Friday, May 2, 2014

Lavanga Latika/Lobanga Latika - West Bengal Special


This is the last post for the Indian Food Odyssey and I wanted to finish this journey with a sweet recipe.West Bengal is in the eastern region and its the 4th most populous state.
Bengali cuisine is famous for its sweet and the first thing come in my mind is rasagullas and rasamalai.I am an ardent fan of Bengali sweets.
Though I make rasmlai and rasgulla often somehow I couldn't post it for.,so I planned to post  for this BM.
As soon as I got mawa/khoya to make gulab jamuns for my son's class party,I changed my mind to make this Lavanga latika which I wanted to try since a long time.
I slighly tweaked the original recipe and made according to my family taste.Here goes the recipe.............................



Basic Information

Recipe Source  Sanolirecipes
Preparation Time 20-25 minutes
Cooking Time 30 minutes
Makes 10-12

Ingredients

For the dough/outer covering
IngredientQuantity
All puropse flour/maida1 cup
Melted butter/vennai3 tbs
Salt1/2 tsp
Waterto knead
Baking sodaa pinch
Cloves/lavangam10-12
Oil to fry

For the filling
IngredientQuantity
Khoya/mawa1/2 cup
Sugar/sakkarai3 tbs
Desiccated coconut3 tbs

For the sugar syrup

IngredientQuantity
Sugar1/2 cup
Water1/2 cup
Cardamom powder/ellakai1 pinch



Method

Prepare the dough by combing everything except the cloves and oil.Knead it to a stiff dough with water.Cover it with a damp cloth.Let it rest for 10-15 minutes.


Meanwhile in a microwave safe bowl take the khoya,sugar and desiccated coconut and keep in a microwave high for 2 minutes,The stuffing is ready.
Make the sugar syrup to a single thread,add the cardamom powder and keep it aside.


Now divide the dough into 10-12 equal parts and on a floured surface roll into a 3 inch disc.Keep a spoonful of stuffing,fold the sides as shown and again fold it.Gently press the clove on it.Continue it for the rest of the dough.


Heat a pan with medium flame and drop 3-4 prepared pocket,deep fry it till it becomes golden and crisp.
Remove it and drop the fried one in the sugar syrup,let it soak for 3-4 minutes.Place it on a plate,let it cool down completely.


Store it in an air tight container in the refrigerator.


Enjoy...............................................



  • Addition of desiccated coconut is purely optional.
  • Instead of cardamom powder,saffron can be used for the sugar syrup.
  • Fry it in the oil in a medium flame to get a nice golden color.








Sumber http://www.naliniscooking.com

Thursday, May 1, 2014

Aloo Tamatar Ka Jhol and Mandua Ki Roti -Uttarakhand Special


After a visit to UP,our next visit is to a pilgrimage state Uttarakhand,formerly Uttranchal.This state is referred as 'Land of Gods' and this is the 27 th state carved out of Himalayan and adjoining northwestern districts of UttarPradesh.
The state is divided into two divisions Gharwal and Kumaon and the Hindu pilgrimage such as Kedarinath,Badrinath,Rishikesh are the most important places of this state.
The cuisine of Uttranchal is simple yet healthy and nutritious,mostof the Uttranchal residents prefer vegetarian meal.
Coming to the recipe,the aloo tamatar ka jhol is a simple potato curry tastes awesome with the mandua ki roti,a flat bread with finger millet flour.
As finger millet is a gluten free grain ,its bit difficult to roll into a thin roti,this roti tastes great when it is served right from the pan.Now off to the recipes.........................



Aloo Tamatar Ka Jhol




Basic Information

Recipe Source  Eutaranchal
Preparation Time 15 minutes
Cooking Time 20 minutes
Serves 2-3

Ingredients


IngredientQuantity
Potato/urulaikilangu(cubed)2 (mediumsize)
Ginger/inji(finely chopped)1 tsp
Garlic/poondu(finely chopped)3 cloves
Onion(finely chopped)1(medium size)
Tomato(finely chopped)2(medium size)
Red chilly powder/milagai podi3/4 -1 tsp
Turmeric powder/manjal podi1/8 tsp
Garam masala powder1/8 tsp(optional)
Cumin seeds/jeeragam1/2 tsp
Coriander leaves(chopped)2 tsp
Salt1 tsp
Oil1 tbs

Method


  • Heat a pan with oil and crackle the cumin seeds,add in the chopped onion and saute it for a minute.Then add in the chopped garlic and ginger,continue sauteing it with a pinch of salt.
  • Now add in the red chilly powder,garam masla powder,turmeric powder and salt give it a mix.Now goes in the cubed potatoes and mix it well till everything blends well.
  • Add in a cup of water and cook it till the potato cooked well.Let it simmer it for another couple of minutes.
  • Finally sprinkle the chopped coriander leaves and put off the flame.

Aloo Tamatar Ka Jhol is ready.



Mandua Ki Roti


Basic Information

Recipe Source  Eutaranchal
Preparation Time 10 minutes
Cooking Time 20 minutes
Makes 7-8


Ingredients

IngredientQuantity
Ragi/fingermillet flour11/2 cups
Wheat flour/gothumai maavu1/2 cup
Salt1/2 tsp
Waterto knead
Oil2 tsp


Method


  • Combine all the dry ingredients and add water,knead it to a soft pliable dough.Cover it with a damp cloth and let it rest for 10-15 minutes.
  • Divide the dough into equal portions.
  • On a floured surface roll each portions to a thin disc.Cook it both sides on a hot griddle till golden spots appear.
  • Serve it warm with Aloo Tamataar ka Jhol.

Enjoy.............................................................











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Wednesday, April 30, 2014

Banarasi Kachori and Raswale Aloo - Uttarpradesh Special


After a journey to northeastern state Tripura,we are in Uttarpradesh located in northern India.The state is bordered by Rajasthan,Haryana and Delhi.Lucknow is the capital and Kanpur is the commercial city and largest city of UP.
Awadhi and Mughalai cuisine are the two major cuisines of the state which has both veg and non-veg.UP cuisine has Mughalai influence and Lucknow is famous for its Nawabi dishes such as meat kebabs and biriyani.
Banaras is a city popular for saree and kachoris,chaats.Coming to the recipe the banarasi kachori resembles poori and the potato curry is a simple and flavorful,tangy dish.Off to the recipe...................................


Basic Information

Recipe Source  Banaraskakhana
Preparation Time 15 minutes
Cooking Time 15 minutes
Makes 8-10

Ingredients


IngredientQuantity
Wheat flour/gothumai maavu1 cup
Urad dhalflour/ulutham maavu1/3 cup
Cumin seeds/jeeragam1/2 tsp
Carom seeds/omam1/2 tsp
Salt1/2 tsp
Oilfor frying


Method
  • Except oil mix all the ingredients and form a stiff dough with water.Keep it aside for 10 minutes.
  • Divide the dough into equal portions and roll each portion on a floured surface to a disc.
  • Heat the oil in a medium flame and fry it till it becomes golden.Remove it from the oil and drain it on a paper towel.
  • Serve it warm.

Raswale Aloo


Basic Information

Recipe Source  Banaraskakhana
Preparation Time 15 minutes
Cooking Time 20 minutes
Serves 2-3

Ingredients
IngredientQuantity
Potato/urulaikilangu3 (mediumsize)
Ginger/inji(grated)1 tsp
Red chilly powder/milagi podi1 tsp
Coriander powder/dhaniya podi1 tsp
Roasted cumin powder/jeerga podi1/2 tsp
Black pepper powder/milagu thool1/4 tsp
Aamchur powder/dry mango powder2 tsp
Mustard seed/kadugu1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder/manjal podi1/8 tsp
Asafoetida/perungayama pinch
Coriander leaves(chopped)2 tsp
Salt1 tsp
Oil1 tbs


Method
  • Boil the potatoes in a pressure cooker and peel the skin,mash it roughly and keep it aside.Mix all the spice powders and salt given in 1/2 cup of water.
  • Heat a pan with oil and throw in the mustard seeds,add the asafoetida,add in the chopped ginger and saute it.Add the spice mixture and let it cook till the oil separates.

  • Now add the mashed potatoes along with 2 cups of water,let it cook for 5 minutes in a medium flame.Once the curry reached the desired consistency add in the chopped coriander leaves and put off the flame.

  • Raswale Aloo is ready.


Serve it with Kachori.


Enjoy..................................................................


  • For the kachoris instead of urad flour,1/4 cup of urad dhal can be soaked and ground to a fine paste and can be added.
  • Instead of aamchur powder,tamarind paste can also be used for the raswale aloo.








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Tuesday, April 29, 2014

Mosdeng Serma - Tripuri Chutney - Tiripura Special


Tiripura is one of the north eastern state,third smallest state in the country,bordered by Bangaladesh,Assam and Mizoram.
Like other NE states Tiripura cuisine is predominantly non-vegetarian and hard to find vegetarian recipes.They use lot of dried and fermented fish in their cooking.
Coming to the recipe its a chutneymade with berma(dried fish),but I skipped adding the berma and made this one.Its a regular chutney what we make in South Indian Cuisine but in a slightly different way.
The chutney came out super spicy and I accompanied with idlys.Off to the recipe.......................


Basic Information

Recipe Source  Tirupura society
Preparation Time 15 minutes
Cooking Time 25 minutes
Serves 3

Ingredients


IngredientQuantity
Onion(chopped)2 (medium size)
Garlic/poondu(chopped)6-7 cloves
Tomato(chopped)2 (medium size)
Redchilly/varamilagai7-8
Salt1 tsp
Oil2 tbs
Coriander leaves2 tbs(chopped)


Method

  • Soak the red chillies in hot water for 10 minutes and grind it to a fine paste along with little water and keep it aside.
  • Heat the pan with oil and saute the chopped onion for couple of minutes.Then add in the chopped garlic and continue sauteing  it for another couple of minutes.
  • Then goes in the red chilly paste and salt cook it till the raw smell goes off.Now add in chopped tomatoes and cook it till mushy.Simmer it for 2-3 minutes and finally sprinkle the coriander leaves,put off the flame.


Mosdeng Serma is ready.


Enjoy..........................................................








Sumber http://www.naliniscooking.com

Sunday, April 27, 2014

Arusuvai Sappadu - Tamilnadu Special


In our food odyssey journey we are stopping at Tamilnadu,my native state.The Tamilnadu cuisine is famous for its distinct flavors and each district and community has its own signature recipes.
The food culture varies from district to district and Thalavaalaillai Sappadu/virundhu is famous all over Tamilandu and food is served in an order with so many delicacies.
As my grandparents are from different districts,(kongunadu,chettinadu,tiruvarur)the food in my house is a mixed of all the districts.
Today's spread is one what we make it Tamil New Year and the specialty of this spread is,it has all the six tastes served along with mukkani(three fruits-Mango,banana,jack fruits).
The six tastes are
1.Innipu - sweet -Jaggery
2.Pulipu - sour -Mango,Tamarind
3.Kasappu - bitter-Bittergourd
4.Uvarpu - salty-Salt
5.Thuvarpu-tart/astringent- Raw banana
6.Kaarpu/karam-spicy-Red and green chilly

As I made this on new year day which was a weekday here I couldn't take the step wise pictures,since Hubby was for lunch by 1 o'clock.Will update the pictures soon.
I wanted to share some breakfast thali which we make it on auspicious days but due to lot of other personal work couldn't share you.
For the auspicious days,we make sweet,idly,2 types of chutney either pongal or kichadi.Today I shared you the semiya kesari which we make it often for breakfast or evening tiffin.Let's move on to the recipes.....................




The lunch thali is of

Lemon rice
White rice
Paruppu,nei
Sambar
Rasam
Mangai Pachadi
Avarakkai poriyal
Vazhakkai varuval
Passiparuppu payasam
Thayir
Masala Vadai
Paavakkai Chips
Mango


Yelumichai Sadam/Lemon Rice


Ingredients
IngredientQuantity
Basmathi /sona masoori rice1 cup
Lemon Juice/yellumichai chaaru3-4 tbs
Green chilly/pachamilagai3 (chopped)
Ginger/inji(chopped)1/2 inch
Red chilly/vara milagai 2(broken)
Peanuts/verkadalai1 tbs
Cashews/mundiri4-5(broken)
Turmeric powder/manjal podi1/8 tsp
Salt1 tsp
Oil1 tbs


For the tempering

IngredientQuantity
Mustard seeds/kadugu1/2 tsp
Urad dhal/uluthamparuppu1 tsp
Channadhal/kadalaparuppu2 tsp
Asafoetida/perungayama pinch

Method

  • Cook the rice in the pressure cooker or electric cooker along with a pinch of salt,separate the grains and add the sesame oil.Let it cool down completely.
  • Meanwhile heat a pan with the oil and splutter the mustard seeds,add the urad dhal,channna dhal,cashews,peanuts and asafoetida one by one.Add the green chilly,chopped ginger red chilly,curry leaves and toast it for a minute.
  • Add the salt and turmeric powder,mix it well.Put off the stove and add the lemon juice. 
  • Stir it well to get everything blend.Add this mixture to the rice and mix it gently.
  • Lemon Rice is ready.


Kathirikkai,Murungaikkai Sambar


Ingredients

IngredientQuantity
Toor dhal/thuvaram paruppu1/2 cup
Eggplant/kathirikkai(sliced)3-4 
Drumstick/murungaikkai10 (1 inch piece)
Onion1(medium size)
Tomato1 (chopped)
Sambar powder1 tbs
Tamarind/pulibig goosebery size
Turmeric powder/manjal podi1/8 tsp
Salt11/2 tsp
Oil1 tbs
For the tempering

IngredientQuantity
Mustard seeds/kadugu1/2 tsp
Urad dhal/ulutham paruppu1 tsp
Cumin seeds/jeeragam1/4 tsp
Asafoetida/perungayama pinch
Dried red chilly/varamilagai1(broken)


Method

  • Pressure cook the toor dhal for 4-5 whistles or till it cooks mushy and mash it with a ladle.Extract the tamarind and keep it aside.
  • Heat a pan with a tsp of,saute the onion and tomato for couple of minutes.
  • Add in the sliced eggplants and drumsticks and give it a mix,now add in the sambar powder.
  • Mix it well and add around a cup of water and cook till the veggies gets are 3/4th done.
  • Add the mashed dhal and tamarind water,let it boil for another couple of minutes.
  • Now do the tempering separately in the remaining oil and add it to the sambar.
  • Finally sprinkle the coriander leaves and put off the flame.
  • Kathirikkai,murungaikkai sambar.






Avarakkai poriyal/Broad beans Poriyal


Ingredients

IngredientQuantity
Avaraikkai/broad beans11/2 cups(chopped)
Shallots/chinna vengayam3-4 (chopped)
Mustard seeds/kadugu1/2 tsp
Urad dhal/ulutham paruppu1 tsp
Red chilly/varamilagai2 (broken)
Coconut(grated)2-3 tbs
Salt3/4 tsp
Oil2 tsp

Method

  • Heat a pan with oil do the tempering with mustard seeds and urad dhal,add in the broken red chilly and saute the onion for a minute.
  • Then add in the chopped broad beans and saute it for couple of minutes.
  • Sprinkle 2 tbs of water and add in the salt,cook it covered in a medium flame for 5 minutes or till the vegetables gets soft.
  • Add the grated coconut and mix it well and put of the flame.
  • Avaraikkai/broad beans poriyal is ready.

Payatham Paruppu Payasam/Moong dhal Payasam


Ingredients

IngredientQuantity
Moong dhal/paasi paruppu1/2 cup
Jaggery/vellam3/4 cup
Coconut milk(thick)1/2 cup
Cashews/mundiri(broken)2tbs
Cardamom powder1/8tsp
Coconut bits(optional)1 tbs
Salta pinch
Ghee2 tsp
Edible camphora mustard size
Method

  • In a pan dry roast the moong dhal in a medium flame till a nice aroma comes out and becomes golden.
  • Pressure cook it with enough water for 3-4 whistles in a medium flame.
  • Meanwhile melt the jaggery and strain it,fry the cashews and coconut bits in the ghee and keep it aside.
  • Once the pressure subsides dd the jaggery syrup and let it cook for 2-3 minutes.
  • Add the coconut milk and let it cook for one boil only.
  • Put off the flame add the fried cashews,cardamom powder and edible camphor and give it a mix.
  • Serve it warm.
Masala Vadai/Paruppu Vadai



IngredientQuantity
Channa dhal/kadalaparuppu1 cup
Red chilly/varamilagai2
Green chilly /pachamilagai2-3
Fennel seeds/sombhu1 tsp
Ginger/inji1 inch 
Garlic/poondu2 cloves
Onion(finely chopped)1(medium size)
Curry leaves/karivepillai1 sprig(chopped)
Coriander leaves/kothamalli1tbs(chopped)
Salt11/4 tsp
Oilfor deep frying

Method

  • Grind the channa dhal,red chillies,green chillies,ginger,garlic and fennel seeds to a coarse batter by sprinkling little water as needed.
  • Transfer it to a bowl,add in chopped onions,curry leaves and coriander leaves,mix it well.
  • Take a small lemon sized, flatten it  and fry it in the oil in a medium flame till it becomes golden and crisp.
  • Serve it warm.

Semiya Kesari/Vermicelli Kesari



Ingredients

IngredientQuantity
Semiya/vermicelli3/4 cup
Sugar/sakkarai1/2 cup
Ghee/nei3 tbs
Cashews/mundiri1 tbs
Cardamom powder/ellakai1/8 tsp
Orange food colorfew drops
Hot water1 cup

Method


  • Boil the water and fry the cashews in a tsp of ghee to a golden color.
  • Heat a pan with 1 tbs of ghee and roast the vermicelli in a medium flame till it becomes golden,to this add the boiling water and cook it covered till the vermicelli becomes soft and coked completely.
  • Add the food color and sugar to it,mix it well.
  • Add the remaining ghee and cook it till it becomes thick.
  • Put off the flame and sprinkle the cardamom powder,add the fried cashews and mix it well.
  • Serve it warm.


Enjoy...........................................................









Sumber http://www.naliniscooking.com

Saturday, April 26, 2014

Sel Roti - Sikkim Special



Sikkim is the state located in Himalayas bordered by Nepal to West and Bhutan by East and West Bengal to South.
As it borders Nepal,the food has the influence and Sikkim is the only state that has Nepali majority.Traditionally Sikkimese are rice eaters,coming to the recipe Sel roti is a traditional sweet,ring shaped bread/doughnut made during Tihar.
This sweet tastes almost like the sakkarai athirasam prepared in South India.The rice is soaked and grind to a fine paste along with ghee and sugar,fried in the oil.The consistency of the batter  is very important,if its too thick dropping will be diffident whereas if its thin it may becomes flat.Making a perfect sel roti needs lots of practice,the shape and appearance doesn't look like the original recipe but it tastes very delicious.Off to the recipe..............................



Basic Information
Recipe Source  Here
Soaking time 6-7 hours Preparation Time 15 minutes
Cooking Time 15-20 minutes
Makes 10-12


Ingredients


IngredientQuantity
Raw Rice Flour/pacharisi1 cup
Ghee/nei1/4cup
Sugar/sakkarai1/4 cup
Cardamom/ellakai2-3
Salta pinch
Oilfor frying



Method


  • Soak the rice for overnight or at least 6 hours,grind it to a fine paste along with ghee,sugar,cardamom and a pinch of salt.Do not add too much f water while grinding. Transfer it to a bowl.

  • Heat a pan with oil,take the ground batter in a small cup,once the oil becomes hot pour it in the oil in a circular ring.Fry it till the sizzling sound ceases.Remove it from the oil and drain it on a paper towel.

  • Sel roti is ready.



Enjoy......................................................











Sumber http://www.naliniscooking.com