preferably overnight.
Enjoy the goodness of your hard-work.

Tadka Rice Noodles with Coconut Gravy

September 27, 2021 by Bhawana

Who doesn’t like noodles?
Noodles are comforting food that breaks the monotony of everyday food. There are so many varieties and different recipes to make noodles. With lots of vegetables or with meat, and the best part is, you don’t need to spend hours in the kitchen to impress your friends or family. This noodles recipe is little different and full of Indian flavors. Instead of adding vegetable with noodles I served vegetable coconut curry with it. The inspiration of this recipe is Kerala or Tamilnadu’s famous breakfast recipe Idiyappam / Sevai. They serve fresh idiyappam with spicy curry that looks really tempting and different. We mostly eat curry with rice or chapatis, so this recipe gives a interesting twist to the regular food.

Vegetable Coconut Gravy

Author: Bhawana

Ingredients

2 cups Mixed Vegetables
2 tbsp. Oil
1 Onion, finely chopped
1 tbsp. Ginger-Garlic Paste
1 1/2 tsp. Dhaniya Powder (Coriander Powder)
1 tsp. Cumin Seeds
3/4 tsp. Haldi Powder (Turmeric Powder)
1/2 tsp. Red Chilli Powder
1 tbsp Tomato Paste
1 1/2 cups Vegetable Broth
1 1/2 cups Coconut Milk
1/4 tsp. Black Pepper Powder
2 tbsp fresh lime Juice
2 tbsp chopped fresh Coriander Leaves
Salt to taste

Instructions

Heat the oil in a pan and add cumin seeds.
When they start to splutter add ginger-garlic paste and onion.
Cook onion on medium flame until little brown in color.
Add all the dry spices and tomato paste. Mix it well and cook for few minutes.
Add mixed vegetables and cook them on high heat. Add vegetable broth if needed.
Now add coconut milk, salt, and 1/4 tsp. pepper and bring to a boil.
Add vegetable broth, mix it well.
Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer for almost 10 minutes until the vegetables are tender and the gravy is to the consistency of your taste.
Add lemon juice and garnished with chopped coriander leaves.

Tadka Rice Noodles

Author: Bhawana

Ingredients

1 packet of Rice noodles
3 tsp Oil
1 tsp Rai (Mustard Seeds)
2 nos dry Red Chillies, break in to half
5-6 Green chillies
8-9 curry leaves
1 tsp. Channa Dal
1 tsp. Urad Dal
1/2 tsp. Turmeric Powder
1/4 cup broken Cashewnut
2 tsp. Lemon Juice
Coriander Leaves finely chopped for garnishing

Instructions

Cook noodles according to cooking directions.
Drain and mix some oil in the noodles
Heat oil in a broad pan. Add mustard seeds, urad dal and chaana dal.
When seeds crackles, add dry chillies, green chillies, and curry leaves.
Fry for 30 seconds and add turmeric powder and cashews.
Cook until cashews are light brown in color.
Next add the cooked noodles and salt.
Mix it well and cook for another 2 minutes
Finally, add the chopped coriander leaves and lemon juice.
Serve hot with the curry.

Mishti Doi

September 21, 2021 by Bhawana

There are few things that seems to be so easy to do but the results are not always that good. Today we are talking about the dessert, that not only tastes delicious but the name also sounds really sweet. Mishti Doi means Meetha Dahi. It is the most popular dessert in Bengali cuisine other than Rasgulla. Mishti doi is a sweet yogurt that tastes so heavenly good and its probiotic nature is good for digestion too. The recipe sounds really simple like, setting a yogurt but my mind is always anxious for the result. I already experienced the disaster one time and that gives me nightmares even now ….. Yep! Sometimes simple things makes you realize the art of cooking. But this time I came out of this nightmare with flying colors. It not only looks authentically delicious but also tastes divinely blissful.

Traditional way of serving Mishti Doi are in earthen pots, that soak up all the water and gives the thick rich taste to yogurt. After eating rich festival food, a small pot of Mishti doi is refreshing for the palate and the tummy too.

There are many recipes to make Mishti Doi. This is the most basic recipe. Now, in the time of fusion food, one can add different flavors and served with fruits and different toppings.

Mishti Doi

Author: Bhawana

Ingredients

1 liter Milk
1 can Condensed Milk
1 tbsp. Unsweetened Yogurt
1 tsp. Vanilla Essence
Saffron threads
Silvered Pistachios for garnishing

Instructions

Boil the milk in a heavy bottomed pan and reduce it to half.
Let the milk cool down for some time.
When its cool enough that one can put finger in the milk add condensed milk and vanilla essence.
Mix it well.
Now mix in the yogurt and pour it into an earthen pot.
Garnish it with saffron and pistachios and leave it overnight.
Once set, refrigerate it for a couple of hours and serve chilled.

Bharli Vangi/Eggplant In Peanut Coconut Gravy

September 1, 2021 by Bhawana

Bharli Vangi is one of the traditional and classic dish in Maharashtra. Though I never attended any Maharashtrian wedding but heard that this dish is must in menu for any wedding or festive occasion, Personally i like this dish better next day, when eggplants are all marinated in the masala and tastes awesome with coconut y-peanut flavor melting in mouth. The ingredients for Bharli vangi recipe are almost same for stuffed eggplant or bagare baigan but the magic wand in this recipe is Goda Masala.

Bharli Vangi/Eggplant In Peanut Coconut Gravy

Author: Bhawana

Ingredients

8-9 Baby Eggplant
2-3 tbsp. Oil
For Stuffing-
1 cup chopped Onion
2 tsp. Ginger Garlic paste
1/2 Cup Dessicated Coconut
1/2 Cup roasted Peanuts
2 tbsp. roasted Sesame Seeds (Til)
2 tsp. Red Chili Powder
2 tbsp. Coriander Seeds Powder
1/2 tsp. Turmeric Powder
1 tsp. Cumin Seeds
1 tsp. Goda Masala
1 tbsp. grated Jaggery
1 tbsp. Tamarind Plup
Salt to taste

Instructions

Slit the eggplants into four, lengthways keeping the stems intact.
Heat little oil in a pan and saute dessicated coconut over medium heat for two minutes, stirring continuously, till the coconut turns a light golden brown.
Mix peanuts, sesame seeds in the coconut mixture.
Cool and grind the mixture with a little water to a coarse paste.
Mix and add goda masala, coriander powder, salt, turmeric powder, chilli powder, jaggery and tamarind pulp.
Stuff the mixture into the eggplants.
Heat the remaining oil in a deep wide pan, add cumin seeds and when they begin to splutter, add onion and ginger garlic paste.
Saute onion until light brown in color.
Now place the stuffed eggplants in the pan and cook for two or three minutes.
Add water as needed to cook the eggplants evenly from all sides.
Gently turn the eggplants once or twice in between while cooking.
Cover the pan and cook over medium heat until eggplants are soft and evenly cooked.