Friday, March 11, 2011

Easy Recipes for Beginners Sooji ki Kheer Palak Chaman Handi Dal Tarka Aloo Methi ki Tikki Easy Recipes for Beginners


 
Cooking is definitely not your forte and your hubby-to-be is perfectly fine with that. But have you ever wondered what eating out every single day of your life would be like? The rich food can get you not to mention piling on of pounds. So you might as well try these easy recipes. You will master them in no time!
Aloo Methi ki Tikki (10 to 12 tikkis)

Ingredients

½ kg (5-6) potatoes - boiled and mashed finely
1 cup fenugreek greens (methi) - chopped very finely
3 tbsp oil
1 tsp cumin seeds (jeera)
1 onion - chopped finely
2 green chillies - chopped finely
¼ tsp turmeric (haldi), 1 tsp cumin (jeera) powder
1 tsp salt, ½ tsp garam masala, ¼ cup chopped coriander
2 tbsp dry fenugreek leaves (kasoori methi) - roast on a tawa for 2 minutes and crushed
2 bread slices - grind in a mixer to get fresh crumbs
oil for frying, chat masala to sprinkle

Method
1. Heat oil in a kadhai, add jeera. Stir and add onion and green chillies. Stir-fry till onions turn transparent. Add methi. Add haldi, jeera, salt, garam masala, coriander leaves. Mix well. Cook for 4-5 minutes till almost dry.
2. Add potatoes and kasoori methi. Mix for 2 minutes. Remove from fire.
3. Add the bread crumbs. Mix well and shape into round flat tikkis. Keep aside for ½ hour to set properly. Fry till golden brown, remove on paper towel to remove excess oil. Sprinkle chaat masala. Serve hot.

Lemon Rice (Serves 4)
Ingredients
3 cups boiled rice - spread on a tray for grains to separate
juice of 2 lemons
¼ tsp turmeric (haldi) powder, 1 tsp sugar, 1½ tsp salt or to taste

Tempering (chownk)
2 tbsp oil, 1 tsp mustard seeds (sarson), 1 tbsp split gram dal (channe ki dal)
3 dry, red chillies - broken into pieces, few curry leaves

Method
1. Mix lemon juice, haldi, salt and sugar together in a small bowl.
2. Heat oil in kadhai. Reduce flame. Add sarson, dal & red chillies. Cook on very low flame till dal just starts changing colour. Do not let the dal turn brown.
3. Add curry leaves. Add the lemon juice mixture. Add ¼ cup water. Cover and simmer on low flame till dal turns soft and the water dries.
4. Add rice and stir gently till well mixed for 2-3 minutes. Serve hot.

Handi Dal Tarka (Serves 4)
Ingredients
1 cup split red lentils (dhuli masoor dal)
¼ cup split yellow lentils (arhar dal)
½ tsp turmeric (haldi), 1 tsp salt, or to taste, 1 tomato - chopped finely

Tempering (Tadka)
2-3 tbsp ghee, a pinch of asafoetida (hing)
1 tsp cumin seeds and 1 tsp coriander seeds - crushed lightly with a rolling pin (belan)
2-3 dry, red chillies - broken
1 tsp garlic paste, 1 green chilli - chopped finely
1 tsp coriander (dhania) powder, ½ tsp garam masala
1 tsp ginger juliennes (match sticks)
2 tbsp green coriander, ½ tsp red chilli powder

Method
1. Wash the dals thoroughly. Put it in a heavy-based sauce pan or a deep pan. Pour 5 cups of water, haldi and salt. Cover partially and cook on medium heat till soft. Mash the dal slightly with a heavy spoon. Add finely chopped tomatoes and simmer for 1-2 minutes.
2. For the tadka, heat ghee. Add jeera and coriander, add garlic and broken red chillies. Stir till garlic starts to change colour. Reduce heat. Add green chilli, coriander powder, garam masala, ginger and green coriander. Mix well and remove from heat. Add red chilli powder. Pour the tadka on the simmering dal. Immediately cover the lid for the flavours to seep into the dal. Serve hot.

Palak Chaman (Serves 4)
Ingredients
500 gm spinach (palak) - chopped (5 cups)
4 tbsp dry fenugreek leaves (kasoori methi)
1 cup chopped coriander
1 green chilli
1 tsp sugar
2 tbsp gram flour (besan)
250 gms paneer- cut into 1 inch pieces
½ stick cinnamon (dalchini)
2 green cardamoms (chhoti elaichi)
3-4 cloves (laung)
5 tbsp oil
2 onions - ground to a paste
½ cup cream or milk, approx.
Salt to taste

Tempering (Tadka)
1 tbsp desi ghee
1 tbsp chopped ginger
½ tsp red chilli powder

Method

1. Boil spinach, kasoori methi, fresh coriander and green chilli in 1 cup water with sugar. Cook on low flame for 4-5 minutes till spinach turns soft. Remove from fire. Strain the spinach and keep liquid aside. Cool the spinach and blend to a puree.
2. Mix besan with the spinach liquid and keep aside.
3. Crush dalchini, laung and seeds of chhoti elaichi to a rough powder. Keep aside.
4. Heat 5 tbsp oil. Add onions and cook on low heat till oil separates and they turn light brown.
5. Add the freshly ground masala. Cook for a few seconds.
6. Add besan dissolved in liquid. Cook for 2 minutes.
7. Add the palak puree. Roast for 5-7 minutes till dry and oil separates.
8. Add enough cream or milk, to get the right consistency and colour. Cook on low heat for 2 minutes.
9. Add paneer pieces.
10. Add salt to taste. Simmer for a few minutes. Transfer to a serving dish.
11. To serve, heat 1 tbsp desi ghee for the seasoning (baghar). Add ginger. Remove from fire. When ginger turns golden, add red chilli powder to the hot oil. Remove from fire and mix lightly with the spinach. Serve hot.

Sooji ki Kheer (Serves 8)
Ingredients
1 litre full cream milk
1 tsp ghee, 4½ tbsp sooji (semolina)
½ cup condensed milk, (store the rest in the freezer)
seeds of 4-5 green illaichi (cardamom) - crushed, 1 drop kewra essence
6 almonds - chopped, 8-10 pistas - blanched, peeled and chopped
1 silver wark (optional)

Method
1. Melt ghee in a thick bottom pan, add the sooji and stir on low heat till light brown.
2. Add the milk and simmer on low heat till the milk thickens.
3. Remove from fire. Add the condensed milk and stir well to mix. Keep on fire and stir constantly till thick and creamy. Remove from fire.
4. Add the crushed illaichi seeds and just a drop of kewra essence.
5. Pour into a serving dish, garnish with wark, almonds and pistas. Serve chilled.

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