Tomato Kadhi

Tomato Kadhi goes well with plain boiled rice and Aloo Ki Sookhi Sabji.

Ingredients:

For the Kadhi:

• 2 cups yogurt ( sour)
• 4 cups water
• 2 big red tomatoes chopped fine
• 1 medium onion chopped fine
• 2 tbsp gram flour (besan)
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• 1 tsp red chili powder
• ½ tsp mustard seeds
• ½ tsp cumin seeds
• ½ tsp fenugreek seeds
• 2-3 green chilies split lengthwise
• 5-6 curry leaves
• 4-5 cloves of garlic chopped very fine
• 4 tbsp cooking oil
• Salt to taste

For Tempering:

• 2 tbsp ghee (clarified butter)
• Big pinch of asafetida
• ½ tsp red chili powder
• 2 dried whole red chilies

Method:

• Mix the yogurt, water, besan and turmeric powder, Whisk to ensure there are no lumps. Set aside.
• In a deep pan or wok heat 2 tbsp of oil. Add cumin, fenugreek, mustard seeds, curry leaves and green chilies. When they stop spluttering, add the besan yogurt mixture slowly, stirring constantly, and bring it to a boil, cooking about 4-5 minutes.
• Make sure you stir the yogurt mixture or it will curdle. Reduce wok heat if ingredients start to boil over.
• Once liquid comes to a boil, reduce heat to medium, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until sauce is smooth and silky, for about 45-50 minutes.
• In a separate frying pan heat 2 tbsp of oil. Add onion and garlic and fry until the onion is tender. Now add chopped tomatoes, red chili powder, coriander powder and salt to taste; cook until tomatoes are mushy. Add this tomato mixture to the boiling Kadhi and stir well.
• Adjust thickness of sauce with the extra cup of boiled water (continuous simmering of Kadhi makes it thicker so go on adding boiled water if Kadhi becomes very thick).
• When Kadhi is ready turn off the heat. Add ¼ cup of chopped cilantro and take it out in a serving dish.
• Prepare ‘Tadka’: To temper Kadhi, heat ghee in a small pan, add asafetida, dry red chili and ½ tsp red chili powder; immediately pour this over Kadhi in dish before chili powder gets burned.
• Serve with piping hot plain boiled rice.

Lentils with Spinach

moong dal...........1 cup
spinach................1/2 bundle
turmeric powder.....1tsp
salt as per taste
  for tadka:-
onion..........1 big
garlic pods....5-6
tomatoes........2
green chilly......2
red chilly..........1/2 tsp
coriander powder...1/2 tsp
jeera "cumin seeds"...1 tsp
heeng................1/2 tsp
desi ghee.......2 tbsp

method:-


wash and soak dal , copped spinach . mix dal and spinach  add salt and  turmeric powder in it and pressure cook till done.
for tadka:-
chop onion and tomatoes slit green chilly and crush garlic ....now heat a wok add desi ghee in it  and add jeera and heeng in it wait a while and then add garlic and onion in it fry till golden brown add green chilly and tomatoes in it and cook till ghee separate.add dry masalas in it and stir fry .mix this tadka in your dal and cook properly .garnish with green coriander and serve hot and enjoy with roti or rice... 

Chicken and Veg Biryani

• 1 kg chicken preferably in 16 pieces and a couple of drumsticks
• 1 kg Basmati rice
• 1 cup finely chopped onions
• 2 tsp ginger and garlic paste
• 3 tsp chilli powder
• ½ tsp turmeric
• 100 g cashew nuts
• 4 or 5 bay leaves
• 4 or 5 cloves
• 2 cm long cinnamon sticks
• 6 to 10 green chiles ground to paste
• 3 or 4 cardamom pods
• 1 or 2 tsp cumin
• 2 cups mint leaves
• 1 cup coriander leaves (cilantro)
• 2 tsp coriander powder
• ½ tsp garam masala powder
• 1 cup coconut milk
• 1 lemon
• 1½ tsp salt (according to taste)
• 1 cup ghee (clarified butter)
• ½ cup yogurt
• 1 cup oil,
• 2 tsp dried coconut powder,
• few strands of saffron,
• 2 cups finely sliced onions,

Procedure

1. Make deep incisions on the chicken flesh - deep enough for spices to get absorbed but making them too deep could render the pieces smaller. Mix turmeric, chilli powder, salt, garlic paste, yogurt, and half-lemon's juice. Thoroughly apply this paste onto the meat flesh and let marinate for an hour.
2. Heat about 100 ml of oil. Roast cumin, cloves, cinnamon, depodded cardamom, bay leaves, ½ spoon cumin, 1 spoon coriander powder, and finally add onions(2). Wait a couple of minutes to add mint leaves. When onions turn slight brown, add marinated chicken and cook for about 20-30 min. It should NOT be fully cooked at this stage; add garam masala and coconut powder and turn off flame when about ¾ cooked. Gravy should not be much, chicken pieces should look roasted.
3. Meanwhile, while the chicken is still cooking, prepare the biryani rice. Slightly rinse 3 cups of basmati, and add water little less than the volume of the rice itself so that its only half cooked preferably in an electric cooker. Amount of water actually depends on kind of rice at hand and your experience helps to judge it. Also add 1-2 teaspoons of salt to it. Take a few semi-cooked grains of rice and colour them with diluted saffron for garnishing.
4. You will need a utensil of about 12" (300 mm) base. Place about half of semi-cooked rice in it. Next, layer half of chicken on it again topped by a layer of rice (half of the remaining). One more layer of remaining chicken, finally with layer of rest of the rice on top ends the rice-chicken layering stage.
5. Heat oil and deep fry half the sliced onions to golden brown. Similarly fry cashew. Garnish the top layer with these two along with 100 ml ghee, coconut milk, saffron rice grains and coriander. Lid the vessel and try making it airtight (but no pressure should build up). Put on high flame for 5 min before reducing it to low flame. The flame should NOT be at the vessel's centre, but on one side of it. Wait for 2-3 min and turn the vessel to heat other next part on its circumference. This way, keep rotating the vessel every 2-3 min for about 20 min. Every time you turn it, carefully disturb the contents by a shake/jerk so as to avoid settling of ghee at the bottom.
6. Put off the flame and wait for about 10 min before opening. Before serving, mix the medley from the bottom. Serve with boiled egg halves. Enjoy. Rightly and carefully made, its an epicure's paradise.

:For Vegitarians:

Ingredients:

One small Cauliflower,

2 carrots,

few beans,

Mint leaves (2),

Coriander(2),

200 gms Curds,

Elaichi,

cinnamon,

red chilli,

turmeric,

salt,

Lemon juice (2 big lemons),

Onions (9 onions - finely cut),

Green chillies (15)

METHOD:

1. Deep Fry (Almost brown) 7 onions and set it aside.

2. Prepare a mix of Cauliflower, carrots, beans, Mint(finely cut), Coriander(finely cut), Curds, Elaichi(10), Cinnamon(4 pieces), redchilli powder (2 spoons), salt (5 spoons), turmeric(half spoon), Lemon Juice (2 big lemons), Onions 2 (sliced), and green chillies.

3. Leave the mix to marinate in the dee-freezer for approximately 15-0 minutes.

4. In the mean time, take a big container, Put 4 spoons of oil and fry elaichi and cinnamon. Once you can smell the flavour add 5 glasses of rice to fry along with it. after 5-7 minutes add water (10 glasses) to half-boil rice.

5. Once rice is half cooked( strictly no more water left), leave the rice to dry for a while (may b dry them in large plates if you are too hungry and want to eat biryani soon)... i cant wait to eat it!!!!

6. Now, take the mix out of the fridge. Use the same big container for a bigger mix now. First put all the marinated mix in the bowl (bowl suitable to go on the cooker), then put five spoons of oil on it..(can use the same oil in which you fried onions).

7. Put a layer of the dried half boiled rice on top of it.(Dont put all the rice. Just a layer).

8. Now, put a layer of the fried onions leaving another half for another layer on top.

9. Then another layer of rice.

10. The final layer of onions on top.

11. You can now add some biryani colour on top!!

Now the biryani is ready to cook. Cook it on a low flame with a perfect fitting lid (some weights on top ..not to let the Dum go off).

Leave this for atleast an hour and a half. Then check if the rice is cooked

Creamy Spaghetti with Ham

Recipe Ingredients

(Serves 6)

• 500 g spaghetti
• oil spray
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 150 g button mushrooms, quartered
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 tbsp corn flour
• 375 mL CARNATION Light & Creamy Evaporated Milk
• 200 g lean ham, cut into strips
• 1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
• freshly ground black pepper, to taste

How to make

1. Cook pasta according to directions on pack.

2. Whilst the pasta is cooking. Spray a large frying pan with oil. Add onion and mushrooms and cook over a medium heat for 3 minutes or until soft. Add garlic and cook 1 minute.

3. Combine the cornflour and 1/4 cup CARNATION Light & Creamy Evaporated Milk.

4. Add the remaining CARNATION Light & Creamy Evaporated Milk to the pan with the cornflour mixture, stirring constantly until the sauce boils and thickens. Stir in ham and parsley, season to taste.

5. Drain pasta and return to saucepan. Add the sauce to the pasta and toss to combine.

Preparation time:
15 minutes

Cooking time

Sweet and Sour Meatballs...wrapped in Bacon

Serves 6

INGREDIENTS:

Meatballs
1 lb. ground pork
3 slices crustless white bread
1/2 cup milk
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
10 slices bacon, cut in half
1 tablespoon vegetable oil for frying
Wooden toothpicks for securing bacon

Sweet & Sour Sauce
1 teaspoon vegetable oil for frying
1 – 8 1/4 oz. can pineapple chunks in heavy syrup, juice reserved
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 cup brown sugar
Pinch salt
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon fresh ginger
6 tablespoons ketchup
6 tablespoons reserved pineapple juice

DIRECTIONS:

For meatballs: Tear apart the bread into small pieces, soak in milk and mash well in small bowl. In medium bowl, mix the ground pork with salt, garlic powder and pepper, stirring with fork. Drain off the excess milk from the mashed bread and mix with the meat. Make meatballs 1″ in diameter. Wrap 1/2 slice of bacon around each meatball. Use half a toothpick for each meatball to secure the bacon to the meatballs. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook meatballs 20-22 minutes until bacon is slightly crisp, turning frequently. Drain on paper towels. Remove toothpicks.

For sauce: Heat oil in medium saucepan. Add the pineapple and cook over medium heat for 1 minute. Add all the remaining sauce ingredients to the pan and bring slowly to a boil stirring continuously until thickened. Allow to simmer 1 minute or until completely clear.

Arrange meatballs on serving platter. Pour sauce over the meatballs. Serve while warm.