Culinary Xpress: September 2014

Carrot Halwa ( Gajar Ki Halwa)

11:00 PM

Carrot Halwa or Gajar Ka Halwa is a sweet dessert associated with the people in northern India. It is made with grated carrot, milk and sugar. It is a simple recipe with shredded carrots. It does not require much ghee or frying, so one can really indulge in this sweet without feeling guilty. You can add some more nuts like Almonds or Pistachios, condensed milk or khoya .

INGRDIENTS:

Ingredients:

500 gms of carrot
1 cup of sugar
1 cup of milk
2 tbsp of ghee
10 nos of cashewnuts
10 nos of raisins
5 to 6 few pistachios
2 nos of green Cardamom
A pinch of nutmeg powder
1tbsp of khoya

Let's Learn How to make Carrot Halwa or Gajar Ki Halwa :

Wash the carrots and trim their edges. Grate all the carrots using a grater and keep aside.

In a pressure cooker, add the grated carrots, green cardamom and milk. Pressure cook for 1 whistle and then lower the heat and cook for another 5 minutes. Turn off the gas and allow the pressure cooker to cool itself.You can see the color of the carrots have completely changed and it would have gotten cooked completely. This is done to take away the raw smell of the carrots .

Heat 3 tbsp of ghee in a heavy bottomed pan and oce hot, add the chopped cashew nuts and raisins and roast over low flame till golden brown. Drain them completely, transfer to a plate and keep aside

In the same pan add the boiled carrots and fry till all the moistures are evaporated.Keep stirring regularly otherwise it will get burnt.

Now add the sugar and mix well. Once sugar is added, the entire mixture would once again become liquefied or of loose consistency.

When the halwa becomes dry, add the remaining 1 tbsp of khoya, nutmeg powder, roasted cashew nuts and mix well. Cook for 5 more mins while mixing continuously and the halwa will come together in a mass. Switch off flame and take off stove.

Serve hot or warm to your family and see the happiness in their eyes.........

You can also make these Carrot halwa into small Ladoos and see how happy your children would be to grab them all.

Deserts

RICE KHEER RECIPE

11:03 PM

Every year during the month of Ashwin , Hindus observe ten days of ceremonies, rituals, fasts and feasts in honor of the supreme mother goddess, Maa Durga. It begins with the fast of Navaratri , and ends with the festivities of Bijaya Dashami.

Navratri is celebrated with great zeal across Northern and Eastern India. It is symbolic of the celebration of nine nights of battle of the good against the evil with the result of victory of the good on the tenth day. During this period, Mother Durga is worshipped as the deity of power, energy and wisdom.

Navratri is usually celebrated twice in a year—once during spring and once during autumn. Sharad Navratri or Maha Navratri is commonly celebrated during the Indian month of Ashvina that commences from the first day of the lunar fortnight.During the nine nights of worship, Goddess Durga is worshipped as 'Shakti'—the deity of power for the first three days; the next three days she is worshipped as Lakshmi—the deity of wealth and the last three days, she is worshipped as Saraswati—the deity of knowledge and wisdom.

As per the rituals followed Maa Durga is worshipped as Shailputri, the daughter of the Mighty Himalayas, a form of Shakti .......

To begin the festive occasion,On the first day of Navaratri, I have prepared rice kheer , my all time favorite dessert.

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 litre milk
2 tbsp basmati or any fragrant rice
2 green cardamom
2 tbsp cashewnuts and raisins
6 tbsp sugar

1. Wash and clean the basmati rice and keep aside. In a pan, boil 1/2 liter of milk along with the soaked basmati rice and cardamom powder on slow heat. Stir at short intervals so as not to burn the mlk.cook till the quantity of the milk is half and the rice is cooked perfectly.

2. In another pan, fry the cashew nuts and raisins in 1 tbsp of desi ghee and add to the kheer. add sugar at this point

3. In the same pan, caramelize 1 tsp of sugar and add to the kheer.

4. Serve hot or cold.

Deserts

HOMEMADE SITAPHAL KALAKAND

3:49 PM

HOMEMDAE SITAPHAL KALAKAND

Custard apple or sitaphal is known the world over for its health benefits, it is rich in vitamin C and nutrients like potassium and magnesium, in India as well it has been consumed for ages and many people also use it for religious purposes. Custard apple is high in energy, an excellent source of vitamin C and manganese, a good source of thiamine and vitamin B₆, and provides vitamin B2, B3 B5, B9, iron, magnesium, phosphorus and potassium in fair quantities. The flesh is fragrant and sweet, creamy white to light yellow, and resembles and tastes like custard and that’s why it is called custard apple. In India it is known by its various names like ata in Odia and Bengali , sharifa in Hindi and Punjabi, Sitaphal in Marathi, Gujrati and Hindi also.

INGREDIENTS:

1 litre Milk

2 tbsp Lemon juice

2 tbsp powdered Sugar

2 nos of green cardamom seeds powdered.

3 nos of Custard apple( Sitaphal) or 1 cup custard apple pulp

Cashewnuts – 8-10

How to prepare Sitaphal Kalakand:

Bring ½ litre of milk to a boil. When the milk comes to a boil, simmer the heat.

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2. Add lemon juice to the milk to make the milk curdle.

3.Switch off the gas and drain the milk in a cotton cloth. Bring the sides of the cloth together and drain all the whey from the paneer. Run the cloth under fresh water to remove any trace of lemon from it.Keep it aside.

4. Bring the other ½ litre of milk to a boil. Add cardamom powder, Lower the heat and cook till the quantity of the milk is reduced to 1/4^th quantity.

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5.Add paneer to this milk and Cook till the mixture starts to leave the sides of the pan.

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6. In the meanwhile remove the seed of the custard apple by mashing it with a spoon over a strainer, so that you can get a smooth puree.

7.Add sugar and custard apple and cook till the mixture becomes dry .

7.Grease a plate with ghee.Pour the mixture in the greased plate and spread evenly.

8. Let the kalakand set and when cool cut into small pieces.

9. Decorate with cashew nuts and Serve with pride.

odiacuisine

Dry Mango Raita -A POPULAR ODIA RAITA( Ambula Rai)

9:59 PM

Curries & Lentils

DALMA- AN ODIA DELICACY

6:04 AM

Compared to other regional Indian cuisines, Odia cuisine used relatively less oil and is less spicy but of great taste. Odia cooks, particular from the Puri region, were much sought after due to their ability to cook food in accordance to the Hindu scriptures. During the 19th century, many Odia cooks were employed in Bengal and they took several dishes with them.

Dalma is one of the most common recipe in every Odia household, particularly the coastal Odisha. Being from the coastal district of Odisha, Dalma is my all time favorite dish. It is a vegetarian dish in which dal and lots and lots of vegetables are cooked together. Hence it is usually recommended for kids, who are usually reluctant in eating vegetables. Use of ginger gives it a nice aroma.

This is a typical vegetarian dish of Odisha and is basically prepared on auspicious occasions as it is prepared devoid of onion and garlic This dish can be made with onion also. I always prefer to make it without onion and garlic. This dish takes me back to my childhood days when my mother used it to make it for us and how we would be waiting eagerly to have it with parathas , especially in the winter months.

This dish can be made with a number of vegetables like, potato, pumpkin, brinjal, beans, tomato, pointed gourd, cauliflower, papaya, radish, drumstick, raw babana and a no of lentils of your choice. But prefer not to use all the vegetables at one go…..A secret which I learnt from my Mother in law regarding this dish is that keep the amount of vegetables less and the lentils more to have a thick consistency.

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup Arhar dal
2 nos of medium potato
1 brinjal
1 carrot
2 nos of beans
100 gms of pumpkin
1 ripe tomato
1 bay leaf
1inch ginger
1tbsp roasted Cumin –dry chilli powder* See My Note for How to prepare this
(Fry 3 tsp cumin seed and 2 pc dry chili slightly, then make a fine powder out of it, keep aside)
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp sugar
Salt
2 to 3 cups of water
1 tbsp desi ghee or oil
1 tbsp of grated coconut
1 bunch of Coriander leaves

How to prepare Dalma:

Wash and soak the arhar dal for 30 minutes.

2. Wash the vegetables thoroughly; cut them into medium size pieces, cut beans into 2 inch long pieces.

3. Transfer all the vegetables with the soaked dal to a pressure cooker along with 1 bay leaf, 1 inch crushed ginger, tomatoes, 2 to 3 cups of water or just enough to cover the vegetables and dal, 1 tsp turmeric powder and salt.

4.Pressure cook till one whistle, lower the heat and allow it to remain on heat for another 2 to 3 minutes. Turn off the gas and allow the pressure cooker to cool down.

5 Heat ghee in a pan . when hot, add the cumin seeds and dry red chill.

6.When it starts to splutter, add 1 tbsp roasted cumin and dry red chilli powder.

7.Add the boiled Dalma unto it and immediately cover to trap the aroma of the tadka. This is very essential.

8.Allow it to simmer for 5 minutes on low heat, add sugar and check the seasoning. Sprinkle grated coconut and chopped coriander leaves o the Dalma.

9.Serve hot with rice, roti ,poori or paratha.

My Note:

You can use your own combination of vegetables and dal.
Whenever you add radish or papaya, check the water content as it tends to make the dalma more Watery.

Roasted Cumin & Dry Red Chilli Powder:

Ingredients:

100gms cumin seeds
50gms Dry Red chillies

Dry roast the cumin and red chillies separately in a griddle on slow flame till the aroma comes out. Turn off the heat. Let it cool.
Grind both of these in grinder till smooth.
Store in airtight jar and keep in a dry place.

Carrot Halwa ( Gajar Ki Halwa)

RICE KHEER RECIPE

1. Wash and clean the basmati rice and keep aside. In a pan, boil 1/2 liter of milk along with the soaked basmati rice and cardamom powder on slow heat. Stir at short intervals so as not to burn the mlk.cook till the quantity of the milk is half and the rice is cooked perfectly.

2. In another pan, fry the cashew nuts and raisins in 1 tbsp of desi ghee and add to the kheer. add sugar at this point

3. In the same pan, caramelize 1 tsp of sugar and add to the kheer.

4. Serve hot or cold.

HOMEMADE SITAPHAL KALAKAND

Bring ½ litre of milk to a boil. When the milk comes to a boil, simmer the heat.

2. Add lemon juice to the milk to make the milk curdle.

3.Switch off the gas and drain the milk in a cotton cloth. Bring the sides of the cloth together and drain all the whey from the paneer. Run the cloth under fresh water to remove any trace of lemon from it.Keep it aside.

4. Bring the other ½ litre of milk to a boil. Add cardamom powder, Lower the heat and cook till the quantity of the milk is reduced to 1/4th quantity.

5.Add paneer to this milk and Cook till the mixture starts to leave the sides of the pan.

6. In the meanwhile remove the seed of the custard apple by mashing it with a spoon over a strainer, so that you can get a smooth puree.

7.Add sugar and custard apple and cook till the mixture becomes dry .

7.Grease a plate with ghee.Pour the mixture in the greased plate and spread evenly.

8. Let the kalakand set and when cool cut into small pieces.

9. Decorate with cashew nuts and Serve with pride.

Dry Mango Raita -A POPULAR ODIA RAITA( Ambula Rai)

1. Soak the mustrad seeds along with green chillies for half and hour so that it can be easily made into a smooth paste.

2. Soak the ambula pieces in water for minimum 1 to 2 hours so that it can be softened.

3. After 2 hours , the ambula must have been soft so that you can scrap the soft flesh out of it or you can cut into small pieces.

4. Now take the curd in a bowl.

5. Add sugar, mustard chilli paste, grated coconut and dry mango(ambula) to it.

6. Whisk it well so that it all mixes well.

7. Garnish with Coriander.

NB; You dont have to add salt here as the dry mangoes are itself salty.

DALMA- AN ODIA DELICACY

Wash and soak the arhar dal for 30 minutes.

2. Wash the vegetables thoroughly; cut them into medium size pieces, cut beans into 2 inch long pieces.

3. Transfer all the vegetables with the soaked dal to a pressure cooker along with 1 bay leaf, 1 inch crushed ginger, tomatoes, 2 to 3 cups of water or just enough to cover the vegetables and dal, 1 tsp turmeric powder and salt.

4.Pressure cook till one whistle, lower the heat and allow it to remain on heat for another 2 to 3 minutes. Turn off the gas and allow the pressure cooker to cool down.

5 Heat ghee in a pan . when hot, add the cumin seeds and dry red chill.

6.When it starts to splutter, add 1 tbsp roasted cumin and dry red chilli powder.

7.Add the boiled Dalma unto it and immediately cover to trap the aroma of the tadka. This is very essential.

8.Allow it to simmer for 5 minutes on low heat, add sugar and check the seasoning. Sprinkle grated coconut and chopped coriander leaves o the Dalma.

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4. Bring the other ½ litre of milk to a boil. Add cardamom powder, Lower the heat and cook till the quantity of the milk is reduced to 1/4^th quantity.