BEET CARROT SALAD

This salad I have prepared and relished on the weekly basis. I saw this recipe on Khana Khazana, by Sanjeev Kapoor. Actually it is an Italian salad with yummy dressing. Very simple and can be prepared in 10 minutes.  Healthy delicious and very light as a side to chicken, mutton or turkey. So, here is the recipe of tasty toothsome cumin flavoured simple salad by beet and carrot.

INGREDIENTS:
1 Beet root (peeled and parboiled/baked)
1 Carrot (peeled and parboiled/baked)
2 tbsps Olive Oil
1/2 tsp Cumin seeds
1 tsp Sesame seeds
1/3 tsp Grated Ginger
1/3 tsp Sea Salt
1 tbsp Fresh Lemon Juice
Few Slices of Cucumber (for garnishing)

METHOD:

Dry roast sesame seeds.

When it turns to change colour, remove from heat and set aside.

Dry roast cumin seeds for 2-3 minutes. Set aside.

In a mortar, place the grated ginger, roasted cumin seeds and sea salt. Pound it coarsely. Now add olive oil and lemon juice in it. Mix nicely. Now salad dressing is ready.

In a bowl, place chopped carrot and half of the dressing in it. Mix well.

Add the beet root slices in it and the remaining dressing. Mix thoroughly.

To serve, Place carrot beet mixture on the middle of the plate or tray.

Decorate with cucumber slices and sprinkle roasted sesame seeds on the top and serve chill. Enjoy this yummy and healthy salad.

Sending to:  Chandrani's Holiday Recipes

HUNAN CHICKEN

Hunan / Xiang cuisines is one of the eight great traditions of Chinese Cuisine. Cooking techniques are very common but it is well known for its deep colour, fresh aroma, little oily and spicy hot flavour. Chilli peppers, shallots and garlic are liberally used in this cuisine, which is famous for being dry hot as opposed to Sichuan cuisine, to which it is often compared. Everything from the preparation to the presentation is more involved with Hunan cooking. Flavours are developed over time therefore creating a tastier dish. Hunan Chicken is a sweet and spicy dish where fried chicken pieces coated with sweet and spicy sauce and peanuts add some extra flavour.

INGREDIENTS:

500 gm Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts, Cut into chunks
1 tbsp Fresh Lemon Juice
1/3 Cup Cornflour
2 Eggs

FOR THE SAUCE:

1/2 Cup Roasted Peanuts
1 Small Onion (chopped)
3-4 Pods of Garlic (minced)
1/2 tsp Minced Ginger
1/3 Cup Chicken Broth
1 tbsp Tomato Puree
1 tbsp Chili Garlic Sauce
2 tsp Dark Soy Sauce
1 tsp Red Pepper Flakes
1 Dried Red Pepper (chopped)
1 tsp Sugar
1/3 Cup Chopped Green Onions (optional, I didn't use)
1 tbsp Sesame Seeds (for decoration)
Oil for Frying
1 tbsp Sesame Oil
Salt to taste

METHOD:

In a bowl, whisk eggs and cornflour untill smooth. In a medium sized bowl, combine chicken pieces, lemon juice and little salt. Add egg-cornflour mixture in it. Mix nicely. Keep marinated chicken aside for 15 minutes.

Dry roast sesame seeds, till a nice aroma comes out. Remove from heat and set it aside.

Heat 3-4 tbsp Oil in a wok. Shallow fry chicken pieces in batches till it fully cooked. Drain on paper towel.

Meanwhile, combine chicken broth, tomato puree, chili garlic sauce, soy sauce, red pepper flakes and sugar in a medium sized bowl. Mix thoroughly.

Heat 1 tbsp sesame oil in a seperate wok. Add minced garlic, ginger, chopped red pepper and saute for 10 seconds on high heat. Add onion in it, saute till it turns into translucent. Pour sauce mixture in it, let it cook on very low heat for 6-7 minutes.

Add peanuts, saute for 2 minutes. Mix fried chicken pieces in it, toss well. Sprinkle chopped green onions (optional) and sesame seeds in it. Turn off the heat now.

Serve hot with tossed noodles.

Sending to: Holiday Recipes ~ 3rd Blog Anniversary Event

VEGETABLE RICE

One of my favorite food is vegetable rice or vegetable pulao. There are so many different styles to make and customise vegetable rice, i.e. vegetable pulao, vegetable biryani or vegetable fried rice. But I have tried my own variations over the years too. This rice dish is simple, flavorful and have a good amount of vegetables. A medley of veggies add colour and flavor to this spicy rice dish. Here is my simple vegetable rice recipe...

INGREDIENTS:

3 Cups Basmati Rice (or any aromatic rice
Some Whole Garam Masala
2 tbsp Clarified Butter (ghee)
Whole Garam Masala
(2-3 Bay Leaves, 2" Cinnamon Sticks, 3 Black Cardamoms, 6 Cloves, 8 Pepper Corns)
6 Cups Water
1 tsp Cumin Seeds
1 Cup
1 Cup Roughly Chopped Carrot
1 tbsp Julienne Ginger
3-4 Chopped Green Chillies (as per taste)
1 Cup Chopped Green Beans
2/3 Cup Sweet Corn (frozen)
2/3 Cup Green Peas (frozen)
3-4 tbsp Oil
Salt to taste

METHOD:

Wash rice 4 to 5 times and soak in water for 30 minutes. Drain excess water completely now and set it aside.

Heat 6 cups water in a deep pan or wok. Add rice in it and give a nice stir. Let it start to boil. Adjust heat into medium. At this time add 2 tbsp clarified butter, whole garam masala and salt. Give a stir once again.

Put the lid on and cook it for just 15 minutes on medium low heat. Remove from heat now. Open the lid, rice is now tender but each and every grain is seperated, not sticky.

In another pan or kadai, Add cumin seeds, ginger, green chillies in it. Saute for 40 seconds. Mix chopped carrot in it. Fry for another 2 minutes. Add green beans, sweet corn and peas in it.

Sprinkle little salt on it, fold well. Cover and cook for 4-5 minutes.

Now this vegetables are tender. Pour this sauteed vegetables onto cooked rice. Mix with a fork, so that everything incorporated very well. Cover the lip again and keep it as it is for 5 minutes.

Open the lid and serve warm vegetable rice with any spicy curry or simply with yogurt or raita. It is simple but delicious!

TIPS: Addition of clarified butter (ghee) keeps each grain of rice

          seperate.

Sending to: Cook with Comfort ~Blog Anniversary Event, Holiday Recipes ~ 3rd Blog Anniversary Event

VEGETABLE TIKKI

'Aloo Tikki' is a famous North Indian street food. I made little variation with this recipe and loaded with mashed green peas, carrot, coriander leaves with a various of Indian spices. You may use this tikki as a patties in Burger. Though it is a street food, but while made it in home, is very healthy and delicious.

INGREDIENTS:

2 Potatoes
1/2 Cup Green Peas (blended in mixer)
1/2 Cup Grated Carrot
2 tbsp Finely Chopped Coriander Leaves / Cilantro
2 Green Chillies (finely chopped)
3-4 tbsps Bread Crumbs
1 tbsp Fresh Lemon Juice
1 tsp Cumin Seeds (roasted & powdered)
1/3 tsp Chaat Masala
1/3 tsp Garam Masala
Salt to taste
1/2 Cup Oil For Frying

METHOD:

Boil, peel and mash potatoes nicely.

In a large bowl, combine mashed potato, green peas, carrot, coriander leaves, green chilli, bread crumbs, lemon juice, roasted cumin powder, garam masala and salt. Mix the whole thing together nicely. Refrigerate the dough for 1 hour.

After that, take a small portion from this dough, give a shape of ball, press it round gently to make a flat round pattie or tikki. Repeat the procedure for all pieces. I made 15 tikkis from this entire dough.

Heat oil in a non-stick pan. Fry tikkis till crisp golden brown from both sides. Drain on a paper towel.

Sprinkle chaat masala on the top. Serve hot with your favourite chutney or ketchup.

Sending to:  Lets cook Christmas party food,  Favorite Recipes: Christmas Recipes 2013,  Let's cook for Christmas event, "Eat Vegetables Stay Healthy" & JUSTEAT,  Cook with Comfort ~Blog Anniversary Event, Holiday Recipes ~ 3rd Blog Anniversary Event

LABONGO LATIKA - SOUTH VS NORTH CHALLENGE

First of all wishing all my co-blogger friends, readers, visitors A VERY HAPPY AND PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR, 2014. South vs North challenge completed its one year and running gloriously, which is today known by each and every co blogger friend, is a concept and brain-child of our sweet friend Divya Pramil of You too can cook Indian Food. Truelly a great going event where she divided this Indian Cuisine in two geographical parts: Northern Cuisine and Southern Cuisine. Food-bloggers have been placed in this event on the basis from where they belong to. A member from North team and a member from South team respectively will challenge the opposite team members with an authentic recipe from their respective zone and opposite team have to publish the same on their space with a month. Wish to join in SNC, no further delay, just mail to divya.pramil@gmail.com

Feeling proud to be a challenger in this month. Thanks a ton Divya dear for giving me this opportunity. Welcoming South team dearies and here is my lovely challenge to them............"LABONGO LATIKA". This mithai or sweet is made by Bengali's on very special occasion of Durga Puja or Makar Sankranti.

In Bengali 'Labongo' means CLOVE, simply an aromatic Indian spice, which I love a lot. Today, I am here with a very famous and traditional Bengali sweet "Labongo Latika", sweetened khoya or mawa encased in a crisp pastry and sealed with a clove, frying and soaking in the thicken sugar syrup. In my childhood days I saw my Grand Ma made this fingerlicking good sweet and all of us enjoyed and relished it too much. Hope you will like this yummilicious Bengali sweet.

INGREDIENTS:

FOR OUTER CRUST:

2 Cups All Purpose Flour / Self Raising Flour (maida)
2 tbsp Sugar (preferably powdered)
1/4 tsp Salt
Pinch of Baking Powder
Pinch of Saffron, Soaked In 2 tbsp Warm Water
3 tbsp Clarified Butter (ghee)
Little Warm Water To Knead The Dough
1 Cup Refined Oil for Deep Frying
20 Cloves

FOR FILLING:

200 gm Mawa / Khoya
3-4 tbsp Sugar (according to taste)
1/8 tsp Nutmeg Powder
1/3 Cup Warm Water

FOR SUGAR SYRUP:

1 Cup Sugar
1/2 Cup Water
1 tsp Rose Essence / Rose Syrup

METHOD:

TO MAKE DOUGH:

In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, 2 tbsp sugar, saffron water, clarified butter  and salt. Mix well. Add water little by little. Knead it to make a smooth dough. Cover with a wet cloth and rest for 20 minutes.

Divide the dough into 20 portions, by which make 20 equal flat balls and set those aside.

TO MAKE FILLING:

In a pan, crush mawa or khoya. Add ½ Cup warm water, nutmeg powder, Sugar in it. 

Heat the pan now and keep stirring continuously for about 6-7 minutes or till the mixture thicken. Switched off the flame now. 

Add raisins, mix nicely. Keep it aside and let it cool down a little.

TO MAKE SUGAR SYRUP:

Heat a sauce pan. Add 1 cup sugar and ½ cup water in it. Mix rose essence and let it boil. Two String consistency of syrup is required for this sweet.

HOW TO MAKE LABONGO LATIKA:

In the mean time, flat a ball by sprinkling little flour and make poori approx 4” diameter circle or oval. 

Take a spoonful filling and place at the center of the circle. Fold from two opposite sides. 

Lastly, with your wet fingertips, fold from the remaining opposite ends to make a pocket. Wrap the edges with little water and insert a clove to seal the pocket, so that the pocket won’t open easily.

Heat enough oil in a wok for frying labongo latika on medium low flame. Slowly add 4-5 pockets in it. Fry slowly till both sides turn into golden brown.  

Remove them from the oil and dip in thick sugar syrup for 4-5 minutes. Make sure that both sides of labongo latika are getting drenched in sugar syrup. Remove from syrup and arrange on serving plate. 

Always serve after a couple of hours at room temperature. You may store in an air-tight container and refrigerate for a week. Enjoy this lipsmacking good Bengali sweet!!!

Sending to:  Cook with Comfort ~Blog Anniversary Event, Holiday Recipes ~ 3rd Blog Anniversary Event

Hellow! My dearies from South Team, link your post with gorgeous clicks here...........

THOR ER PALANNO (BANANA PITH / STEM WITH RICE)

The banana tree is one of those few species where each part is used in some way, be it the leaves which are used for eating food or wrapping food, the fruit which is eaten in the form of raw or ripe, the flower or stem which is also consumed. The stem is cooked in various ways in South Indian Cuisine and in West Bengal. It is rich in fiber and helps in weight loss. It also helps prevent high blood pressure and maintain fluid balance within the body. It is used prevent and treat kidney stones. 'Thor' is tender inner part of 'Banana Plant'. Plantain stem or banana pith or thor is a very popular ingredient in Bengali vegetarian cuisine. In my childhood days, oftenly seen this recipe was made by my Grand Ma. This is an extremely delicious dish. Chopping 'thor' is treaky and really time consuming task. My Ma used to make 'Thor Chenchki' or 'Thor Ghonto', I relished those recipes, but this one is a very special and toothsome dish which I love the most.

INGREDIENTS:

1 ft Long Banana Pith / Stem (Thor)
1/2 Cup Gobindo Bhog Rice / Kalo Jeera Rice / Basmati Rice
1 Cup Warm Water
1/2 tsp Cumin Seeds
1 Whole Dried Red Chilli
Whole Garam Masala (1" Cinnamon, 2 Cloves)
1 Bay Leaf
3/4 tsp Ginger Paste
1/2 tsp Cumin Paste
1/2 tsp Turmeric Powder
1/2 tsp Red Chilli Powder (as per taste)
1/2 tsp Cumin Seeds (paste)
1/2 tsp Coriander Powder
Few Cashew Nuts
Few Raisins
2 tbsp Clarified Butter (ghee)
1 tbsp Oil
Sugar to taste
Salt to taste

METHOD:

Wash and clean banana stem nicely. Chop it finely or in very tiny cubes and soak it in water. Mix turmeric powder and little salt with it (otherwise they will turn black like chopped potatoes) and set it aside for 30  minutes.

Wash rice nicely. Heat 1 tsp clarified butter in a pan. Add rice, fry slowly for 2-3 minutes and keep it aside.

Add oil and remaining clarified butter in the same pan / wok. Slowly fry cashew nuts and raisins, remove from oil and set it aside.

On the same pan / wok, add cumin seeds, bay leaves, whole dried red chili and garam masala. Saute for few seconds. Add ginger and cumin paste, lower the heat now and keep stirring for a minute or two.

Drain water completely from banana stem by squeezing it nicely and add it to the pan/wok. Cook it in low heat till the water completely evaporates.

Now add fried rice, cashew nuts, raisins and 1 cup warm water in it. Fold well and cook till rice is tender. (Finally, rice and banana pith need to look seperate from each other)

Serve warm with plain steamed rice. Enjoy this toothsome Bengali delicacy.

Sending to:  Lets cook Christmas party food,  Favorite Recipes: Christmas Recipes 2013,  Let's cook for Christmas event,  "Eat Vegetables Stay Healthy" &  JUSTEAT

Sending to: Cook with Comfort Event, Holiday Recipes ~ 3rd Blog Anniversary Event