Gola Kadhi
For kadhi-
1 cup yogurt ( greek yogurt is the best)
2 tbsp Besan (indian chicpea flour)
2-3 green chillies
1/2″ fresh ginger root grated
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp ghee
6-7 cloves
1″ piece of cinnamon
1 tsp fenugreek seeds
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1 pinch of love
2 sprigs of Kadhipatta ( indian curry leaves)
3 cups warm water
For Gola-
1/4 cup soaked chana dal (Split chickpeas)
2 green chilies
2 pinches of salt
Seasoning-
2 tbsp oil
1 tbsp fine diced garlic
1 tsp red chili powder
1/4 tsp hing (asafoetida)
1 tsp salt
————-
Coarse grind the soaked chana daal, with chilies and salt.
Make small dumplings and steam them lightly
Make the kadhi by gently whisking the yogurt,
Add the besan and whisk lightly till the lumps break.
Add the warm water to this mix and boil on medium high heat, continuously stirring till it comes to a boil
Add grated ginger root, salt and sugar.
Slit the chilies and add them to the kadhi.
Add the steamed golas to the kadhi
Allow it to simmer on low heat
Heat oil in a small pan and add the cloves, cinnamon, cumin, fenugreek seeds and bloom them
Quickly add kadhi patta,
Toss a pinch of red chili powder on the surface and pour the hot oil seasoning on top of the chili powder, letting it sizzle.
Make a separate oil seasoning on the side-
Heat oil and add the black mustard seeds, let them bloom, add Hing and fine diced garlic
Stir it once so that the garlic becomes brown uniformly.
Turn the heat off and add chili powder and salt to this, let it cool and transfer to a small bowl
When you serve the kadhi, take the gola (dumpling)out in your plate and break it by gently pressing it down.
add the garlic seasoning on top of it.
It is a divine taste and a meal in itself
Serve hot with a pinch of love and fresh chopped cilantro for garnish, with Khichdi or steamed rice
Author: chefshami
BAINGAN BHARTA
BAINGAN BHARTA
A simple, super yummy and popular side dish, that goes with anything, even as a dip, with corn chips 😊
1 medium Asian eggplant
1 onion fine chopped
1 medium tomato fine chopped
1/2 tsp turmeric
3/4 tsp red chili powder
1/2 tsp coriander seeds powder
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tbsp oil
1/2 tsp salt
2tbsp Fresh chopped cilantro
————–
Smear the eggplant with an oil swipe
Roast it well directly on the flame, uniformly by turning over to cover all around
Keep it covered under a bowl for 5 mins ( the steam makes the charred peels come off easily)
Take a small bowl of water to dip your fingers in, to prevent the peels from sticking to your hands.
Shred the roasted, peeled eggplant
Heat oil in a pan, bloom the mustard seeds,
Add turmeric, chilly powder, coriander powder
Followed by the chopped onion, tomato and half of fresh cilantro.
Flash fry, stir for a minute
Add the shredded eggplant, stir
Add salt
Cover it for 2 mins.
Serve garnished with fresh chopped cilantro and a pinch of love !
PS:
You can make this with japanese eggplants too
Variation:
You can also just shred the roasted eggplant,
add fine diced purple onion, 1/2 tsp salt or as per taste
Put 1/2 tsp chili powder, don’t mix it yet
make the seasoning separately and add on top of the chili.
Mix well, add fresh cilantro
Add 2 tbsp of plain/ greek yogurt
Ückerpendee
Ückerpendee
A wholesome healthy meal in itself !
This dish was my grandmother’s favorite and mine too, still is ! 
2 cups whole wheat flour ( regular roti attaa)
2 tbsp oil
1 tsp ghee
1 tsp black mustard seeds
1/4 tsp Hing ( Asafoetida)
1/4 tsp turmeric
3/4 tsp salt ( or as per taste)
1 cup water ( warm)
2 medium onions fine chopped
3-4 chopped green chilies
2 sprigs of Curry leaves/ kadhi patta
1 lemon for juice
Fresh cilantro fine chopped
——————
Roast the flour on a low heat with the Ghee ( clarified butter) until golden brown and the flour looks crumbly
Take it out on a plate to cool a bit
Heat oil, add mustard seeds and let them bloom
Add diced chilies, kadhi patta, let it sizzle for a min and add Hing and turmeric
Keep 1/4 th of the chopped onions aside
Add chopped onions and stir for a minute,
Add the roasted flour and stir well until it all looks uniform.
Add salt, 1/2 tsp sugar and a pinch of love
Keep the warm water handy, stir that in from the sides.
Squeeze the juice of half a lemon
Cover it for 3-5 mins. Stir again.
Break it with a spatula while stirring.
Plate and garnish with raw fine chopped onion that was set aside. Fresh chopped cilantro and a lemon wedge.
It tastes even more amazing if you add a dash of plain oil on top of it.
PS:
Sometimes I add Jowari or Bajri flour or both( specially one which has lost its stickiness and you cant use it for Bhakri)
Don’t Need to run to the pharmacy, go to the kitchen first!
Your Spice box in the kitchen and most other ingredients also have a medicinal purpose and quality, the most natural age old, tried and tested remedies of Indian Charak Sanhita, ayurved, a balance that keeps you healthy.
Rathalee- Sweet Potatoes Dessert
Sweet Potatoes
4-5 medium sweet potato roots
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup Malai / Fresh Cream
1 tsp Ghee
1/4 cup jaggery
1″ piece of cinnamon stick
1 pinch cardamom powder
1 pinch of love 😍
————
Wash and braise the roots
Chop the sweet potatoes in thin discs
Heat the ghee and add cinnamon broken in pieces
Add the chopped sweet potatoes and stir fast
Add jaggery and let it melt ( you can use brown sugar or demerara)
Add the cream and stir
Cook for 5 minutes on low heat
Add the milk, stir gently for a min.
Can be eaten hot and cold too
Ps:
Cinnamon powder doesn’t work the same 😞
You can also try the same with squash or pumkin too
Classic Aloo Sabji
Classic Aloo
3-4 medium boiled potatoes
1 onion Julienned
2-3 green chilies julienned
1 tsp Urad dal/ popped chana daal
1/2 tsp turmeric
1 tsp ginger garlic rough chopped
1 tsp fresh cilantro
2-3 sprigs kadhipatta/ indian curry leaves
1 Tbsp oil
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/4 tsp black mustard seeds
1 pinch Asafoetida/ hing
1 tsp lemon juice ( optional)
1/4 tsp salt
1 pinch of love
——–
Peel and cube the boiled potatoes upon cooling
Heat oil and add the Urad dal, bloom the mustard and cumin seeds
Add ginger garlic paste, chilies and kadhipatta
As soon as it sizzles add the onions
Add turmeric and Hing, flash fry the onions for one minute.
( should stay crunchy, but not raw)
Add the potatoes and stir gently, folding the mix outside in
Takes altogether 5 minutes to assemble this when the potatoes are already cooked.
Add salt, fresh cilantro, a pinch of love and lemon juice.
Fold it once more and it is ready to be served.
with Masala Dosa also.
Classic Uppama
Classic Upama-
This all time favorite, instant snack, classic dish was also my launchpad into the culinary world, forced by my grandmothers.
1 cup fine Rava ( semolina)
1 medium onion fine diced
1 small red tomato (roma)
2-3 red chilli peppers
1/2 tsp grated ginger
1 tsp Urad Dal( butter lentils)
5-6 cashews halved
2 tbsp oil
1 tsp ghee
1/4 tsp black mustard seeds
1/4 tsp cumin seeds
3/4 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
1 pinch Hing ( asafoetida)
1 pinch of love
1/2 lemon for juice
2 sprigs of kadhi patta( indian curry leaves)
1 1/2 cup of warm water
Fresh cilantro for garnish
Optional-
Fresh grated coconut 2 tsp
————
Roast the semolina and keep it aside
Heat oil in a thick bottomed wok
Add the Urad dal and let it fry till pinkish
Add the cumin and mustard seeds and let them bloom, add cashews.
Add the chili peppers, grated ginger,diced onion and fine diced tomato, followed by curry leaves.
Add hing and briskly stir once.
Add the roasted semolina and stirr well folding it outside in and bottom of the pan to up
Roast for 2-4 mins
Add salt and sugar, and pour the warm water from the sides, with one hand while stirring with the other. Smoothen the lumps if any
Make a indented well in the centre and drizzle the ghee in. Fold the mix on top of it
Lower the heat and cover the wok
Let it steam for 3-5 mins.
Stir once and squeeze the lemon juice on top, mix.
Plate it in a nice mound, with an upturned bowl
Garnish with fresh fine chopped cilantro and fresh coconut
You can also add crisp Sev on top if you like.
Kesar Paantuas/Bengali Saffron Rasgulla
Kesar Pantua/Saffron rasgulla
For paneer-
1 ltr. Cow milk (3% makes best)
1 tbsp lemon juice
Cheesecloth/ old kitchen towel
1 tbsp fine semolina/ rava
For syrup-
300 gms sugar
4 cups water
1 tbsp milk
1 tsp rosewater
1 pinch saffron strands
1 pinch of love
—————–
Boil the milk, add lemon juice to it as it foams
Keep stirring and add a couple tsp of water, it helps to split the milk faster.
Turn the heat off as soon as the solids separate
Strain it into a cheesecloth or an old kitchen towel. Tie it into a tight bundle and hang to drain. Squeeze it once when cooled to remove excess water. Drain for 20-30 mins.
Open the bundle, crumble it with fingers, breaking all lumps.
Add the fine semolina
Mix well and cover it with a plate and set aside for 10 minutes
Simultaneously prepare the syrup-
Add 4 cups of water to the sugar and boil on medium low heat.
Once it comes to a boil, add the 1 tbsp milk, to clean the sugar syrup,
Skim off the top if any muddly foam comes up.
Add the rosewater
To prepare the milk solids-
Knead the Chhenaa/ milk solids with the heel of your palm, folding in and out
Alternating with pressing it in with your knuckles,
Until it is super soft and no crumbs fall out of the milk ball.
Break it into small pieces and form them into tiny balls with your palms
Bring the sugar syrup to a boil and start gently putting these milk balls into the syrup, cover the pot and let it boil for 20-25 mins
Make sure the pot is wide enough for the rasgulla to roll around without breaking.
You can also use a pressure cooker, without the whistle
Keep a large bowl of cold water ready.
Gently transfer the rasgulla to cold water
Add a 1/2 cup water to the existent syrup, bring it to a boil and turn the heat off.
Add saffron strands to this syrup and let it cool.
Drain the cold water out of the bowl and add the rasgullas to the syrup,
Cool it and refrigerate
Serve cold
Akkhaa Massoor (lentils)
Akkhaa Masoor
1 cup whole Masoor ( common lentil)
1 tomato cut in 8 pcs
1 onion chopped fine
1 tsp fennel seeds
1/2 tsp black mustard seeds
1/2 ” fresh ginger root
6-7 peeled garlic cloves
1 tbsp oil
1/2 tsp coriander seeds powder
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp red chili powder
1/2 tsp salt / as per taste
Cilantro fine chopped
————
Wash the Masoor and put it in a container, add the chopped tomato in it with enough water to cook. Average 2 cups
Pressure cook the masoor lentils for 15 mins/ or boil until soft
Bruise the fennel seeds slightly to release aroma
Grate the ginger root
Garlic to be rough pounded
( if you are using frozen garlic, grate it frozen, on the braiser strip)
Heat the oil in the pan
Add the bruised fennel seeds and black mustard seeds
Quickly add the ginger garlic, followed by chopped onions and stirr
Add turmeric and chilli powder
Leave the onions slightly crunchy
Add the cooked Masoor and add salt
Sprinkle part of the chopped cilantro to add aroma
Cook for 3-5 mins
Serve hot with buttered rice or Parantha
PS: you can also add more water to it and make it soupy, enjoy with a warm buttered dinner roll or a slice of Sour dough
Banana Sheera
Banana Sheera
1 1/2 cup fine semolina
1 ripe banana
3/4 cup sugar
2 Tbsp ghee
1/2 tsp cardamom powder
1 tbsp Golden raisins
2 tbsp broken cashews
1 tbsp Almond flakes
1/2 cup warm milk
1 cup warm water
———————
Heat the ghee in a thick bottom wok/ frying pan
Add cashew pieces, followed by the fine semolina ( it always help to store the semolina lightly roasted and cooled)
Fry by stirring constantly for 4-5 mins.
Add cardamom powder, raisins and stir.
Add warm milk quickly from the side, followed by warm water. Stir well and cover for 2-3 mins.
Add the sugar, stir well till the sugar mixes properly.
Slice the banana and add to the mix, stir gently
Cover for 2-3 minutes
Garnish with almond flakes and serve hot with sweet lime pickle
PS:
You can use all milk instead of water and milk.
You can increase quantity of sugar if you like it sweeter