PANEER SWEET

A simple sweet with grated paneer or freshly made chana. You can use freshly made paneer made of fat free milk to enjoy a good amount of the sweet.

INGREDIENTS
Grated Paneer/ chana                   1 cup
Fried nuts                                     2 Tsp
Cardamom  powder                     1 tsp
Whole milk                                  1/4 cup
Sugar                                           1/2 cup
Ghee                                            3 Tsp

PROCEDURE
Make chana/ paneer with milk or use the grated paneer.
While using fat free milk to make paneer be cautious to remove it promptly before paneer hardens.(Paneer made with whole milk is softer than the one made with fat free milk)
Heat a thick bottom pan and add the paneer, milk, sugar.
On a slow flame keep stirring till every thing is incorporated well and a thick lump of sweet is formed.
Add the cardamom powder, ghee and garnish with nuts.
Do not leave on the flame for longer time as it makes the paneer hard.    

SORAKAYA TEEPI KURA

Sorakaya or bottle gourd is mostly used in sambar or dappalam or dal. A simple curry is also made with light tadka. Now I give a very special recipe which is mostly made in very traditional homes in Andhra.
A sweet and sour version of the curry. Of course many other veggies are also cooked in the same fashion, but bottle gourd has a very special place in this category.

INGREDIENTS

Bottle gourd pieces                      2 cups
Oil                                                4 Tsp
Chana and urad dal                      2 Tsp
Mustard                                       1 tsp
Jeera                                            1 tsp
Jaggery                                        2 Tsp
Turmeric                                      1/4 tsp
Hing                                            1/4 tsp
Tamarind                                     small lemon sized ball
Salt                                              to taste
Green chillies                               3 chopped
Coriander                                     2 Tsp chopped

PROCEDURE
Cook the bottle gourd pieces and set aside.
Soak tamarind in hot water for 20 minutes and extract the pulp.
Heat oil in a pan and add the channa dal, urad dal, mustard seeds, jeera.
When the dals turn brown add the hing the turmeric.
Add the cooked bottle gourd pieces.
Fry for a minute or so.
Now add the tamarind pulp, green chillies, salt.
Add a little water, cover and cook on a slow flame for 10 minutes.
Add the jaggery, coriander.
Cover and cook for another 10 minutes and serve hot with rice.

PANEER BURJI

Many of you might have heard of egg burji and this paneer burji is a vegetarian twist to egg burji.
If you are a pure veggie who don't even eat egg then paneer burji can be your choice. Burji means scrambled  and crumbled paneer is used to make the recipe. You can also use freshly made chhana for making the recipe.

INGREDIENTS

Crumbled paneer/chhana                  1 cup
Onion                                                1 small, chopped
Carrots                                              1/4 cup diced
Green peas, corn                               1/4 cup
Green chillies                                    2 chopped
Coriander                                          1 Tsp chopped
Turmeric                                            a pinch
Ginger garlic paste                            1/2 tsp
Garam masala                                   1/2 tsp
Salt                                                    to taste
Oil                                                     2 Tsp

PROCEDURE
Heat oil and add the ginger garlic paste, onions, turmeric.
Saute' for a minute. Add the veggies.
Cover and cook till the veggies are soft.
Now add the paneer and mix well.
Add the salt and garam masala powder.
Fry for few more minutes, top it off with coriander.
Serve as a breakfast with plain bread.

CHOCOLATE KALAKAND

Kalakand is one such sweet which is very traditional and can be given to kids without any second thought. Kalakand is delicious as is and when it is combined with chocolate makes it even more tastier. I have already posted the detailed recipe for making the kalakand, today I give a simple, quick and easy way to make this kalakand.

INGREDIENTS

Condensed milk                                         1 cup
Grated paneer or fresh made channa          1 cup
Chocolate(grated)                                       1/4 cup
Butter                                                         3 Tsp

PROCEDURE

Heat butter in a pan and add the grated paneer and the condensed milk.
Stir continuously on a slow flame till the mixture leaves the edges of the pan.
Be patient. It may take about 15 minutes depending on the quantity of kalakand you are making.
Alternatively you can microwave the whole thing for 5 minutes and by mixing if every minute. Be cautious as the mixture may get burnt up easily in microwave.
When the kalakand is about to be formed add the grated chocolate and mix well.
When a thick lump of the mixture is formed take it on to a greased plate.
Let cool for 1 hour and cut into desired shape.

VEGGIE FRENCH TOAST- INDIAN STYLE

French toast is favorite for many bread lovers. It is also known as eggy bread. Bread is dipped in egg batter and the fried in butter. Served with any sweet dish. Now I give the french toast recipe for vegetarians and on top it is not sweet.........it is hot and spicy.

INGREDIENTS

Bread                    6 slices

Besan                    1/2 cup

Milk                       1/2 cup

Salt                         to taste

Pepper                    to taste

Boiled potatoes       2 large

Boiled carrots          2

Chopped cabbage    1/2 cup

Onion                      1/2 cup chopped

Besan                       2 Tsp

Green chilies            2 chopped

Chopped coriander   2 Tsp   

Jeera                         1 tsp

Garlic ginger            1 Tsp

Oil                            2 Tsp

Butter                       to shallow fry bread

PROCEDURE

To make the patties

Heat oil in a pan and add jeera, ginger garlic paste.

Now add the very finely chopped onions, cabbage.

Once they are soft add the mashed potatoes, carrots. 

Finally add the chopped green chilies, salt, coriander.

Let the mixture cool.

Add enough besan the mixture should be like a dough.

Take a big lemon sized mixture and make a patty. It should fit the bread slice.

Shallow fry the patty with butter. Keep the flame low so that it is cooked from inside( you are using besan as binding agent)  

For making the toast

Mix the besan, milk, salt and pepper.

The mix should be like the very thin dosa batter.

Take a bread slice, place the patty, close with another slice.

Dip the sandwiched  bread in the besan mixture and shallow fry on both sides with lots of butter.

Keep the flame medium.

Serve with any sauce.   

BUTTER PARATHA

A recipe for you kids which is rich in taste, rich in calories. These will melt away in your mouth. When you see the name of the recipe you may think I have used butter while frying the chapati, of course yes.....but I have used butter right from making the dough. Peek into the procedure once. Paratha is often made with maida, but here I have used whole wheat flour.

INGREDIENTS

Wheat flour               2 cups
Salt                            to taste
Milk                           as required
Butter                       3 Tsp and also for frying
1 boiled peeled and mashed potato

PROCEDURE

Mash the boiled potato, add the wheat flour, salt, 3 Tsp butter( at room temperature).
Mix all of the ingredients very well.
Add Milk little by little and make a dough.
Let the dough rest for 4-5 hours.
Take a small amount of the dough and roll it into a thin roti. Apply butter and fold it into half. It should be like the half moon.
Again apply some more butter to the upper layer and fold it into another half.
Now your folding should be like a triangle.
Gently roll this triangle into a large paratha by using dry flour.
Fry the paratha on both sides with butter.
Serve hot.

PUDINA IN ONION-TOMATO GRAVY

Pudina is mostly used to flavor the dish. Apart from pudina rice and pudina chutney I don't use a whole lot of it in any other dish. But this time I came with a recipe which uses a very large quantity of pudina. It is a very good combination with any Indian bread.

INGREDIENTS

Pudina                       1 bunch
Onion                        1 cup finely chopped
Tomato                      1 cup finely chopped
Ginger garlic             1 tsp
Jeera                          1 tsp
Garam masala pwd   1 tsp
Chilly powder           1 tsp
Oil                             3 Tsp
Salt                            to taste

PROCEDURE

Wash and finely chop the pudina leaves.
Heat oil in a pan and add the jeera, ginger garlic paste.
Add the finely chopped onions. Add a bit of salt.
Fry the onions till they are translucent.
Add the chopped tomatoes.
Cover and cook till oil oozes out of the gravy.
Now add the pudina.
Fry till the leaves are well cooked.
Finally add the salt, garam masala and the chilly powder.
Serve with any flavored rice or Indian bread.