Sabudana Tikki and Aloo ki kheer

Sabudana Tikki and Aloo ki kheer

Maha Shivaratri is a Hindu festival and celebrated in India in reverence of the God Shiva. It is believed to be the day shiva was born to save the universe by drinking "haalaahala" and Gaaja the poison and drug that emerged from the churning of the ocean (samudra manthana).Shivaratri is celebrated during the night by keeping a night-long vigil as its believed that Lord Shiva saved the universe from darkness and ignorance. This day is also believed to be the day that Shiva was married to the Goddess Parvati. The Maha Shivaratri festival, also popularly known as 'Shivaratri'-'Great Night of Shiva', marks the convergence of Shiva and Shakti.

Net source... 

 People fast on this day, many have fruits and falahari food which is had on the fasting day. 

Today being Maha Shivarati I have made 

Sabudana Tikki and Aloo ki Kheer.... 

Sabudana Tikki (Sago Tikki)

Ingredients

1 cup Sago washed and soaked overnight

2 medium sized Potatoes boiled

Few Curry leaves

2 Green chillies chopped

Few Coriander leaves chopped

1/2 cup Peanuts coarsely ground

1/2 tsp Cumin seeds

Pinch of Asafoetida

1 tbsp Ghee

Salt to taste

Oil for shallow frying

Method

 Take 1 Potato and cut into small cubes. Take a pan, add ghee. Let it  heat. Add cumin seeds, chillies and curry leaves. Let the cumin seeds crackle. Add the asafoetida and stir for few seconds. Add the chopped potato and stir fry till light brown in colour. Add the sago, stir and cook for 2 minutes. Add salt and peanuts. Stir and mix well. Add coriander leaves. Let it cool. Mash the remaining potatoe and mix it well. Divide the dough into equal big lemon size portions. Flatten it. Take a pan and add oil. Let it heat. Shallow fry the Tikkis till brown in colour on both the sides. Serve hot with green coriander chutney.

Aloo ki Kheer

Ingredients

2 medium sized Potatoes boiled, peeled and grated

2 cup Milk

2 tbsp Mawa crumbs

1/4 cup Sugar or as per taste

Pinch of Salt

1/4 tsp Cardamom powder

Pinch of Saffron

1 tsp Almond and Pistacho flakes

Method

Heat milk in a pot and let is simmer for 2 minutes. Add salt, sugar, saffron and mava to the milk. Stir it. Let the milk reduce a bit. Add the potatoe and cardomom powder. Stir and cook for 3 minutes more. Garnish with Almond and pistachio flakes. Serve with pooris. 

     

Rasgullas

Rasgullas

I had a lady who worked for me earlier. She was from a village near Malda (West Bengal)... When ever she went home on a holiday, she use to get me Rasgullas from her village... Then I changed my house and now I don't get them.. Then when my mother passed away, we had ordered food from a local Bengali caterer. The menu included Rasgullas. I could relate to the taste of the Rasgullas which the lady who worked for me use to get for me. But unfortunately if I wanted these Rasgullas from my caterer, I had to order in bulk. So then I thought let me give it a try.... These Rasgullas are not very spongy like normal Rasgullas, but taste excellent. When eaten, it had a creamer .... Mava taste... Try it you will love it...

To make the Paneer 

Ingredients
1 liter Cow milk
1 tbsp Citric Acid or 2 tbsp Lime juice

Method
Add 2 tbsp water to citric acid and dissolve it. Boil the milk. Once it begins to boil, add the citric water. Lower the heat and simmer for 2 minutes. Switch off the flame and let it stand for 2 minutes. Take a Malmal cloth and drain the whey out. Pour cold water to wash the paneer and tie the cloth and hang it to drain our the water. The water should drain out completely.

For the Sugar syrup 

Ingredients
3 cups of Sugar
6 cups of Water

Method
Take sugar and water and add it to a big deep bottom pot. Let it the water boil and sugar dissolve in water. Lower the flame and simmer the sugar syrup till a bit thicker, a stage before it forms a string. Meanwhile prepare the rasgullas balls.

To make the Rasgullas 

Ingredients
Home made Paneer made from 1 liter Cow milk
1 tbsp Sugar
1 tsp Flour
2 tbsp Mava
2 to 3  drops of Rose essence or 1 tbsp of Rose water

Method
Mix all the above ingredients together except for Rose essence and knead it well, rubbing the ingredients in between the heel of the palm and stretching it. Knead it well for 5 minutes to get a smooth dough. Divide the dough into small  equal proportions. Make smooth round balls. Gently add the balls one after the other into the sugar syrup. Cover the pot with a lid and cook for 10 mins on a medium high flame. Open the pot and cook for another 5 minutes. Switch off the flame. Pour 1/4 cup of cold water. Add rose essence. Let it cool and the Rasgullas are ready to be eaten.

Pudina Aloo Namkeen Sev

Pudina Aloo Namkeen Sev

Got fresh Pudina (Mint) from the Balcony garden.... The aroma of fresh mint was all over the house. 

Couldn't resist myself from making this dish with Pudina purée. It goes well with a cup of hot Chai... 

Ingredients 

4 Potatoes boiled and mashed 

4 cups Gram flour 

2 cups Rice flour 

Salt to taste 

1/2 tsp Turmeric powder 

1 tsp Chilli powder 

1/2 tsp Cumin powder 

1/2 tsp Garam Masala powder 

1/2 tsp Dry Mango powder 

2 pinch Asafoetida powder 

1/2 cup Pudina puree

2 tbsp Oil 

Oil for frying

Method 

Take a mixing bowl, add all the above ingredients except oil for frying. Mix it well and form a soft dough. Heat oil for frying. Take a sev maker and add the dough in it. Press and add the sev in hot oil. Fry on medium high heat till crispy. Drain the excess oil on an absorbent paper. When cool, store it in an air tight container and enjoy...

Methi Thepla with Instant Chilli pickle....

Methi Thepla with Instant Chilli pickle..

I just love it. Can be eaten any time of the day and taken while travelling too. It remains for 1 or 2 days. Easy to make and delicious too. 

Ingredients 

4 cups Whole Wheat Flour 

1 cup Gram Flour

Salt to taste 

2 tsp Chilli powder

2 tsp Cumin powder

1 tsp Coriander powder

1/2 tsp Garam Masala powder 

1/2 tsp Turmeric powder

1 bowl or 1/2 bunch Fenugreek leaves (Methi) chopped 

1/2 cup Curd 

Water as required 

2 tbsp Oil 

Oil to drizzle on the Theplas 

Method

Take a mixing bowl, add whole wheat flour, gram flour, chilli powder, cumin powder, coriander powder, garam masala and turmeric powder. Mix it, add 2 tbsp oil. Mix it well. Add the methi leaves and mix it again. Add curd and water little at a time and make a  soft dough. Cover an keep it for 30 minutes. Divide the dough into equal portion.  Heat a skillet. Take one portion of the dough, sprinkle little flour and roll the dough into a round disc. Put the thepla on the skillet and roast both the sides. Drizzle oil on the thepla and roast till done. Repeat the process with the remaining thepla. Serve with instant chilli pickle and green chutney. 

Instant Chilli Pickle

Ingredients

6 Big Jalpano Red and Green Chillies or any Chillies 

Salt to taste

1 tbsp Mustard dal

1 tbsp Fenugreek dal

1/2 tsp Fennel seeds coarsely ground

1 tbsp Red Chilli powder

1/2 tsp Turmeric powder

1/4 tsp Asafoetida powder

Juice of 1 Lime

1 cup Mustard oil

Method

Wash the chillies, wipe it dry and cut it into round pieces. Add salt mix it. Add the mustard dal, fenugreek dal, fennel powder, chilli powder and turmeric powder. Mix it well and let it stand for 30 minutes. Take oil in a pan. Heat the oil well. Add asafoetida. Cook it for few seconds. Add the chill mix. Stir and cook for 2 to 3  minutes. Add lime juice and cook for about 1 minute more. Cool it and keep it in a clean and dry glass container. This pickle can eaten immediately and can be kept in the fridge for 15 days to a month.

Shindi Kadhi served with Alu Tuk

Shindi Kadhi  served with Alu Tuk 

Brought up in Chembur from childhood, my husband has many Shindi friends. So when I got married and I also stayed in Chembur for 9 years after marriage, I made friends with his friend's family. As neighbours since we use to meet them daily, I learnt few Sindhi dishes from them. One of my family favourite is Sindhi Kadhi and Aloo Tuk served with hot steaming rice.

Ingredients
Mix Vegetables
12  Okras slit into 2 vertically
1/4 cup Carrots cut into cubes
1 small Potato cut into cube
1/4 cup Brinjal cut into cubes
1 Drumstick cut into 1 inch pieces
2 Big Tomatoes made into purée
Few Curry leaves
2 Green chillies cut into pieces
1 tbsp Ginger minced
3 tbsp Gram flour
1/4 tsp Fenugreek seeds
1/4 tsp Cumin seeds
1/4 tsp Coriander seeds
1/4 tsp  Asafoetida powder
Salt to taste
1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
1/2 tsp Red chilli powder
1 tsp Coriander powder
1 tsp Tamarind paste
2 tbsp Oil
1 tbsp Oil to fry the Okras
Few Coriander leaves chopped

Method
Take a pot and add 1 tbsp oil. Stir fry the okras till cooked. Keep it aside. Heat rest of the oil in the pot, add fenugreek seed, cumin seeds, and coriander seeds. Let the seeds crackle, then add ginger, curry leaves, chillies and asafoetida and stir for few seconds. Add the gram flour and roast it stirring it continuously till it has  become golden brown in colour. Add tomato puree and about 1 liter of water, stirring it continuously to avoid forming lumps. Let it cook on low flame for 15 minutes.  Add all the hard vegetables and let it cook till the vegetables are almost done. Add the brinjals and okras. Add the salt, turmeric power, chilli powder and coriander powder. Let it simmer until the vegetables are tender. Add the tamarind paste and let it simmer for another  5 minutes over medium low heat. Garnish with coriander leaves. Serve hot. Sindhi kadhi taste great with hot steaming Rice and Aloo  tuk.

Aloo Tuk

Ingredients
4 big Potatoes peeled and cut into rounds
Oil for deep frying

Method
Heat oil in a wok. Put in the potato rounds, fry the potatoes till light brown in colour. Remove the fried potatoes and drain the excess oil. Keep it aside to cool a bit. Take the potatoes one at a time and flatten the potatoes.  Just before serving, reheat the oil and re-fry the potatoes to golden brown in colour.  Drain excess oil on an absorbent paper.

For Seasoning
Ingredients
Fried Potatoes
Salt to taste
1 tsp Red chilli powder
1 tsp Dry Mango powder
1 tsp Cumin powder

Method
Mix all the above ingredients together and sprinkle the seasoning properly on the Aloo Tuk and toss it.