Nutty chocolaty delight

Ingredients

1. Chocolate bar - 1 medium size(broken measuring roughly 1 cup)
2. Fresh cream - 100ml
3. Coconut milk - 50 ml
4. Nuts chopped - 1/3 cup
5. Butter -25 gms

Method

In a sauce pan heat fresh cream,once it starts boiling add butter and cook in low flame till butter melts completely. Next add in coconut milk and cook in low flame for 1 min approx. switch off the flame and add chocolate in it, stir till the entire chocolate melts. Mix in the nuts and cool in refrigerator for a minimum of 1 hour. Garnish with chopped chocolate and serve cold.

Malai Kofta

Ingredients

1. Mixed vegetables( French beans,carrot,potato boiled and mashed) - 1cup
2. Bread crumbs - 1/2 cup
3. Kasuri methi - 1 tsp
4. White til - 1/5 cup
5. Cottage cheese - 1/5 cup
6. Peanuts - 1/5 cup
7. Fresh cream - 1/5 cup
8. Onion - 2 medium(grated)
9. Ginger paste- 1tsp
10. Garlic paste - 2tsp
11. Turmeric powder - 3/4 tsp
12. Coriander powder - 1tsp
13. Cumin powder - 1 tsp
14. Red chilly powder - 1/2 tsp
15. Salt to taste
16. Refined oil for frying
17. Amchur powder - 1/2 tsp
18. Green chilly - 1 no(chopped)
19. Tomato - 2 medium no(chopped)

Method

For the kofta

Mix in mashed vegetables,half the bread crumbs,kasuri methi, salt,amchur powder,green chilly and make a tight dough,if required add more bread crumbs. Make koftas out of the mixture,coat with remaining bread crumbs and deep fry till golden brown.
Soak til,peanuts in Water for 30 mins approx,blend them along with cottage cheese in a blender and keep aside,if required add some milk to form a smooth paste.
Heat 5 tsp of oil in a frying pan,add onion,ginger,garlic and fry till oil starts separating. Add tomato and further fry for some more time. Mix in turmeric powder,chilly powder, coriander powder,cumin powder and stir fry for 30 secs. Mix in the til paste along with some water to make a gravy. Add salt and bring to boil. Arrange the koftas in a serving plate,pour in the hot gravy over it. Garnish with fresh cream and serve hot.

Ginger garlic egg fried rice

Ingredients

1. Ginger(chopped) - 1tsp
2. Garlic(chopped) - 2tsp
3. Egg - 2 nos
4. Boiled rice - 3 cups
5. Black pepper powder - 1tsp
6. Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
7. Olive oil - 3tsp
8. Soya sauce - 2 tsp
9. Salt to taste
10. Lemon while serving
11. Cumin seeds - 1tsp

Method

In a non-stick frying pan heat oil. Add ginger,garlic,cumin seeds and fry till they change colour. Break the eggs in it and stir fry till the eggs are golden brown and finely scrambled. Mix in black pepper powder,salt,turmeric powder and stir fry for few secs. Add soya sauce,boiled rice and mix well. Serve immediately,sprinkling with some lemon juice on it.

Mutton Rogan Josh

Ingredients

1. Mutton - 500 gms(with fat preferable)
2. Onion - 300 gms( julienned)
3. Garlic - 7 cloves(finely chopped)
4. Ginger - 2 inch(finely chopped)
5. Black cardamom - 2 nos
6. Cinnamon - 2 inch
7. Cloves - 4 nos
8. Coriander seeds - 1 1/2 tsp
9. Fennel seeds - 1 1/2 tsp
10. Black pepper - 1 tsp
11. Kashmiri red chilly powder - 4 tsp
12. Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp(optional)
13. Curd-200gms(whisked)
14. Salt to taste
15. Mustard oil - 4tsp

Method

This dish is mainly done in a kadhai but I prefer using pressure cooker as meat becomes tender and soft which I personally prefer. You may also cook in a kadhai,in that case cooking time will differ.

Heat mustard oil in a pressure cooker and add black cardamom,cinnamon ,cloves,black pepper,cook till they start releasing their aroma. Add onions and stir fry in low flame till they turn brown in colour. Now add ginger,garlic and stir fry for some more time. Mix in the mutton pieces and stir fry in medium flame for 4 to 5 mins. Add salt,turmeric powder and 1 cup of water. Close the lid,after 1 whistle lower down the flame and cook for 20 mins approx. Once all the steam disperses open the pressure cooker. In the meanwhile dry roast coriander seeds and fennel seeds and grind coarsely. Mix in the Kashmiri chilly powder in the curd. Place the pressure cooker with meat back on the flame. Once it starts boiling,lower down the flame and add curd mix and the coarse powder. Cook for 2 more mins and serve hot with steamed rice,chapatti.

Red Spinach Dip

Ingredients

1. Red spinach(commonly known as lal bhaji in Hindi) - 1 cup(chopped)
2. Cottage cheese - 1/2 cup
3. Milk as required
5. Garlic - 5 cloves(chopped)
6. Black pepper powder - 1 tsp
7. Salt to taste
8. Steamed and pan fried vegetables to accompany
9. Olive oil - 1 tsp

Method

Heat oil in a pan,add garlic and fry till brown in colour. Mix in red spinach,salt and stir fry till they get soft,cool. In a blender add cottage cheese,red spinach,small amount of milk depending upon the consistency you prefer. Blend and pour in a serving bowl,add black pepper powder and serve with veggies.

Malai chumchum

Ingredients

1. Full cream milk - 500ml ( cuddle it with the help of curd or lemon juice)
2. Khoya - 1/2 cup (finely mashed)
3. Milk cream - 1/2 cup
4. Sugar powder- 1/4 cup
5. Sugar- 1cup
6. Cardamom - 2nos
7. Orange food colour(optional)

Method

Strain all the water from the chena which you prepared from cuddling the milk. The trick is squeeze out as much moisture from it as possible. Now knead the chena for 5 to 6 minutes to get a smooth texture. Shape oval chum chum out of the mixture. In a pressure cooker heat sugar with 1 1/2 cups of water,remember the chum hum should immerse properly. In case you need more increase the amount as required. To the sugar solution add cardamom,food colour and boil till all the sugar dissolves properly. Carefully drop in the chumchum in the sugar syrup and cook till 2 whistles. Allow to cool and open the pressure cooker lid only when all the steam has dispersed. In the meanwhile in a blender mix khoya,cream and sugar powder for few seconds,it should be thick paste,so adjust cream as required. Once the chumchum has cooled down take them out of the sugar syrup and coat with the malai mix. Refrigerate for minimum 30 mins and voila malai chum chum ready to be served. Decorate with chopped pistachio if desired.

Besan til barfi

Ingredients

1. Besan - 1 cup
2. White roasted til - 1/4 cup
3. Sugar syrup- 1 cup
4. Green cardamom-1 no
5. Ghee - 1/2 cup

Method

Heat ghee in a wok and add besan to it. Stir fry in medium flame till besan turns light brown in colour. Now add til,cardamom and stir for 2 mins approx. For the sugar syrup boil equal amount of water and sugar,bring to boil and simmer for 2 to 3 mins. I had also added small amount of orange food colour although it is optional. Keep the syrup warm. Now mix in the besan mix into the sugar syrup. Be careful with the quantity of the sugar syrup you add,the final mixture should be little dry so adjust with the amount you actually need. Grease a plate with some ghee and spread the mixture on it. Press with the spatula and cut in barfi shapes. Sprinkle some til over it and serve once it cools down completely. I kept it for 30 mins in the refrigerator before serving.