Dahi vada

The temperatures are soaring high this summer in many parts of the world. In this summer spell make sure to keep yourself Cool and well hydrated. 

Dahi vada is a sweet and spicy yogurt snack which is very popular in the North India and is perfect in the summer heat. It is a definite snack during get togethers & many festivals like holi, diwali etc.

Dahi vada is best enjoyed topped with tamarind and green puree (chutney).

Ingredients for Vadas:

• 1 cup of urad dal : 200 grams (black gram lentils without skin)  

• 3 green chillies
• 1 inch ginger
• 1 tsp  cumin seeds 
• 1 tsp of aniseed (Saunf)
• Pinch of asafoetida (hing)
• Salt, sugar (according to taste)

                                         

• 2 tsp of water for batter 
• 5-6 raisins
• 5-6 cashews chopped    
• Oil for frying                                                                         

Method:

• Soak the lentils (urad dal) overnight (or) for at least 6 hours.
• Drain the water and grind the lentils with green chillies, ginger, cumin seeds,saunf, and hing
• Grind it with little water to get a thick consistency.        

• You can add ground raisins and cashews in the batter and stir it well (this is optional)

                                 

• Mix the batter vigorously until it is light and fluffy. Add salt and sugar according to your taste.
• Heat oil in a frying pan and make balls from the above batter, then deep fry them on medium heat till they are crispy and golden brown. Don't fry the balls (vadas) over a high flame if you are not deep frying it, ( I did not deep fry) so that the inside gets cooked well and is not raw.

• While the vadas are still warm soak them in water for 15 minutes
• Vadas will increase in size as seen in the picture.

• Press the soaked vadas between your palms to remove the excess water. Press it gently otherwise it might end up breaking the lentil fritters (vadas)

• Keep these aside in a plate and let's prepare the yogurt in which the Vadas have to be dipped and served.

Ingredients for curd(spicy curd):

• Homemade curd/ yogurt : 2 cups
• Roasted cumin and red chilly powder: 1 tsp each
• 1/2 cup of water
• 2 tsp of sugar 
• 1 tsp of rock salt

 Method:

• Add 2 tsp of sugar, little salt, and roasted cumin and chilli powder into the curd.
• Now beat it hard till the curd gets a smooth texture. 
• Add half a cup of water to 250 ml of curd. Ratio might differ depending on the consistency of your curd.
• Now in a bowl serve two Vadas and pour the curd from top

Garnish with a tsp of coriander chutney and a little tamarind chutney, red chilly powder, chaat masala and roasted cumin powder, (recipe for the green and tamarind chutney is given below).

Green chutney (puree) 

Grind together the following ingredients in a mixer grinder and it's done:

• 1 cup mint leaves
• 1 cup coriander leaves
• 3-4 green chillies 
• 4-5 pods of garlic
• 4 tsp of fresh lemon juice
• Salt
• 11/2 tsp of water

Make a smooth paste and transfer the paste into a bowl. It can also be eaten with snacks. A more spicier version of this can also be made with cumin seeds and peanuts, but this is the version I used for dahi vada.

Tamarind chutney (puree)

• Soak tamarind in water overnight in a small bowl. Then squeeze the pulp, strain and keep it aside.
• Heat oil in a pan, lower the flame and fry some cumin seeds.
• Add a pinch of hing (asafoetida) ginger powder and chilly powder.
• Now add the tamarind pulp and cook for 3 mins.
• Add jaggery and salt and cook for another 5 mins.
• Stir and cook till paste has a comparatively thicker consistency.
• Turn off the stove and let it cool.

You can preserve this chutney in an airtight container for a couple of months in refrigerator. And use it as per your requirement by taking out the the amount you need and mixing it with water.

The above pictures of chutneys are Only for reference, Pic Credit of Chutneys to the respective owners. Thanks.

Rasagulla

This is a traditional bengali dessert made from chenna (freshly prepared cottage cheese/ moistened paneer). 
In any auspicious occasion this sweet spongy "Rasgullas" are a must for us. This is a sweet delicacy that is staple to the Bengalis and nor can they live without it. 
Many people have told me that it's difficult to make rasgullas, They've tried multiple times, either it breaks or they become hard. But trust me, if you follow everything step by step and take the right measures, ex: kneading the paneer properly, right consistency if the sugar syrup, Nothing can stop you from getting super soft, milky white Rasgullas!

INGREDIENTS:

• Full cream milk: 1 litre
• 2 small lemons: 3 tbsp of lemon juice 

      For Syrup

• 4 cups of sugar
• 1 litre of water

PROCEDURE: 

• First boil the full cream milk while stirring occasionally. When it's completely boiled ' turn off ' the stove and slowly add the extracted lemon juice. (requirement of lemon may vary according to the quality of your milk)
• Stir it well.The milk should start curdling during this process. Don't add the entire extracted lemon juice at once. Do it gradually.

  

• Continue adding the lime juice slowly and stirring after adding. Repeat this process. Once the milk is curdled ( separated ) and greenish whey (watery fluid part of the milk) is out pass it through a clean cloth lined on the colander/ strainer ( छलनी) as shown in the pic below.

• Then wash the chenna ( curdled milk that was just strained ) under running water very well (2-3 times). This step is very important otherwise you will get a lemony flavour from your Rasgullas and the sweet balls won't be soft either.

• Gather the edges of the cloth and gently squeeze out the excess water from the chenna. Don't apply too much pressure .

• Hang it for 30 minutes.

While your chenna is hanging prepare the sugar syrup:

• Take a pot with good depth and width. I took a big pressure cooker (since it's both wide and deep)
• Then add 12 cups of water into the pot and 3 cups of sugar.
• Stir it thoroughly so that sugar gets dissolved completely. (The ratio of sugar to water should be aroung 1:5 )
• After dissolving it turn on the stove and heat the syrup 

Note: The syrup should never become thick, or else your rasgullas will break or become too hard.

• Now take out the Chenna from the cloth and knead it for at least 10 minutes till it's texture becomes very smooth. It should be moist and not dry like the Paneer what we buy from the stores

• Knead the chenna until there are no lumps and cracks. As soon as some fat (oil from the chenna) starts releasing after kneading, start making the balls using your Palms. Try to restrict the size to 1 inch only as it becomes double after cooking.

• Now bring the syrup to boil and then add the chenna balls into the syrup carefully and cover the pot.
• The water(syrup) should be vigorously boiling.
• The process took me 20 minutes. (until the balls became soft and absorbed the syrup and enlarged )
• After every 5 minutes you should open the lid and stir cautiously as to not break the soft balls, Generally it should take around 15 minutes.
• Then turn off the gas and give the pot a standing time of 15 minutes.
• Then slowly transfer the rasgullas into a bowl along with the syrup, Making sure that all the rasgullas are submerged in the syrup.

• It is best when eaten after 8-9 hours. Only after 7-8 hours it becomes soft, juicy and spongy. that it melts in your mouth.
• Refrigerate it and serve it cool.

~ENJOY~

Besan ka Laddu (Chickpea flour sweet balls)

I wish all my readers a Very Colourful and Safe Holi, The Indian festival of Colors and harvest!

Every year I make these instead of  'bundi ke laddu' ( a type of sweet usually made during festivals and offered to God)  as my family and friends love 'Besan ke laddu' this. 

What are laddus? Ball shaped indian sweets

Ingredients:

• 1 cup: ghee
• 4 cups: besan (garbanzo bean flour/chickpea flour)
• 2 cups: powdered sugar
• 1/4 cup: chopped almonds
• 1 tsp: powdered cardamom 

Method:

• Keep the kadai/pan on low flame.
• In the pan mix the besan and ghee. Keep stirring continuously to avoid lumps from forming.
• Stir and fry till the mixture turns slightly brown. If required you can add little ghee. I have used 11/2 cups of ghee. (each cup is around 150-160 ml)
• Add the cardamom and sugar and mix thoroughly.
• Now allow the mixture to cool down.
• Apply some ghee on your palm and make into small balls.

~Enjoy~

Sabudana thali pet (Sago Pancake)

During festivals in India (like Shiv Ratri and Janmashtami, Holi etc) Most people don't eat meat those days (totally vegetarian) and some eat food which does not contain lentils and rice.  

Popular food eaten during religious and fasting events (in india) are sabudana, curd, fruits etc. .     

Sabudana Utthapam/ pancakes/ thali pet:

This dish is a combination of all sabudana, curd and potato and just 2 of these pancakes is filling and keeps you from getting hungry. In many households onions too are not eaten during these fasting/ religious days. So if you don't want to add onions you can skip it. You can add julienne ginger instead.

Ingredients:

• Sabudana (sago): 200 grams
• 2 medium sized onion chopped (optional)
• 1 boiled potato
• 2 green chillies
• 1 Tbsp of lemon juice  
• 1 cup of curd
• 1 tsp of sugar
• Coriander leaves
• Salt (as per required) 

Procedure:

• Soak the sabudana for 4-5 hours, they get soggy and enlarged.
• Now add all the ingredients and mix them together. Smash the mixture as far as possible with your hand/ spoon.
• The paste should not be too runny or too thick and tight . If you feel it has become very thick, add little water.
• Potato is a binding agent which will hold all the ingredients tight and will give a proper shape

• Heat a pan & add 1 tsp of oil and spread a spatula full of this batter onto the pan, Make a nice round shape and let it cook on medium flame for some time . 
• Cover the pan with a lid so that it gets heat from all the sides. 
• Now add another tsp of oil from top and turn over your sabudana thalipet carefully with the help of 2 spatulas. 
• Follow the same procedure as before and cook till this side gets little crispy. 
• Serve hot with little butter from the top.

                                              ~ENJOY~ 

PS: What is 'Sabudana'? < If you do not know what is sago.

Daal Makhani (Black Lentil Soup)

Dal Makhani is a delicacy among Indians.

It has a rich flavor made from 2 different lentils. 

A north Indian (Punjabi) marriage is incomplete without this lentil soup called "dal makhani" in the menu.

It is rich in spices and has a creamy rich flavor.

For those who are going to try out this recipe for the first time, they can use this ready-made spice mix (masala) from +Knorr España (Knorr). It is a quick way to make this and is tasty too.

INGREDIENTS:

• 125 gm of urad dal (1 cup) black lentil/black gram 
• 50 gms of Rajma (Red kidney beans)
• 1 tsp of ginger paste
• 1Tbsp of garlic paste (approx 8-9 garlic pods)
• 5 tbsp of tomato paste
• 1 big onion cut into small pieces

• 3 tsp of Catch Dal makhani masala
• 2 tbsp of fresh cream
• 1 tbsp of white butter
• 3 tbsp of oil for cooking
• Salt (according to your taste)

PROCEDURE

Clean the lentils properly and soak these with sufficient water overnight.

          

(Snaps taken after soaking the lentils over night )

• Add 1200 ml of water and cook the dal and red beans (rajma) under pressure. (in a pressure cooker) with 1 tsp of salt. 
• Wait for 2 whistles, and then continue cooking it in a low flame for 30 mins.
• Now remove it from your stove(burner) and when the pressure decreases, slightly mash the lentils and keep it aside.
• Heat oil or ghee in a separate pan and add the chopped onions. Fry properly till golden brown, when golden brown add the ginger and garlic paste and fry it together.

     

• Now add the tomato puree and cook for another 2-3 mins.
• Add the Dal Makhni masala (spice mix from knorr) and cook till you see the oil forming a separate layer on the top
• Now, Add the boiled and smashed lentils which were kept aside.
• Simmer it for around  15 minutes while stirring it occasionally. (if required you can add a cup of water if u feel its too dry and requires more water).
• Add the fresh cream and butter and mix them well.
• Simmer for 5minutes. 
• Garnish with fresh coriander leaves or parsley and topping of fresh cream and serve piping hot with rice or naan.

~ENJOY~

Note:

Great for eating during winters or a chilly day.

Tastes great with naan (Indian flat bread and Cumin Rice)

Naan recipe: Click here

Royal High Tea at Taj Falaknuma Palace

I want to share with you all my very spectacular and memorable second visit to the Taj Falaknuma Palace which was …An evening filled with grandeur being invited for a tour of the palace and high tea. It is a memory to cherish, with the warm hospitality of Taj welcoming you, with a shower of rose petals from the floor above, as you enter the +Taj Falaknuma Palace in a royal way. 

We were welcomed with fresh Ginger tea, peppermint tea.

 And then began our tour of the palace.

The palace is a beauty draped in white with its heavy Italian influence, evident in the intricate details inside the palace. The ceiling was mesmerizing with fresco paintings making an illusion. The painted glass windows bringing in natural rays.

An antique Clock

They have a huge collection of art, manuscripts, rare books, statues and antique pieces which are worth seeing.

We were served champagne while we saw the various parts of the palace. Another amazing site was the official dining hall which had a table that can seat 100 guests and is 108 feet long, the tableware was made of gold, silver and crystals which was really unique. 

A lavish spread awaited us with an Indo-Western arrangement, the way the English porcelain tea set and Indian tea cups merged together was beautiful.

The spread included fresh juices and healthy shots,(in which the Ferrero rocher shake is worth a try).

Sandwiches, (there were many options, the salmon and Philadelphia pinwheel sandwich was scrumptious),

The mini bagels and croissants with cream cheese were interesting & for vegetarians avocado pita wraps and tomato & mozzarella sticks deserve a special mention. Hot Indian snacks like kheema bun, boti lukmi, haleem bruschetta, bun maska received great remarks from the guests.

~I loved these chocolate cigars! So creative and Delicious~

There was an array of pastries, cookies, Indian Sweets and Bruschetta (khubani ka meetha, walnut and banana cake, bitter chocolate truffles, macaroons and, Fruit tarlettes, orange cures salmon etc) to choose from. I loved the almond and hazelnut cake with cream cheese frosting.

My plate of snacks :D 

I enjoyed the view from the verandah of the palace sipping a hot cup of tea with nature all around and the entire city in sight and peacocks roaming around in the garden below. There was jazz music playing in the backdrop...It was just so refreshing, you could sit there for hours together. It was a great experience.

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It’s a tour of 2000INR + taxes per head and it is absolutely worth it! I highly recommend a visit to Falaknuma Palace anytime you are in Hyderabad, The architecture, surroundings, art, music, grub, hospitality, the tranquility and peace will mesmerise you.