Kaddu Ki Kheer

Eid-ul-Fitr Celebrations after the month of Ramadhan

Eid Mubarak Everyone!

Alhamdulillah its been a wonderful Eid, May Allah accept all our Duas and make us better Muslims inshallah.

I prepared Kaddu ki Kheer on the second day of the celebrations of the Eid-ul-Fitr, after coming back from work. Its a pity that its not a public holiday on the religious festivals. I think, especially in a multi-cultural place like Canada, this should definitely be given a thought.

Kaddu Ki Kheer – Bottle Gourd Milk Pudding

Kheer is one the most delicious, simple and quick pudding or dessert to prepare. I usually use rice, bottle-gourd, sago, potato and sweet-potato to prepare different varieties of Kheer. The basic steps remain the same, boiling milk with sugar, cardamom, nuts and saffron for flavor. 

Kaddu Ki Kheer – Bottle Gourd Milk Pudding

Ingredients:

• Bottle Gourd/Kaddu – small sized, 400 gms (approx)
• Full fat or Low fat Milk - 2 1/2 cups
• Chopped Pistachios – 1 tbsp
• Sliced Almonds – 1 tbsp
• Chopped Walnuts – 1 tbsp
• Chopped Raisins – 1 tbsp
• Milk Powder – 1/4 cup
• Sugar – 55 gms
• Ground Cardamom seeds – a pinch
• Saffron strands/Zafraan – a pinch

Method:

• Wash, peel and remove the seeds from the bottle gourd, reserve only the flesh. Shred it either in a food processor or using a grater.
• Pour 2 cups milk into a saucepan and bring to a boil. Simmer heat and let it cook uncovered for 10 mins. Keep an eye on it, so that it does not boil away.
• Dissolve the milk powder in the remaining 1/2 cup milk. Pour this into the saucepan. Also add the shredded bottle gourd, ground cardamom seeds, sugar and chopped nuts.
• Let it cook for 10 more minutes on simmer. As the milk cooks it begins to turn light yellow in colour, and gets more richer and cremier. Once done, remove from heat and serve warm or cold.

(Note: To make it more rich for a special occasion and for an indulgence, you can even use Condensed milk and Khoa in the recipe)

Luv,
Mona

Sheer Qurma

We celebrated Eid-Ul-Fitr, our festival after the month of fasting 3 days ago. On Eid I had prepared Chicken Biryani, Sheer Qurma and Cholay.

Sheer Qurma is a meetha/dessert prepared using roasted fine Vermicelli Noodles, or Seviyan cooked in milk with some fried dried nuts and sprinkled with saffron and nutmeg, cardamom powders to enhance the savory flavour of the dessert.

It is traditionally served after the Eid prayers to the entire household and also to all the guests who arrive to greet you on Eid, and is served hot along with other snacks, I usually serve spicy Cholay along. Some people like this dessert rich and slightly thick in consistency and some people like it a bit thin in consistency with less seviyan and more of milk. To make it rich, you can add khoa to it, or add a bit of condensed milk. I and my family prefer the latter kind. If you like it thick, you can cook the Sheer Qurma a bit more on medium heat till you get your desired consistency.

You can roast the vermicelli and store in the refrigerator for more than a week, a make ahead for this dish. If you prepare the whole thing and store it in the refrigrerator it will become pasty as the days pass. You can also fry the nuts and store in the refrigerator a day before to prepare this sweet savory instantly when your guests arrive, as you will just have to cook it all in milk and serve. 

Sheer Qurma – Vemilcelli Cooked in Fragrant Milk 

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

*Fine* Vermicelli noodles/Seviyan – 3/4 cup
Ghee/Oil - 2 tbsp
Almonds – 1 tbsp, deskined and thinly sliced
Pistachio – 1 tbsp, halved
Chironji nuts – 1 tbsp, shelled
Dates – 5 dates, halved and deseeded
Saffron strands/Zafraan – 1/2 tsp
Black Raisins/Kala Kishmish -1 tbsp
Milk – 5 1/2 cups
Nutmeg powder – 1/4 tsp
Green cardamom/Elaichi powder - 1/4 tsp
Green Cardamom/Elaichi – 1, whole
Sugar – 4 to 5 tbsp

Method:

-Soak the saffron and the halved and deseeded dates in 1/2 cup warm milk. Cover and keep aside.
-Pour milk into a large pan. Throw the skin of the whole cardamom and add the seeds to the milk. Boil milk in the pan at high heat with sugar and green cardamom powder, nutmeg powder until it is reduced by one-fourth.
-In a heavy bottomed pan at medium heat add butter/oil and roast the vermicelli noodles in it until they are a few shades darker brown. Add the raisins and the remaining nuts. Pour the reduced milk into it and let it come to a boil once. Add the dates and the saffron with the milk in which they have been soaking. Cover and let it cook for 3-5 minutes. By now the noodles must have become very soft. Remove from heat. It can be served hot or cold.

Luv,
Mona

Veggies and Me!

Today I am going to share with you all the recipe of ‘Vegetable Dum Biryani’, ‘Rice Cooked With Vegetables and Spices, from the Cookbook India’s Vegetarian Cooking, by Monisha Bharadwaj. I have modified this recipe according to my tastes here and there. Sounds Yummy, Isnt it !

Biryani’s are everyone’s favourite, may it be Vegetarian or Non-vegetarian – the Chicken Biryani or Mutton Biryani. I, somehow always had disliked Vegetarian Biryani. My Mom always had to run after me to make me have my Vegetable Biryani whenever she would make it Infact it was scary for me to have all the veggies, in one plate at a time ! They looked like as those veggies were challenging me to gulp them down Now when I look back, I myself wonder about the possible reason for my hatred towards them during my childhood, was it the taste ?! .. they look fab and colourful to me now when together in a plate, so looks might not have been a reason.. Cannot really make out the reason for that. I guess there’s really some direct relation between childhood and the repulsion towards Veggies Oops, am talking in chemistry language !! My Hubby though still hates veggies Men,’ Most’ men, and Veggies arent friends anytime of life

As I grew older, and came in the Nutriton field, I began to have food more based on the ‘nutrient’ value rather than my likes and dislikes. And likes automatically became what is healthy and what’s not ! I now love Veggies, and Vegetable biryani too, a lot. I prepare it on weekends mostly for lunch or dinner, and very occasionally on weekdays for dinner.

Vegetable Biryani is healthy, and delicious, especially this one. Yes, I, who once used to ‘hate’ it, am admitting it today. Like Mutton Biryani and Chicken Biryani, Vegetable Biyani is not a Mughalai dish, as far as I know. It is a modified version of the Pulao. A rich, aromatic version of pulao, resembling the Authentic and Aromatic Non-Veg Mughalai Biryani’s.

I usually cherish spending my time in the kitchen. And I reserve these kind of lengthy recipes for moments like these. Leisurely and carefully preparing meals in the kitchen helps me relieve and wind down. I enjoy my time cooking with love for everyone.

The spices, that I am using in the recipe can be bought from any Asian spice stores. I love to add milk and cream to my Biryani’s and make them rich in flavours. You can always alter the amounts of Salt in any of the recipes according to your tastes. I use the mixed frozen vegetables from the market, when I do not have fresh veggies in my house. I find it very useful at those times. You can however use chopped fresh veggies for the Biryani in the recipe.

Vegetable Dum Biryani -  Rice Cooked With Vegetables and Spices

Source: India’s Vegetarian Cooking

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

• Spices for the Rice water:

1. Bay Leaves – 2
2. Fennel Seeds/Saunf – 1 tsp
3. Nutmeg Powder – 1 tsp
4. Cinnamon – 1 small stick
5. Cloves – 5
6. Black peppercorns – 8
7. Green cardamom – 3

• Milk – 4 tbsp
• Saffron strands – 1/2 tsp
• Rose Water – 4 tbsp (optional)
• Green cardamoms – 2
• Butter/Canola Oil – 6 tbsp
• Yellow Onion – 3, medium, thinly sliced
• Ginger Garlic paste – 1 tbsp
• Tomato paste – 2 tbsp
• Turmeric Powder – 1/2 tsp
• Garam Masala powder – 1/2 tsp
• Salt – 1 1/4 tsp
• Frozen Mixed Vegetables (Corn, Carrots, Potatoes, French Beans, Lima beans) – 270 gms
• Red capsicum – 1, chopped
• Basmati Rice – 300 gms
• Mint leaves – 1 tbsp
• Cilantro – 1 tbsp
• Slivered Almonds – 3 tbsp

 

Vegetable Dum Biryani / Tarkari Ka Chawal

Method:

• Preheat Oven to 425 °F /220 °C/Gas Mark 6
• Put the spices meant for the rice water in 600 ml of water. Bring to a boil and turn off heat. Cover the pan and allow the flavours to infuse. This will be our liq. 1.
• Meanwhile crush the two green cardamoms with milk and saffron and rose water and keep aside in a small bowl. This will be our liq. 2.
• In a pan on medium heat, pour 3 tbsp of butter/oil and stir fry the chopped red capsicum. Remove with a slotted spoon and reserve.
• In the same pan and butter/oil fry the onions until brown. Remove half of them and reserve for garnish. Add Ginger garlic paste to the pan and stir fry it along with the remaining onions. Remove from heat and let it cool. Grind the fried Ginger-Garlic and Onion.
• Heat 1 1/2 tbsp butter/oil in a pan and pour the above grinded mixture along with turmeric powder, Garam masala and tomato puree. Season with salt and let it cook for 5-10 minutes.
• Add the frozen mixed vegetables to the tomato and onion mixture in the pan. Also add the stir fried red capsicum. Mix Well and simmer. Let it cook for 10 more minutes. Remove from heat and reserve.
• Strain the liq. 1 and keep aside. Throw away the spices.
• In a pan add 1 1/2 tbsp of butter/oil and fry the rice over high heat. (Note: Do not wash the rice before hand. Rinsing will wash away the significant amount of surface starch that contributes to the dish.)
• When the rice has become shiny, add half of the liq. 1 and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and cover for about 6-8 minutes or until the water has evaporated.
• Take an oven proof dish and start the layering process of the Biryani. The top and bottom layers are always the rice in a Biryani. Start by a layer of rice in the bottom of the dish, then add a layer of Vegetable mixture, then a layer of rice, and layer of vegetable mixture, and then the final rice layer. Pour evently the remaining liq.1 and the liq. 2 and the reserved fried onions on the rice layer. Also sprinkle the chopped coriander and mint leaves, and the slivered almonds on it. Seal the dish with tinfoil.
• Cook the biryani for 40 minutes in the oven reducing the heat to 375 °F/190 °C/Gas Mark 5 after 20 minutes. Open the dish/Remove the tinfoil from the dish, just before serving.

Suggested Accompaniments: Tamatar ki Chutney

This goes as my contribution to Sharmi for the event she is holding Jihva for Ingredients JFI and its Rice this month at her place.

 

Garma-Garam Qaeema Samosa

Welcome! Its Snack time.., and you are all invited !!  Today I thought of preparing some snacks for my family for the evening, it being a weekend.. So, the first thing that came to my mind was Samosas,. And who wouldnt like Samosas? I and my hubby usually go and get some for us all from the ‘Samosa King’ market here, but today I thought of preparing them at home, Hyderabadi style.

Samosas are triangle shaped Indian pastries that are filled with meat or vegetables, or both. The filled pastries are generally deep-fat fried but can also be baked. These pastries are eaten as snacks or appetizers. I’m a Biiiiig fan of fast foods/junk foods or Snacks and appetizers. My Papa, Mummy, Mother and Father in law are the proof to that, as they, being the elders, are always after me saying i should have good meals too other than just snacking

This version of Samosas are my favourite., my hubby sometimes gets Aloo/Potato Samosas, but we prefer this Non-Veg version of samosas, which I prepare sometimes at home. I will also post the recipe of Aloo/Potato Samosas very soon in the coming days. I remember the wonderful aromas of all kinds of snacks and appetizers and the fast foods… tempting us to stop by from the road side stalls on the way home from College back in India. My Mom also used to make these samosas in large quantities in the month of Ramadhan, when we all Muslims fast, and at occasions or celebrations. This is my Mom’s recipe, and here it goes:

Garma-Garam Qaeema Samosa - Spicy Ground Meat Samosas:-

For the Dough-

Ingredients:

• Whole Wheat Flour – 1 cup
• Salt – 1/2 tsp
• Melted Butter – 2 1/2 tbsp
• Warm Water – 1 cup

Method:

• Sift the flour and salt together in a bowl. Rub in the melted butter and gradually add water.
• Knead and mix the dough, preferebly 10 minutes, until it is soft and leaves the side of the bowl.
• Cover the bowl with a plastic wrap and keep aside at room temperature for 30 minutes.

For the Filling-

Ingredients:

• Butter/Canola Oil - 2tbsp
• Yellow Onion – 1, chopped
• Ginger-Garlic Paste – 1 1/2 tsp
• Coriander seed/Dhaniya powder – 1 tsp
• Cumin seed/Zeera Powder – 1 tsp
• Tumeric/Haldi powder – 1/2 tsp
• Red Chilli powder – 1/8 tsp
• Garam Masala – 1/2 tsp
• Minced Lean Lamb meat – 200 gms
• Salt – 1 tsp
• Lemon juice – 1 tbsp
• Warm Water – 1/2 cup
• Mint leaves – 1 tbsp, finely chopped
• Green chilli – 2, small, finely chopped

Note: You will need extra flour while rolling the dough, and, Oil for deep frying the Samosas.

Method:

• Pour butter in a heavy bottom pan over medium heat and fry the onion till it changes colour.
• Add the ginger garlic paste and stir fry it with the onions for 2 minutes.
• Lower the heat and add the cumin, coriander, turmeric powder and garam masala for 2 minutes.
• Add the minced meat and stir it well, mashing it against the walls of the pan, with the spoon to prevent it from forming lumps.
• Add salt, lemon juice, water and stir well.
• Cover and cook it for 10 minutes.
• Once the mixture is dry, add nutmeg and chilli powder; stir well to combine.
• Remove from heat and let it cool.
• Now, Lightly knead the rested dough. Divide into 8 balls and press each ball and cover with a plastic wrap.

The Dough Balls

• Now roll out each ball, one by one, on a lightly floured work surface woth a rolling pin into 12 cm circles.
• Cut each circle into semi circles and brush the edges with water.

Preparing Samosas

• Put a generous teaspoon of the filling on one half of the semi circle and fold the free half over the filling to form a triangle.
• Press the edges firmly to seal.
• Fold until all the samosas are ready for deep frying.

Prepared Samosas ready for frying

• Heat Oil in a wok or kadai or a deep, heavy bottomed sauce pan until it begins to sizzle.
• Fry the Samosas, a few at a time, on medium heat, gently, until they are golden brown in colour.

Frying Samosas

• Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on absorbent paper. The Samosas are ready to be served.

Samosas,.. Hmm, they look Yummy :-p

This recipe goes as a contribution to Hima for the event ‘Whats Your Favourite..’ she is holding. For this time, the theme is ‘Whats your favourite Snack’. I’m sure her inbox will soon be overflowing with lots of snacks. So, it will a snack party at Hima’s place in the month of September. Be sure to drop by at here place! Eagerly and impatiently waiting for the round up Hima.

These Samosas make great Snacks, or you also serve them as Appetizers. Enjoy

 

Pan Grilled Chicken Breast with Mustard

Chicken Breasts are one the most easiest cooking meat with very amount of fat in it and are good for heath for their protein content. I have pan grilled the chicken breast pieces in this recipe. One of the best things man has made for an easier life is a stove top grill pan. I’ve a stove with a ceramic stove top. And i also love to grill food, Oh! those grilled marks appear invite me to eat that tasty food. These grill pans for ceramic stove tops are great. Going out, igniting the charcoal, i find is laborious and cannot be done everytime your tummy calls for grilled food. My hubby bought one stove top grill pan for me recently and i love grilling food on that. For instance, you can buy one from Ikea here, or anywhere. Yeah it needs care, like eveything in this world. Well, go ahead, buy a stove pan grill pan, and try out this recipe. Enjoy.Ingredients:

• Boneless and skinless chicken breasts – 4 pieces
• Fresh orange juice – 1 cup
• Chicken Stock - 1/2 cup
• Wholegrain mustard sauce - 1/2 cup
• Honey – 2 tbsp
• Brown sugar – 2 tbsp
• Soy sauce – 2 tbsp
• Ground black pepper – 1 tbsp
• Ground nutmeg – 1/2 tsp
• Ground cloves – 1/2 tsp

Method:

• In a heavy sauce pan, mix together orange juice, bourbon, whole grain musturd, honey, brown sugar, and soy sauce and bring to a boil for 1 minute and then reduce to simmer.
• One substitution for bourbon, if you do not have it in your house is, for 1 tbsp of bourbon, add 1 tbsp of vanilla extract and 2 tbsp of water.
• Add cloves and nutmeg to the saucepan.
• Continue to cook till the sauce is dark and thick for 10 minutes more and then it completely.
• In a resealable plastic bag use half of the sauce and coat the chicken with it. Sprinkle black pepper powder over it and refrigerate it for 1 hour preferably.
• Preheat the stove top grill pan to slightly more than medium high and coat it with a non stick cooking spray.
• Grill chicken, 10 minutes on each side, until it is browned well. The grilling time varies, take care not to over cook the chicken make the tissue tough and hard. Let the juices run clear and it is soft enough.
• Serve it hot with any of your favourite vegetables or potatoes.