SEMOLINA HALWA

Hi all,



My friend R. Punitha of South India Food Recipes shared this wonderful 'Sunshine Blogger Award' with me. She has a nice blog with a numerous adorable recipes. Thanks a lot Punitha for sharing this award with me. Please do visit her blog and tweak those wonderful recipes. I am really very happy to recieve this award. As per rules, I have to share with my ten blogger friends and that I will decide later. All blogger friends are deserved to get this award.

Now celebrate this award with 'semolina halwa', very easy, loved by all. A popular sweet dish from east to west, north to south, it is made by every Indian family, on any festival occasion, specially offered as prasad to God. When soft semolina, cardamom, sugar, coconut, milk and nutty crunchy dry fruits mixed up together, is very flavorful, magical and exotic.

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup Semolina (rava)
1 cup warm Milk
2 tbsps evaporated milk
3 tbsps grated Coconut (optional)
3 pods of Green Cardamom
1/2 cup Sugar
1/2 cup mix dry fruits (cashewnut, raisin & cherry)
4 tbsps Clarified Butter (ghee)

METHOD:
Heat clarified butter in a frying pan. Add dry fruits followed by coconut in it. Fry for 30 seconds. Now add semolina in it. Fry for 3-4 minutes on medium heat.

Add sugar and mix well. Add warm milk, evaporated milk and crushed cardamoms, fold well. Reduce the flame low and stir continuously. When it gets thick and come to be sticky, remove from heat.

Garnish with dry fruits and serve.

Linking to: Nithubala's healthy-food-for-healthy-kids-event @ Latha's A Peek into My Kitchen

NARKEL DIYE CHOLAR DAL / CHANA DAL WITH COCONUT

It's a very popular and authentic Bengali recipe, it is not for every day dal, from any social feast to Durga puja bhoj, every special occasion it is in the menu. Chana dal prepared in different ways throughout the India. But this preparation is very specific to Bengal, has a sweet in taste and charming colour of this dal will drive any foodoholic crazy. Goes very well with luchis, kachories and rotis.

INGREDIENTS:
1/2 Cup Bengal Gram Lentils (chana dal)
3 tbsps shredded Coconut
1/2 Tomato (chopped)
2 Bay leaves
1&1/3 tsps Cumin seeds
A pinch of Asafoetida
2 whole dry Red Chillies
1/3 tsp Turmeric powder
1 Clove
1 Green Cardamom
1/2" Cinnamon
1/2 tsp Ginger paste
2 tsp Sugar
1 tbsp finely chopped Cilantro (coriander leaves)
1 tbsp Oil
1 tsp Clarified Butter (ghee)
Salt to taste


METHOD:
Wash Bengal gram lentils. Pressure cook the lintils upto 5-6 whistles. Let it cool naturally.

Dry roast 1tsp cumin seeds, 1 dry red chilli, clove, cardamom and cinnamon for 3-4 minutes. Pound coarsely. Set aside.

Heat oil in a frying pan. Add 1 dry red chilli, 1/3 tsp cumin seeds, asafoetida and bay leaves in it. Saute for 30-40 seconds. Add coconut and fry for 20-30 seconds. Now add ginger paste followed by chopped tomato, salt and sugar in it. Saute till tomatoes leaves oil.

Add coarsely pounded spices in it. Stir for a minute. Pour cooked Bengal gram in it. Fold well. Add 1/2 cup hot water (if needed) and let it boil for few minutes.

Reduce the heat and cook it for another 2-3 minutes. Add clarified butter and cilantro, fold nicely. Switch off heat now.

Serve hot with puri/luchi/kachori, paratha, roti or rice as you like.

Baking Partners: A new Baking Group Announcement

You are invited to join Baking Partners!

Baking a homemade bread, cake or cookies will give the best outcome. However in order to achieve the best results, a perfect recipe and right techniques are required.

We are a small group of home baker friends, who love and want to learn more the nook and corners of baking.  We are planning to try out recipes from books/magazines and cooking shows. Every member gets a chance to present their choice of recipe and share important points with the rest of the group.

Main purpose of this group is to learn the techniques, critic the procedure if there are ways to improve, and to eat a delicious food.

Rules are simple, we will choose one recipe and send it out to the group by 16th of every month and the reveal date will be 15th of the next month . On that day we will blog about it. A linky tool will be open during that time and each member can link their post.

First month we are going to do a recipe, 2nd and 3rd month will be a theme and the 4th month we will be back at a recipe. By doing in between recipes, we will able to learn more.

All enthusiastic bloggers interested in baking are welcome, please email Swathi, at favoriterecipes12@gmail.com

We will appreciate the use of logo or worded link that will help to spread the word. A bunch of thanks to Tina for designing this beautiful logo.

If you want to make it a gluten or vegan free diet, you can do those modifications also.

   Baking Partners are

Reeni (Cinnamonspiceandeverythingnice)

Julie (Erivum Puliyum)

Tina ( Pinay in Texas Cooking Corner)

Priya (Priya's Versatile Recipes)

Suja (Kitchen Corner Try It)

Archana (Tangy Minds)

Reshmi (EasY Cook)

Pratibha (Cook Ezee)

Priya R (Cook Like Priya)

Sweatha (Tasty Curry leaf)
Vidhya (A Portion to Share)

Usha Rao (My Spicy Kitchen)

Divya Prakash (Divya’s Culinary Journey)

Swasthi Blank (Swasthi The Health Freak)

Sanoli Ghosh (Sanoli's Kitchen)
Pam Capone (Living Rancho Delux)
Mirellie (Gourmet Global Creations)
Joythi (This and That of food and life)
Reshwani (Daily Cuppa)
Peachy (Peach Kitchen)
Aparna (Mis adventures of 3 cookies)
Archana (The madscientist’s Kitchen)
Lorraine ( Joy’s Misadventures)
Jayasri (Samayalarai)
Sowmya (Nivedhanam)
Anuja (Simple Baking)
Janani (www.redchillycurry.com)
Ivy (Kopipaste)
Janaki (Janakidiary)
Tamy (Always Eat on Good China)
and

Swathi (Zesty South Indian Kitchen)

 

Cheers!!!

Sanoli 

BHINDI DO PYAAZA

This is a very flavorful & popular Punjabi dish. 'Bhendi Do Pyaaza' means it is a stir fry of okra with onions and luscious spices, favourite dish among north Indians. Due to its eromatic flavour, everybody will be easily attracted once it is served in the table. Little tangy, little hot and little spicy this okra dish, tastes great!

INGREDIENTS:
1 lb Okra
2 medium Onions
2 Tomatoes
3-4 Green Chillies (chopped)
1/3 tsp Cumin seeds
A pinch of Asafoetida
1/2 tsp Ginger paste
1/2 tsp Garlic paste
1/2 tsp Garam masala
1/2 tsp Dry Mango powder (amchur)
1/2 tsp Red Chilli powder (as per taste)
1/2 tsp Coriander powder
1/2 tsp Dry Fenugreek Leaves (kasoori methi)
2 tbsps finely chopped Coriander Leaves
3 tbsps Oil
Salt to taste

METHOD:
Wash okra. Make it pat dry. Cut okras in 1" long pieces. Set aside.

Cut onions into thin slices and chop tomatoes.

Heat oil in a pan. Add cumin seeds and asafoetida in it. After few seconds, add onions in it. Fry for 3 minutes on medium heat.  Now add ginger and garlic paste in it. Fold well. Saute for another 2 minutes. Add tomato, green chilli and salt in it. Mix well.

After 4 mintes, when tomato mash up and leaves oil, add coriander powder, garam masala, dry mango powder and red chilli powder in it. Saute for another 2 minutes. Now add okra in it and mix well.

Cover and cook for 10 minutes on medium heat, stir occasionally.

Mash dry fenugreek leaves with two palms and add it with okras. Add chopped coriander leaves. Switch off the heat. Keep it covered for another five minutes. Fold well.

Serve hot with roti, naan or streamed rice.

KACH KOLAR KHOSHA BATA / PASTE OF PLANTAIN PEEL

Whenever, we use plantain for our dish, generally we forget about the utility of its peels. Plantain peels are very rich in iron and fiber, those are very essential for our body. Other than throwing the peels in garbage bin, lets see, how we can use those peels by making one dish.  When this 'ugly duckling' paste of peels sauted in mustard oil, dried up, it turns in a flavourful palate. So, here is the recipe for 'Kach Kolar Khosha Bata'.

INGREDIENTS:
Peels of 4 medium Plantains (raw banana)
3-4 pods of Garlic (as per taste)
1 small piece of Ginger (1/2")
1/3 tsp Nigella seeds (kalonji)
3-4 Green Chillies (as per taste)
1/2 tsp Sugar
2 tbsps grated Coconut
1 tsp Lemon Juice
1 tbsp Mustard Oil
Salt to taste


METHOD:
Wash the peels nicely.

Pressure cook it upto 1 whistle. Let it cool naturally.

Now, grind plantain peels, garlic, ginger, green chillies and grated coconut together with 1 tbsp water. Make a smooth paste.

Heat mustard oil in a wok. Add nigella seeds in it. After 15-20 seconds, add grinded paste, salt and sugar in it. Fold well. Stir for 4-5 minutes in medium heat, till excess water evaporates. Add lemon juice and remove from heat. Mix nicely.

Serve with hot steamed rice as a side dish.

GREEN GRAPES CHUTNEY

Grapes, 'Queen of the fruits' are storehouse of polyphenolic antioxidants, vitamins and minerals. So, include them in your regular diet. While grapes put in sugar syrup, it enhances taste as well as nutritive values.

INGREDIENTS:
2 cups of Green Grapes
1 cup Water
1/2 cup Sugar
1/2 tsp Mustard seeds
1 tbsp fresh Lemon Juice
1/2 tsp coarsely pounded Ginger
1/2 tsp Cumin seeds
1 dry Red chilli
1 tsp oil
Salt to taste


METHOD:

Dry roast cumin seeds and dry red chilli for 3 minutes. Pound coarsely. Set aside.

Heat oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds. When it pops up, add ginger and salt. Fry for 2 minutes on low flame.

Now, add 1 cup of water and 1/2 cup sugar in it. While it starts to boil, add green grapes in it. Cover and cook on medium heat till juice gets thicken.

Remove from heat, add lemon juice and coarsely pounded cumin-red chilli in it. Fold well.

Enjoy this luscious chutney!!!

Linking to: 'Showcase - Fun In Sun' hosted by Divya

MY SECOND AWARD

Hi Friends,

I recieved my second award from the event "Love Lock With Juices & Milkshakes"

Vani from Recipe world honoured me with this nice participation award. Thanks a lot Vani, for this award. You have made an excellent roundup. This participation award I got for Watermelon Agua Fresca, Fizzy Mango Watermelon Juice, Jus de Gingembre, Refreshing Jeera Lemonade and Banana and Mango Smoothie.

I am heartily thankful to all of my followers / blogger friends, who continuiously supported and inspired me by leaving their comments on my space.

So, friends.........
Lets cheers!!!

DUDH SHUKTO

Shukto is a traditional Bengali recipe with minimum spices, a classic melange of vegetables. It derives its distinct flavor from 'bitter gourd'. Food loving Bengali lunch started with saak bhaja (stir fry of any leafy vegetable), shukto, dal with fritters or bhaji, vegetable curry, non-veg dish i.e. fish, eggs, chicken or mutton and ends with chutney. If it is guest treat, or any special day lots of sweets are there in addition....So, Bengalis are fond of eating well and feeding others. Lots of vegetables can be used in this preparation, as bitter gourd used in it, so little bitter but sweet in taste, but all other vegetables flavored on their own distinct taste. Here milk is used to flavor the whole preparation, it gives a different taste in it. So, it is called DUDH SHUKTO. It is a healthy, sattvic, nutritious and complete meal with rice. Panch phoron with clarified butter make this dish rich and delectable one. 

INGREDIENTS:
1 large Potato
2 Bitter gourds
4 medium plantains
2 Round shaped Eggplants
12 Long Beans
2 Long Drumsticks
8 small round Radishes
2 Bay leaves
1&1/2 tbsps Panch Phoron
(if you don't have, mix mustard seeds, cumin seeds, fennel seeds, fenugreek seeds & nigella seeds equally)
1&1/2 tbsps Ginger paste
1 tbsp Coriander powder
1 tbsp Sugar (it is for flavor of this dish)
1 cup Milk
1/2 cup Warm water
1&1/2 tbsps Clarified Butter (Ghee)
4 tbsps Oil
Salt to taste

METHOD:

Wash and cut bitter gourd in 1&1/2" thin slices. Marinate with little salt and leave aside.

Peel potato, radish, plantain and drumsticks. Cut potato, eggplants, plantains, radishes, drumsticks and long beans in 2" long pieces.

Now wash all the vegetables nicely.

Dry roast panch phoron for 3 minutes. Remove it from heat and pound coarsely. Keep aside

Heat 2 tbsps oil in wok. Add bitter gourd slices in it. Fry nicely till bitter gourd turns into light brown. Remove from oil with a slotted spoon, set aside.

Add remaining oil in wok. Add bay leaves. Saute for few seconds. Now add all vegetables in it. Fold well and cover with lid. Keep stirring occasionally.

After 5 minutes, add ginger paste in it. Again fry for another 2-3 minutes uncovered, then add coriander powder, salt and sugar in it. Mix well. Keep stirring for another 2 minutes. Now add milk and warm water together in it. Fold well and when it starts boiling, cook covered for another 5 minutes in low heat.

Add coarsely pounded panch phoron and clarified butter in it. Remove from heat and fold well. Keep the wok covered for another 5 minutes.

Serve hot with steamed rice.

TIPS: You may add raw papaya or raw squash, it enhances its flavor.
         Here 'bori' is not available, so I could not add bori, otherwise adding fried bori with shukto tastes
         awesome!

SPICY OKRA

OKRA widely called as bhindi is a very popular green vegetable among us. It is a very popular health food due to its high fiber, vitamin C and folate content. It is known as high antioxidants, great diabetic option and oftenly used as a part of weight loss diet as it is fat-free and cholesterol-free, also a good source of calcium and potassium. Okra is a versatile vegetable, may fry or roast it, make curry with it or stuff it. Very easy to cook. Try this simple but delectable okra dish.

INGREDIENTS:
1lb Okra
3/4 cup Plain Thick Curd
1/2 tsp Nigella seeds (kalonji)
1/2 tsp roasted Carom seeds (coarsely pounded)
1/2 tsp roasted Fennel seeds (coarsely pounded)
1 tsp Red Chilli powder
1 tsp Coriander powder
1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
1/3 tsp Dry mango powder (amchur)
1/2 tsp Sugar (this is not for sweetness, only for flavour)
2 tbsps Oil
1 tbsps Clarified Butter (ghee)
Salt to taste


METHOD:
Wash okra. Trim from the two ends of okra and cut into slits.

Beat curd with sugar and little salt till it turns into a smooth paste. Set aside.

Heat oil and clarified butter in a frying pan. Add nigella seeds in it. After few seconds add okras in it. Fold nicely.

Fry for 2-3 minutes. Add turmeric powder and salt in it. Saute for another 3-4 minutes till okra turn light brown. Add coriander powder, red chilli powder, dry mango powder, fennel seed's powder and carom seed's powder in it. Mix well, stir for a minute.

Add beaten curd in it and fold well.

Put the heat medium low for 4-5 minutes. Switch off the heat when okra coats with spices well.

Serve hot with roti or as a side dish with steamed rice.

MY FIRST AWARD FABULOUS BLOG RIBBON

Hi friends,

This is my first award. Two of my blogger friends, Lavanya from http://lanvanyasrecipes.blogspot.com & PT from http://jopreet.blogspot.com shared this 'Fabulous Blog Ribbon' with me. This ribbon is actually token of love towards blogger friends. Lavanya and PT are such friends, I love to follow them, they are always appreciated for their interesting and delicious recipes in this blogger world and regularly I searched their blogs for updates. Thanks a lot to both of you, Lavanya and PT for this token of LOVE. Really this is an enjoyable moment to me. As per rule I want to pass this ribbon to five of my blogger friends. This a very hard job to choose only five among this huge friend-circle. As per me, all of my blogger friends deserve to get this award...

As always by accepting this fabulous ribbon, I have to comply to follow the rule:
Rule 1: Post rules on my blog.
Rule 2: State '5 most fabulous moments either in real life or blogosphere'
Rule 3: State '5 things I love'
Rule 4: State '5 things I hate'
Rule 5: Pass this ribbon to '5 lovely blogger friends' (leave a comment in their blog to notify of their win)

Rule 1: Acoording to this, I have already posted the rules above.

Rule 2: '5 most fabulous moments in real life or blogosphere'
1) When I started blogging on cooking
2) Today, this is the very day, I got my recognition from my blogger friends.
3) When I first linked my recipe for contest, no idea before, I was too exited.
4) When I got numerous appreciation mails from bloggers/readers on my work in my space.
5) Admirable co-operation which I get from my husband in day to day life.

Rule 3: '5 things I love'
1) I love my family including my parents & husband. I think other than their good wishes, I am just nothing.
2) I love my blog.
3) I love social gathering and travelling
4) I love to cook, as cooking is my passion
5) I love to listening music, anytime, any kind of music, specially Indian Classical based musics and Rabindra Sangeet.

Rule 4: '5 things I hate'
1) People who hurt others or misbehave with others without any reason.
2) Who are not truthful.
3) Coward.
4) Partiality.
5) Fraud.

Rule 5: The toughest part, to pass this fabulous ribbon to '5 lovely blogger friends' .

1) Priya from Priya's Versatile Recipes

2) Julie from Erivum Puliyum

3) Shabna from Shabbu's Tasty Kitchen

4) Amina Khaleel from Amina Creations

5) Priyanka Verma from Priyanka's Simple & Delicious recipes


Dear friends,

I pass this Award with all my love, smiles and hugs... Please accept this and show your Love, Smiles and Hugs to your loving friends.

CAULIFLOWER SHRIMP CURRY

This is a Bengali vesion of Alu-gobi with shrimp. Whenever, we feel bore with this cauliflower, just adding some shrimp or fish to make it a fabulous & delicious dish. Actually, Bengalis love adding fish or shrimp in many vegetarian dishes to make it a little twish with non-veg. I made potato-cauliflower with shrimp, cooked in a tomato gravy and flavoured by ginger-garlic.

INGREDIENTS:
1/2 Cauliflower (taken 12-15 florets only)
1 medium Potato, cut into 6-8 cubes
20 nos medium sized Shrimp (cleaned, deveined and washed)
1 Onion (finely chopped)
4 cloves of Garlic (crushed and minced)
1 tbsp Ginger paste
1/2 tsp Cumin seeds
1 Bay leaf
1 tsp Turmeric powder
1/2 tsp Red chilli Powder
2 Tomatoes (chopped)
1 tsp Coriander powder
1/2 tsp Cumin powder
1/2 tsp Shahi Garam masala
2 tsp low-fat Sour Cream
2 tbsps finely chopped Cilantro
1 tsp Clarified butter (Ghee)
1/2 tsp Sugar
4-5 tbsps Oil
Salt as per taste


METHOD:

Marinate shrimp with 1/3 tsp turmeric powder, little red chilli powder and salt. Keep aside for half an hour.

Sprinkle 1/3 tsp turmeric powder and little salt on washed cauliflower and potatoes. Set aside.


Heat 1tbsp oil in a wok. Add marinated shrimp in it. Fry for 2 minutes and remove from oil by using a slotted spoon, set aside.

Again heat 2 tbsps oil in wok. Add cauliflower and potatoes in it. Stir well. Cover and fry for 3-4 minutes, till it turns light brown. Remove potatoes and cauliflower from wok. Keep aside.


Add remaining oil in the same wok. Now add cumin seeds alongwith bay leaf. Saute a little, add minced garlic followed by onions. Fry till onions are getting translucent. Add ginger paste in it. Fry for another two minutes.


Now add all dry spices i.e. turmeric powder, red chilli powder, coriander powder, cumin powder and shahi garam masala. Sprinkle with little water and fry for another 2 minutes.


Add tomatoes, sugar and salt in it. Fry till tomatoes get mashed and leave oil from sides.  Add fried potatoes and cauliflowers alongwith shrimp at this time. Fold well for 3-4 minutes, till spices mix up well with potatoes and cauliflower.

Now add 1&1/2 cup of warm water and sour cream in it. Cook it covered till potato and cauliflower get tender (Approximately 8 minutes on medium heat). Stir occasionally.


Now add clarified butter and finely chopped cilantro in it. Fold well and remove from heat.


Serve hot. Goes well with streamed rice, roti or paratha.

Linking to: Spotlight "Curries / Gravies" @ 'Recipe Junction' & 'Cuisine Delights'