Yesterday my father asked me what I will be cooking today.
Frankly I was at loss as the traditional foods that Amma or my MIL, Kaku, used to cook are something that my family are not very happy about basically because, I cook them badly, so I decided to innovate by elimination.
Since kid No1 and I do not appreciate 'Shrikand' it was out. I decided to try Dhudhi Halwa.
Pooris out, as you see I have started looking like one now and besides I have to go to work so chapattis it is.
As I am low on vegetables instead of two vegetable we had one flower and potato.
Instead of raw mango and moong dal kosambri we had cabbage tomato salad.
Tomato Saar, of course, the all time favourite as curry.
Plain rice, which no one touched, I don't know why I bothered...
There are times when I get irritated as all the cold drinks in the house are finishedand nothing is left when we have unexpected guests. So I have decided I am going to make this squash this summer (after exams of course) which will be Apr 16th this year as Eldest is answering her 10 Std.
1 kg Sugar
400 grams water
6 grams citric acid
Colour
¼ tsp Essence
Mix sugar and water bring to boil.
Add citric acid and boil. Keep testing the boiling mixturetilla drop between you thumb and finger stretches to form a single strand.( 1 tari pak)
Cool add colour and essence of your choice.
Go easy on the colour, use a few drops mix well and add more if required.
Colour and essences in general
Yellow--- pineapple, mango, lemon
Orange – orange,
Red – strawberry, raspberry
Apple green—khus
Serve mixed with cold water, ice use salt if required.
I had made a batch for Holi today. I had used mango essence and yellow colour. For ¼ of the concentrate made above we got 1 ½ litres of sharbat.
This has been one of the current favourites with my hubby and daughter. Every time I am hard pressed for time and I offer to make this, I find them nodding and smiling in anticipation. Both of them are not picky eaters, they eat almost everything I prepare, and don't complain!!!!!I know what u all must be thinking, Lucky gal!!Well, that's true. But when it come to this khichadi, they always do justice to the dish....by finishing it!!!So here goes the recipe...
1/2 cup rice, washed and drained
1/2 cup moong dal, washed and drained
1 big tomato
7-8 flakes of garlic, chopped fine
2 green chilles, chopped fine
2 tbsp ghee
Mustard seeds, jeera, hing, turmeric powder for tadka
Coriander leaves, chopped fine
Salt for taste
Combine the washed and drained rice and dal together and add the chopped tomato, a pinch of turmeric, hing and jeera and some salt and pressure cook. Note that you need to add some more water than the usual to this khichadi so that it gets a running consistency, after being cooked. Once the khichadi is done, it is time for the tadka.
Since there was one litre of milk in the fridge, which decided that it had had enough of my fridge and died in the container I was heating it, I had to make paneer out of it in. (This is justification for one litre milk conking out on me).
Now, since I had decided to make gulab jamun I had heated oil being in the "Mad Scientist Mood" I decided to experiment!!!
So in about 1 tblspn paneer I added a pinch of cooking soda, soda bi carb and about equal amount of Maida and knead the flour till it was very smooth, it was of the consistency of "chapatti ka atta". These balls I deep fried and dipped them in the sugar syrup. Since this was not appreciated I rejected the idea of making them into gulab jamun.
But I just could not let go of this idea that the paneer could be kneaded and make into some kind of paratha.
So I did just that to the end product was fully approved by all.
For the atta I used maida and paneer in the proportion 1:1 and with a pinch of salt kneaded it into a soft ball. No water needed.
Make 7-8 balls
For the filling:
2-3 potatoes boiled and grated
2-3 boiled eggs (optional)
2-3 green chillies (Adjust as per taste)
1 tsp chat masala
1 tsp dhania/coriander seed powder
1 tsp jeera/cumin seed powder
Coriander
Salt
Kneed to make a soft filling. And make ball a little bigger than the atta balls.
To make parathas:
In a ball of dough make a cup using very little oil. Put in the ball of stuffing and close the opening. Roll the ball in your hands using very light pressure till it is smooth and the opening is not visible.
Using a little dry flour roll out the ball to make a thick paratha about ¼ inch or even less.
Put on a heated tava and roast on both the sides till light brown on both the sides.
