MALAI KOFTA - SNC CHALLENGE 15

Serving Size - 2

Preparation time - 30 minutes

Cooking time - 40 minutes

Today's post is long awaited challenged recipe from my draft lists, its none other than Malai Kofta which is challenged by Napur of UK RASOI who is the north team member of SNC. SNC event is run by Divya Pramil from youtoocancook and theme of the challenge is to exchange their regional recipes between the north and south teams . If you want to know more details about this SNC event, please go to the following link. SouthVSNorth Challenge. As I am from south team of SNC, I have to use the following logo

Malai Kofta is a very popular north Indian side dish. So I don't want to give more intro about it.It is a fried cottage cheese balls in the spiced thick creamy gravy. It will go with any Indian flat bread or rice varieties. I made this challenge on the first week of feb. But due to my laziness I din't post this recipe until before the last day of the challenge. I should link this recipe today unless I won't link it up. So that I am writing this post today. 

I would like to say another one thing, actually we don't like malai kofta but after we tried Napur's malai kofta, we really love to have this with indian flat breads. Thank you very much for sharing this wonderful recipe Napur. 

Let us go to the recipe... I din't change anythi0ng from Napur's recipe. I followed her in each and every steps.

Ingredients

For Koftas

Paneer - 100 gms

Boiled peeled grated potato - 2

Red chillipowder - 1/4 tsp

Corn flour - 1 tbsp

Garam masala - 1/4 tsp

Milk powder - 1 tbsp

Salt - as needed

oil - as required for deep or shallow fry.

For the Gravy

Onion - 1/2 no. (I used US red onion)

Ginger - 1/2 piece grated

Garlic cloves - 3 roughly sliced

Tomatoes - 2 (Prepare fresh tomato puree)

Cashew paste - 1/4 cup

Red chilli powder - 3/4 tsp

Garam masala - 1/4 tsp

Water - 2 cups

Fresh cream - 3/4 cup (or full cream milk - 1 cup)

Kasuri methi - 1 tsp ( I din't used)

Salt - as needed

Whole Spices

Bay Leaf - 1

Cinnamon - 1 inch

Black cardamom - 1

Green cardamom - 2 or 3

Mace - a pinch

Cloves - 2

For Garnish

Cilantro - 1/2 cup

Cream - 2 tbsp

Grated paneer - 1 tbsp

Method

For Kofta

• In a bowl, mix all the ingredients under the kofta heading. Make 8 to 10 heart-shaped koftas gently and keep it aside.
• Heat oil in a large pan for deep frying koftas. Take corn flour in a plate to coat the koftas before deep frying.
• After coating corn flour on the koftas, deep fry all the koftas, drain its oil and keep it aside.

NOTE : Instead of deep fry, you can also do shallow fry the koftas and keep it aside.You could see the difference in the below picture.

For Gravy

•  Heat 2 tbsp of oil in a pan, add all the whole spices until the fragrance comes out. 
• Add ginger and garlic pieces and fry for half a minute. Then add onions and fry until it turns transparent. Switch off the stove and allow it to cool.
• Once it gets cool, transfer it to the blender and pulse it to the coarse paste. 
• Add little oil and ground onion paste to the pan, then switch on the stove.
• Now add the tomato puree too in the same pan and cook for 5 minutes.
• Add the rest of the spices - turmeric powder, red chilli powder, garam masala powder and mix well.
• Cook this mixture for 10 minutes on covered for 10 minutes and uncovered for 8 minutes or until the oil leaves its side.
• Now, reduce the flame to medium, add cashew paste and water to the mixture and allow it to gets thicker. It will take 10 to 15 minutes approximately.
• Finally turns the flame to low, add the cream or milk to the mixture. While adding the cream or milk, stirring the gravy and add gradually.  NOTE : Cream or milk must be in room temperature to avoid curdle.
• Again turns the flame to medium or less than medium and allow it to cook for 5 minutes. If you would like, you could add little sugar to gets rich taste with mild sweetness and crushed dry methi leaves and cook for a minutes. Switch of the flame.
• Gravy is ready now.

For Assembling and garnishing

• Heat the gravy slightly before serving. Arrange koftas in the serving dish. 
• Pour the gravy gently on the koftas and garnish it with chopped cilantro, grated paneer and cream of your choice.
• Malai Kofta is ready now and serves with any flavored rice or white rice or with any indian flat bread.
• I served this malai kofta with peas pulao.

 I once again thank Napur for sharing this wonderful recipe. I love this dish to the core, Napur. Thank you Divya pramil. 

MOR KOOZH WITH CARROT GARNISHING

Serving size - 2

Preparation time - 10 minutes

Cooking time - 15 minutes

 It is my favorite snack. I have learned this recipe from my great grand ma. She is a wonderful cook. More over, this mor koozh is very good for health. You can take it as snacks as well as dinner/breakfast. I made this mor koozh from the left over white rice. We can also make this mor koozh from rice flour.

Ingredients

 

Rice flour / Ground cooked rice - 1 cup

Butter milk - 1/4 cup

Water - 1/4 or 1/3 cup

Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp
Curry leaves - 4 or 5 (optional)
Green/Red chillies - 2

Hing powder - a pinch

Cilantro - 2 tbs

Carrot - 2 tbs
Oil - 3 tsp
Salt - as required

Method

 

1. Add rice flour, buttermilk, water and salt together. Mix them thoroughly without any lumps.
2. Heat oil in a pan, seasoning with mustard seeds, curry leaves, green chillies and hing powder.
3. Add rice flour mixture to the seasoning. Stir continuously until the mixture becomes thicker.
4. If the mixture comes out from the sides and not sticky in the pan, pour it to the oil greased plate or tray.
5. Garnish it with carrot and cilantro.
6. Allow it to cool until it sets well. Apply little oil on the knife and cut it into desire shaped pieces. Remove pieces carefully.
7. Mor koozh is ready.

Tips

1. Instead of green chillies, you can add mor millagai / dried buttermilk chillies.
2. If you have left over boiled white rice, grind it with little water or buttermilk. You can use this ground rice paste, instead of rice flour mixture.

I am sending this to cutchi kitchen's LeftoverMakeover giveaway

LEFT OVER IDLIES INTO YUMMY TASTY IDLIES - MASALA IDLI

Serving size - 1

Preparation time - 10 minutes

Cooking time - 10 minutes

WE always use to make idli upma with the left over idlies. But I am not a big fan of idli upma but my hubby and kid are ardent lover of idli upma. I thought of making something different with these idlies according to my taste buds. SO I just tried this recipe and turned out delicious. My kid loves this very much. Please do this recipe using butter. Then only you would get better taste. IF you are not suppose to use butter, go with any cooking oil. I am sure that will reduce the taste than butter.

Ingredients

Left over idlies - 3 or 4
Onion - 1/4 cup chopped
Salt - as needed
Butter - 1 or 2 tbsp (I used only one tbsp)
Cilantro - finely chopped (to garnish)

To grind

Coconut - 3 tbsp
Roasted gram - 1 1/2 tsp
Red chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
Tomato - 1/2 no.
Garam masala - 1 tsp

Method

• Cut the idlies into small pieces.
• Grind all the ingredients under the heading 'To grind'. Keep it aside.
• Heat the pan, add butter, once it melts, add onion and fry until its transparent. 
• Then add the ground masala to the same pan and fry until the raw smell goes.
• Finally add idli pieces to the masala and mix well. 
• Remove it from the heat and serve it as such. Simple and quick masala idlies are ready to eat 

I am sending this to cutchi kitchen's LeftoverMakeover giveaway

HEALTHY SPICY MULTIGRAIN PANCAKE / KARA ADAI

Serving size : 5 to 6 mini pieces

Preparation time - 5 minutes

Cooking time - 7 to 10 minutes

Hello friends,

    Its been a very long time since I came to blog space. Hope from this month I will try to upload recipes regularly.  After a long time, I am coming with a healthy recipe Multigrain Adai. I bought Pearl millet flour for Bajiri ki roti which is introduced by Manjula Bharath from DESI FIESTA for our SNC challenge. After that I din't use that flour for any dishes. I thought of finish it off soon. This afternoon all of the sudden, I thought of making this recipe. DO you know how I got this recipe into my mind? During my childhood days, my mom and chithi made kara adai with rice flour as winter snack. By that way I thought of making this yummy dish with all of these flours. It came out very yummy. I love that to the core. SO I want to share this healthy and yummy recipe with you all.

This is also very simple and quick dish to prepare.

Ingredients

Pearl Millet flour - 1 tbsp
Finger millet flour - 1 tbsp
Wheat flour - 1.5 tbsp
Rice flour - 1.5 tbsp
Red chilli powder - 1/4 tsp
Onion - 1/3 cup chopped
Curry leaves - 1 bunch
Cilantro - 3 or 4 stalks
Oil - 1 or 2 tsp to mix
Oil - as needed for cooking on tava.
Salt - as needed.
Water - 1/2 cup

Method

• Mix all the ingredients except oil for cooking on the tava.
• Dough should be soft but not hard. If it would be hard, then the adai would be hard.
• Heat the tava, once it is heated, place a small ball on the tava and flatten it using our fingers. Do the same for the rest. If there is enough space in the tava, you could do 2 or 3 adais.
• Apply oil around the adais and allow it to get cook on the bottom side. Once its well cooked, just flip to the other side and allow it to cook well.
• If both the sides are cooked well, remove them from the tava.
• Serve it as such or with raita as side dish. I love eating as such !

HEALTHY BREAKFAST WITHOUT STOVE TOP OR MICROWAVE - FRUIT WITH MILK AND NUTS

Serving Size - 1 kid

Preparation time - 5 minutes

Cooking time - No, if the milk is already boiled.

This is the most familiar dessert or drink and has a vital part in the Indian marriages. After marriage, there is special and first function in the home is  'PAALUM PAZHAMUM" (Milk with fruit). They usually use to make this dessert with milk, sugar and banana.  But here I used few nuts with this dessert for kids healthy diet, we can serve this with any fruit like orange, apple, grapes, peaches, mango or mixed fruits and any nuts like pista, almond, cashew, raisins or mixed nutswhich ever they prefer. 

We can serve this dessert or drink as breakfast or evening snack. Here I used banana fruit and almond nuts. For this preparation, don't want stove top or microwave. You can serve it chill.

Ingredients

Banana - 1

Milk - 1 glass/ tumbler

Sugar - 1 tsp

Almonds - 3 (chopped or scrapped)

Method

1. Slice banana into small pieces.
2. Pour milk in a bowl, add sugar and mix well.
3. Add banana pieces and chopped almonds to it.
4. Serve it with cookies or as such.

I am sending this kid's delight to

RAJASTHANI THALI - SNC CHALLENGE -10

Today is my Paati's (Mom's mom) birthday!!!

Happy Birthday my dear paatti!!! 

Virtual treat for your birthday is RAJASTHANI THALI .

JULY month Challenge is RAJASTHANI THALI from North team and VENDHAYA KEERAI PARUPPURUNDAI MORKUZHAMBU from south team. WE south team have to make RAJASTHANI THALI. Every month on the date of 1st, I thought of posting this challenge immediately. But I couldn't. Let me repeat the same story for spreading SNC in our blogging world.

ABOUT SNC 

SNC (South vs North Challenge) is a challenge between north indian and south indian teams which is hosted by Divya Pramil (baby boss) fromYoutoocancook 

• Motive of the SNC is to learn different regional food recipes from our co-bloggers. 
• Every month one member from north team challenges the south team and one member from south team challenges the north team.
• We have sufficient time to finish the challenge. Every month 1st, they post the challenges and we have time to finish it off until the end of the same month.
• Divya pamil allotted some points for the recipe posts. According to that, the winning team will be announced by her around second week of every month.
• If you would like to participate in this event, please contactdivya.pramil@gmail.com. She will help you definitely. 

About the challenge of every month

SNC - WINNERS

OCT  2012 - NORTH TEAM

NOV 2012 - SOUTH TEAM

DEC 2012 - SOUTH TEAM

JAN 2013 - SOUTH TEAM

FEB 2013 - SOUTH TEAM

MAR 2013 - NORTH TEAM

APR 2013 - NORTH TEAM

MAY 2013 - SOUTH TEAM

SNC - Queen of the month

 

October 2012 - Shruthi Dhingra from Shruthi rasoi

November 2012 - Meenu aunty from Random ramblings

December 2012 - Manjula Bharath from Desi Fiesta 

January 2013     - Gayathri Kumar

February 2013   -  Santhosh Bhangar

March  2013     -  Sanoli Gosh from Sanoli's Kitchen and Sangeetha

April 2013  - Minnie Gupta and Sharaniya palanisami

May 2013  - Asiya Omar and Priya Suresh

RAJASTHANI THALI - SNC Challenge No : 10

As am a member of south team, I have to make Rajasthani Thali which is challenged by our north team friend Manjula Bharath from DESI FIESTA while our south team friend Sowmya from NIVEDHANAMS challenged our north team friends with excellent vendhaya keerai parupu urundai Mor kuzhambu 

About RAJASTHANI THALI

She posted 10 recipes in this thali. I made all the 10 dishes. But I used yellow splited dal instead of green splited dal Unless otherwise I followed her for this whole thali :) Thank you very much to Manju and Divya Pramil for giving this wonderful thali.

1. Goond ki ladoo - sweet

2. Baati

3. Moon dal

4. Bajiri Ki roti - Indian Breads

5. Makkai Ki roti - Indian Breads

6. Panchmel Ki Sabzi - Dry curry

7. Dhana wadi/ Moong Wadi coriander leaves curry

8. Gatte Ki Kadhi with Rice

9. Matta/ Boondi chaas

10. Kesar Malai Lassi - Drink for digestion

Okay Lets move on to the recipes given by Manju and prepared by me for our dinner

1. Goond Ki Ladoo 

     Goond is an edible gum which produce heat to our human body and advisable to use during winter days. Gums are in crystal form. We can use this ladoo as sweet, before meal starts and also as dessert, after meals.

Ingredients

Whole wheat flour - 1 cup

Powdered sugar - 1/2 cup

Edible gums - 1 1/4 tbsp

Ghee - 2 tbsp for frying edible gums and 4 tbsp for frying wheat flour

Cardamom powder - a pinch

Method

Heat the pan, add 4 tbsp ghee. Once it melts, add wheat flour and fry it in the low flame          until it will be golden brown. ( My kid does not llike brown, so I fried slightly) Keep it aside        and allow it to cool.

Heat the pan, add 2 tbsp ghee, once it gets heated, add edible gums for frying. It started        puff up and crunchy. Add those fried edible gums to the wheat flour kept aside.

Add cardamom powder, sugar powder to the wheat flour and mix well.

Take a small part of flour and make them into balls using your hands. Do the rest too like         the same. Ladoos are ready. Store this in the air- tight boxes.

We can serve this Goond ki ladoos as sweet for this thali.

NOTE

• If you have any trouble making ladoos, just melt the ghee and add it to the flour. 
• Flour should be warm atleast, else you could not make ladoos.

Dal Baati 

     Dal baati is a famous rajasthani cuisine. I heard about it but this is first time I tried and tasted. It was really a delicious dish. 

2. Baati

     Baati is made of baked whole wheat flour. It is very simple and healthy dish.

Ingredients 

Whole wheat flour - 1 cup

water - 1/2 cup

Salt - to taste

Ghee - 1 1/2 tbsp

Method

• Mix all the ingredients and make a stiff dough. Divide the dough into equal portions, make them into small balls and place them in the baking tray or baking sheet.
• Preheat the oven for 375 degrees, place the baking tray for 20 minutes or until they becomes golden brown. While baking change the sides after 10 minutes, if necessary.
• To get more taste and same color all over the baatis, fry baatis in the ghee or else just dip all the baatis one by one in the melted warm ghee.
• If we feel its too fatty or rich, we may drizzle with ghee on the hot baked baatis.
• Baatis are ready and serve it with Moong dal.

3. Moong Dal

Moong dal is very good for health. It is a very tasty and delicious dish for baati as well as any roti variety. I tried this with white rice. It was very tasty. 

Ingredients 

Moong dal - 1/4 cup

Cumin  - 1/8 tsp

Hing powder - 1/8 tsp

Red chilli powder - 1/8 tsp

Turmeric powder - less than 1/4 tsp

Ginger gaelic paste - 1/2 tbsp

Garam masala powder - 1/4 tsp

Water - 1/2 cup + for pressure cook the dal

Salt - as required

Oil - 1 tbsp

Method

• Pressure cook the moong dal. 
• Heat oil in a pan, add cumin, red chilli powder, turmeric powder, ginger garlic paste.
• Salute it until the raw smell goes from ginger garlic, but you should not burn the red chilli powder.
• Add the cooked dal and 1/2 cup water. Allow it to boil.
• Add garam masala and allow it to cook in the low flame for 10 minutes.
• Dal is ready for BAATIS.

4. Bajiri Ki Roti

 Bajra rotis are very good for health. This flour is from a kind of millet which is very nutritious. We usually know bajri porridge, but this the first time I am hearing there are rotis too :) 

Ingredients

Bajri flour - 1 cup

Water - 1/4 cup or less than 1/2 a cup

Ghee - 1 tbsp

Salt - as required

Method

Mix all the ingredients except water. Add water slowly and start blending it until flour and          water together.

Do not add water much, it leads to sticky. Start kneading the dough until it becomes smooth    and medium firm.

Cover it with a thin cloth or air tight container and keep it aside for 15 minutes.

Heat the griddle, while heating the griddle, divide the dough into equal portion and make        them into balls.

Spread bajra flour on the smooth surface or on the wooden board or on the big plate,            place a ball on the floured surface and start pressing the ball to flat thick round using your      palm and fingers.

Take the flat thick round of dough and place the upper side down on the griddle.

After 20 to 30 seconds, it is ready to flip on to the other side. Turn it on the other side and      apply ghee on it.

Once again flip the roti and apply oil or ghee on it and press all over the rotis.

If both the sides are ready like golden brown, roti is done.

Do rest of the ball in the above procedure.

Bajiri ki rotis are ready now.

5. Makkai ki Roti

  Makkai ki rotis are also very good for health. These rotis are made from maize flour which is from cereal grain maize or corn seeds/ kernels.

Ingredients

Corn flour - 1 cup
Warm Water - 1 cup
Salt - to taste
Ghee - 1 tbsp to spread over on the rotis 

Method

• Mix all the ingredients to make a smooth dough.
• Cover it with a cloth or store it in the air tight container for 15 to 20 minutes.
• Divide the dough into equal portions and make them into balls.
• Heat a tava or griddle, place a ball on the floured surface and press the dough using palm and fingers, press the dough into 6 inches diameter or place a ball directly on the tava and press the ball using fingers carefully. 
• Cook one side of the roti and flip it, apply oil and flip it once again & apply oil on this side too. 
• Do all the rest of the balls as the same procedure.
• Makkai ki rotis are ready now.

6. Panchmel ki subzi

  Panchmel is a district in gujarat and rajasthan border but it indicates combination of five veggies. But I used only 4 veggies because I and my son hate cucumber. SO we skipped that veggie unless otherwise I made everything like Manju's recipe.

Ingredients

Long beans - 1/2 cup

French beans - 1/2 cup

Cluster beans - 1/2 cup

Capsicum - 1/2 cup

Tomato - 1/2 no.

Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp

Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp

Chilli powder - 1/2 tsp

Turmeric powder - 1/8 tsp

Coriander powder - 1 tsp

Oil - 2 tbsp

Salt - as required

Method

• Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds and cumin seeds. Let them splutter.
• Add all the veggies except tomato, salute it for few minutes. Add salt, tomato and cook all the veggies are half done.
• You can now add turmeric powder, chilli powder, coriander powder and cook well. All the veggies are coated with curry powder and again it should be half done. Be sure it should not get cooked fully. It may vary in taste.
• Panchmel Ki subzi is ready to serve with Indian hot breads or with white rice.

7. Dhana Moong wadi/ Coriander leaves Moong nuggets curry

Moong wadis are made of moong dal which is a tiny sun dried nuggets. These nuggets are storables. WE can prepare these wadis in the home or bought from the store. I used the store bought wadis. 

Ingredients

Moong wadi - 1/2 cup

Coriander leaves - 1 cup

Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp

Coriander-cumin powder - 1 tsp

Red chilli powder - 1/2 tsp

Cumin seeds - 1/4 tsp

Water - 1 cup

Oil - 3 tbsp

Salt - as required

Method

• Heat oil in a pan, add cumin seeds, once it splutters, add all the spice powders and salute it for 2 or 3 seconds. (Don't allow it to burn).Then add water to them. 
• Once water started boiling, add wadis to it. Keep it in a medium flame , add salt and cook the wadis until it become soft. If you need more water, you can add.
• Once the wadis are done and it comes little thick, switch off the stove and add coriander leaves.
• Keep it for 10 minutes and moong waadi is ready to serve.

8. Gatte Ki kadhi

This dish is made of gram flour dumplings soaked in the yogurt based gravy which is good for white rice as well as roti varieties too.

Ingredients

For gattas

Besan flour - 3/4 cup

Red chilli powder - 1 tsp
carom seeds - 1/8 tsp
Curds - 1 tbsp
Water - 1 or 2 tbsp
Oil - 2 tbsp
Salt - as required

For Kadhi

Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves - 4 or 5 
Hing powder - 1/4 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Red chilli powder - 2 tsp
Besan flour- 1 tbsp
Beaten curd - 2 cups
Water - 1 1/2 cups
Oil - 2 tbsp
Salt - as required
Cilantro - to garnish

Method

For gattas

• Combine all the ingredients and knead to a firm dough.
• Divide the dough into equal portions and shape the each portion into a ball or long cylindrical roll.
• Boil enough water in a deep pan, add all the gattas and cook for 7 to 8 minutes or until it will cook.
• Drain the gattas and slice them into small pieces. Keep them aside.

For Kadhi

• Mix beaten curds, water, besan flour and curry leaves well. There should be no lumps.
• Heat oil in a pan, add cumin seeds, mustard seeds and hing powder.
• Once they splutters, add turmeric powder and red chilli powder. Salute it for 1 or 2 seconds.
• Add curd mixture, salt and remaining water to it. Allow it to boil. Stir continuously or very often.

For Gatte Ki Kadhi

Add gattas into the kadhi while boiling. Finally garnish it with cilantro and serve it with white rice.

9. Matta/Boondi Chaas

A traditional drink of rajasthan. I usually eat boondi with curd, salt and red chilli powder. But adding cumin powder and water are new to me. I liked this recipe too :)

Ingredients

Yogurt - 1 cup

Water - 1/2 cup

Boondi - 1/4 cup

Salt - as required

Cumin powder - 1/4 tsp

Red chilli powder - 1 or 2 pinches

Method

• Except boondi, blend all the ingredients in a blender or manually until it become smooth. 
• Add boondis to the chaas and allow them to keep in the refrigerator to become chill and boondis into soft.
• sprinkle little red chilli powder while serving for attraction.
• Now serve boondi chaas with chill.

10. Kesar Malai Lassi

WOW....... WE are going to finish this thali with a delicious sweet drink. It is very good for health and quick digestion.  It also reduces heat from our body. I thnk that it is perfect time to share. Everywhere summer right. Do have this wonderful lassi and thankful to Manju :)

Ingredients

Saffron extract - 1 tsp

Milk - 1 cup

Whipping cream - 1/2 cup

Sugar - 3 1/2 tbsp ( I reduced little bit for my own taste)

Salt - a pinch

Water - 1/4 cup

Method

• Add all the ingredients in the blender and blend smoothly.
• serve this chilled lassi in a glass.

Enjoy this wonderful rajasthani thali !!!

Once again a very big thanks to our friends Divya Pramil youtoocancook and Manjula bharath from Desi Fiesta.