Gajar Halwa-The Ultimate Dessert

First time when Jeet ( my husband ) came with his parents to ask my hands to my parents, he had a demand."I need Gajar Halwa". (It's a Love Come Arrange Marriage) At that time I really didn't how to prepare it. I asked my mom and any how prepared it. But after that I have prepared many times both over flame and in microwave, taste doesn't differ irrespective of which medium it is cooked. But I feel easier and time saving in microwave. 

Ingredients:

Carrot - 1 kg (finely grated)

Sugar - 3/4 cup

Milk - 1 cup

Nestle Milkmaid - 1/2 tin (instead use Khoya 100 gms)

Ghee - 2 tbsp

Green Cardamom - 3 ( only seeds powdered)

Cashew - 2 tbsp (chopped)

Raisins - 2 tbsp

Procedure:

1. Finely grate the carrots and keep it in a MSW bowl.
2. Add 1 cup milk and 3/4 cup sugar and microwave it for 15 minutes, stirring twice in between.
3. Add the milkmaid and ghee and microwave again for 10 minutes, stirring once in between.
4. Now add the chopped nuts, raisins and elaichi and microwave it for 5 minutes.
5. Serve hot with garnishing.
   
   
   

Linking it to Edible Entertainment  @ Kids Delight :)

& Teenz' Yummy Delight @ Valentine Day Event :)

& Sizzling Tastebuds @ Microwave Cooking :)
& Taste of Pearl City @ Any One Can Cook :) 
& Recipe Junction @ Spotlight:Winter Vegetables :)

from my kitchen

Matar Panner in my Microwave Safe Bowl

Cooking in Microwave is too easy, healthy and time saving. Same matar panner when prepared over flame needs a pressure cooker & a kadai( just kidding). And cooking with microwave makes life simpler with a single Microwave safe bowl. :)

Subz Biryani...

The recipe is from Master Chef India Cook Book - by Pankaj Bhadouria. I am a big fan of her. She is my inspiration.
It was awesome in taste, my mother and my husband just loved it. Hope you will love it too.

Ingredients:

Basmati Rice - 200 gms

Ghee- 2 tbsp

Onions - 1 large( Sliced)

Carrot - 1/2 cup

Beans - 1/2 cup (cut into 1-inch pieces)

Green Peas - 1/2 cup

Cauliflower Florets - 1/2 cup

Mint Leafs - 1/2 cup(chopped)

Kewra water - a few drops

Sahi jeera - 1/2tsp

Cloves -6

Cinnamon - 2 (1-inch)

Mace - 1 (1/2 of it)

Grated Nutmeg -1/4 tsp

Black peppercorns -1/2 tsp

Ginger Paste - 1 and 1/2 tbsp

Garlic Paste - 1 and 1/2 tbsp

Black Pepper powder - 1 tsp

Yoghurt - 1/2 cup

Black Cardamom -2

Green Cardamom - 2

Bay Leaf - 1

Salt to taste

Procedure:

1. Wash the rice and soak it for 30 minutes.
2. Heat 1 tbsp of ghee in a pan and fry the sliced onion till golden brow an remove to a plate with a spoon.
3. In the same pan, sauté half the sahi jeera till they begin to sizzle. add 2 cloves, 1 cinnamom stick, half the mace, nutmeg and peppercorns till fragrant.
4. Add the ginger-garlic paste and sauté it for 1 minute. Now add the vegetables and cook it for 2-3 minutes over low flame. 
5. Add salt, pepper and the yoghurt and cook till the vegetables get tender.
6. In a large pan, boil 4 cups of water with 1 tsp salt.
7. In a piece of muslin cloth tie the remaining cloves, cinnamon stick, mace, sahi jeera, black cardamom, green cardamom and add to the water with the bay leaf.
8. Cook the rice till half done and let all the flavors infuse into it.
9. Drain the rice and reserve the strained water. Add the remaining ghee an mix with the help of a fork to the rice and keep aside.
10. Now to assemble the biryani, take a deep base Handi and spread half of the fried onion then half of rice over the onion. Add  the vegetables and again a layer of rice along with the chopped mint leafs. Cover the top with the remaining fried onions. Sprinkle Kewra water on top of it.
11. Pour 1 cup of the strained water and cover the lid and allow to cook for more 3-5 minutes at a low flame.
12. Serve the biryani with any variety of raita and enjoy... take compliments from your family and friends :)

Linking to Kaarasaaram

@Royal Feast Biryani

& to Tickling Palates

@ Let's Cook -Rice

from my kitchen

Batata Wada-From Mumbai Streets

Mumbai street food reached my kitchen today. I had Batata Wada last on my vacation on the way to Siridi. It's difficult to find same Batata Wada here at Vizag... So, planned to prepare it @ my kitchen :)

Ingredients:

Potato - 3 Medium (boiled and mashed)

Onion - 1 Medium (chopped finely)

Ginger-Garlic - 1 Tbsp (Freshly crushed)

Cumin -1/2 tsp

Mustard -1/2 tsp

Carom Seeds -1/2 tsp

Green Chilli Paste - 1tsp(used sauce)

Garam Masala - 1 tsp

Chat Masala -1/2 tsp 

Gram Flour - 5 tbsp

Red Chilli Powder -1 tsp

Turmeric Powder - 1/4 tsp

Soda Bicarbonate - 1/4 tsp 

Oil - 2tbsp (for preparing masala)

Oil to deep fry the wada

Salt

Procedure:

1.  In a bowl mix besan, soda bicarbonate, salt, red chilli powder, turmeric powder and water to have a thick consistency and rest for 15-20 minutes.
2. Mean while boil potatoes and mash it adding salt (adjust as per taste & remember we added salt in the batter too.) and keep aside.
3. In a kadai take 2 tbsp oil, put mustard,cumin and carom seeds and add freshly crushed ginger-garlic after they splutter. 
4. Now add onion and cook till it turns pink in a medium flame.
5. Put chat powder, garam masala and chilli sauce and mix properly.
6. Now add the mashed potato and cook for 2-3 minutes and let it cool.
7. Once cooled give a shape and keep aside.
8. Heat the oil for deep fry. 
9. Add the potato masala in the batter prepared and fry it.
10. Remove and press in between a Pav Bread and serve it hot....
    

                                     

 Linking it to Tomato Blues

@ Celebrating Street Food

 

from my kitchen

Chatpata Starter - Masala Pampad

There were guests at home yesterday night without prior intimation. And I din't have any idea what to have in starter. And found 1 Cucumber in my refrigerator and planned to have a Masala pampad as its easy, quick and tangy :) And my guest really loved it alot... :)

Ingredients:

Udard Dal Pampad - 4

Cucumber - 1

Onion - 1 (Large)

Tomato -  1 (Medium)

Green Chilli - 2 (finely chopped removing the seeds)

Lemon Juice - 1 tsp

Chat Powder - 1/4 tsp

Salt - 1/4 tsp

Oil - to fry the pampad

Procedure:

1. Fry the Pampad and keep aside on an absorbent paper.
2. Chop Cucumber, Onion, Tomato into small cubes.                     
3. In a container mix well chopped cucumber, onion, tomato, chilli, lemon juice, chat powder and salt.
4. On a plate keep two pampad one upon the other and sprinkle the mixture on it and serve.

Linking to Taste of Pearl City

@ Any one can cook

from my kitchen