Kesar Pista Kulfi /Saffron Pistachio Ice cream

Kesar Pista Kulfi /Saffron Pistachio Ice cream

Kesar pistachio kulfi is a gem among Indian frozen dessert  is perfect for summer.It is popular in many countries.It is traditional Indian ice cream.

Ingredients

For the kesar kulfi

1. 1 ltr full fat milk
2. 1/3 cup sugar
3. 1/4 tsp cardamom (elaichi) powder
4. a few saffron (kesar) strands
5. 1 tbsp arrowroot powder /cornflour
6. 1/2 cup cream/malai
7. Pistachio I/2 cup (I used some almonds also along with pistachio)

Method

1. Dissolve the arrowroot in 2 tablespoons of milk and keep aside.
2. Put rest of  milk in a broad  pan and bring it to a boil. Add saffron and sugar to it and simmer over a medium flame,stirring continuously till the milk reduces to a little less  around 3/4 of total quantity.Add the arrowroot solution and mix well.
3. Cool completely, add the cardamom powder,chopped pistachio and cream and mix well.
4. Pour into  kulfi moulds and freeze overnight till it sets.

Notes

To avoid water crystals on kulfi put the moulds in down section of fridge.Once it becomes cold then put them in freezer.

Palak Paneer(Spinach curry with cheese)

Palak paneer 

This is my mom’s recipe.

Palak paneer is one of the most popular indian paneer recipe . Palak paneer is soft paneer or cottage cheese cooked in a spinach curry.

Palak paneer goes well with rotis, naan and parathas.  Can substitute paneer with tofu in this palak paneer recipe.

INGREDIENTS

 palak puree

1. 500 gms fresh spinach/palak
2. 3/4 green chilies
3. ginger chopped

palak curry

1. 1  onion, finely chopped
2. 1  tomato, chopped
3. 1/2 tsp cumin seeds/jeera
4. 1/2 tsp turmeric powder/haldi
5. 1/2 tsp red chili powder
6. a pinch of asafoetida/hing
7. 1/2 tsp garam masala powder
8. 1 tsp besan
9. 250 gms paneer
10. 1 tbsp cream
11. salt

garnish:

a few teaspoons of cream or butter  or ghee for topping the palak paneer (optional)

lemon  juice

Method

making the spinach purée

1. Rinse the palak or spinach leaves very well in running water. Tender stem are fine. If the stems are stringy, then discard the stems.
2. Boil the spinach add the spinach in a grinder jar with chopped ginger and green chilies.
3. Make a smooth palak purée. No need to add water while making the purée. Keep the spinach purée aside.

making the palak curry

1. Heat oil or ghee or butter in a pan or kadai.
2. Add the cumin  seeds and hing and let them splutter.
3. Add the finely chopped onions. Saute till the onions become golden.
4. Add the chopped tomatoes. Stir and sauté the tomatoes till they soften.
5. Once the tomatoes are softened and you see fat releasing from the sides of the mixture. Then add the turmeric powder, red chili powder .
6. Stir very well.
7. Then add the palak purée.
8. Stir well.
9. Add about 1/2 cup water or as required. stir again.
10. Simmer for 6-7 minutes or more till the palak or spinach is cooked. Once spinach is cooked add besan ( mix with water).  The gravy  will also thicken by now.Add cream.
11. Stir again and then add the paneer cheese  and garam masala.
12. Stir gently and simmer on a low flame till the paneer cubes become soft . about 1 to 2 minutes. switch off the flame.
13. Stir and serve the palak paneer hot with some rotis, naan or jeera rice. you can top the palak paneer with some butter or cream or desi ghee  while serving. Also add a few drops of lemon juice on top.

NOTES  The paneer cubes can be also be lightly fried .

Chatpata Amla Jam/Spicy Gooseberry Spread

Chatpata Amla Jam /Spicy Gooseberry spread

Amla is a great source of vitamin C. You can easily get the nutrition of amla by making jam.

When I was small my mother called this Amla chutney and she made it in bulk so we used it in summer .As in India Amla is available in winters.

Ingredients for Gooseberry Jam

1. Gooseberry (amla)  500 gms
2. Sugar  500 gms
3. Cardamom 1 tsp
4. Cinnamon powder 1 tsp

Method

1. Wash the gooseberries twice with water.
2. Put in pressure cooker and give one whistle.( we can boil them in open pan also as I already told in earlier post Amla Candy and Amla Pickle) 
3. Strain the water from the gooseberries with the help of strainer. You can use this water  for drinking. Let the gooseberries cool down. Take out the seeds from the gooseberries.
4. Blend the gooseberries in the mixer along with sugar and make a paste.
5. Now take a pan. Put the amla paste into it  and cook on a medium flame. Stir the mixture continuously. The colour of the paste will start to change.
6. Add cardamom and cinnamon powder and put them into the jam.

You can make purée of amla and then mix sugar and cook. But this way it would not be easy to purée amla moisture of sugar helps in grinding.

For spicier version you can add some red chili in it.

After cooling completely store in glass bottle .

For more Amla recipies you can check Amla candy and Amla Pickle

Eggless Whole Wheat Chocolate Cake

Eggless Whole wheat chocolate cake

Ingredients

1. 1 cup whole wheat flour/atta (you can use all-purpose flour/maida also)
2. 3 tbsp cocoa powder
3. ½ tsp baking soda
4. a pinch of salt
5. ¾ cup sugar
6. 1 cup water
7. ¼ cup oil or melted butter( I used sunflower oil)
8. 1 tbsp lime juice/vinegar(I used apple cider vinegar)
9. ½ tsp vanilla essence

for the cocoa frosting:

1. 2 tbsp unsalted butter at room temperature
2. 4 tbsp cocoa powder
3. 2 tbsp milk
4. 4 tbsp sugar or add as required

INSTRUCTIONS

for the cake:

1. First grease a round baking pan.
2. Preheat your oven to 200 degrees celsius.
3. Sieve 1 cup whole wheat flour, 3 tbsp cocoa powder, a pinch of salt, ½ tsp baking soda in a plate.
4. In another pan or bowl, take ¾ cup sugar.
5. Add 1 cup water and stir so that the sugar dissolves.
6. Now add ¼ cup oil or melted butter. I added oil. Stir briskly so that everything is mixed well.
7. Next add 1 tbsp lime juice/vinegar. Stir again.
8. Now add ½ tsp vanilla essence.
9. Add the sieved dry ingredients to the wet mixture. Mix everything well.
10. There should be no lumps in the cake batter. The batter is not thick but thin.
11. Pour the cake batter in the prepared cake pan.
12. Tap the sides of the cake pan so that the extra air bubbles are let out.
13. Bake the cake in a preheated oven for 200 degrees celsius/392 degrees fahrenheit for 35 to 40 mins. Since temperatures vary from oven to oven, do keep a check.
14. For doneness check the cake with a tooth pick. The tooth pick should come out clean. Once the cake becomes warm or cools down, unmold and place it on a wired rack. If the tooth pick is sticky, then place the cake bake in the oven and continue to bake for some more minutes. Before frosting let the cake cool completely.

for the frosting:

1. Take 2 tbsp butter and 4 tbsp sugar in a saucepan.
2. Heat and melt the butter. Also the sugar should dissolve. Once the sugar has dissolved switch off the stove top. The sugar should be just dissolved. We don’t need to cook the sugar in its various stages.
3. Next add 4 tbsp cocoa powder.
4. With a spatula stir so that the cocoa powder gets mixed evenly with the butter-sugar mixture.
5. Add 2 tbsp milk. Stir very well to make a slightly thick frosting, the cocoa frosting is ready.
6. While still hot, spread the frosting on the cake as well as the sides with a spatula. you can also slice the cake in half and spread frosting in the center and then on the top.  Wrap a medium-sized plate with aluminium foil and then keep the cake on it. this make the frosting work easier. Keep the cake covered in the fridge for the frosting to set. You can use a dome-shaped bowl to cover the cake. make sure the there is enough space between the cake and the bowl which you are using for covering the cake.
7. The frosting will set after some hours. I kept overnight.
8. Next day, take some powdered sugar and cocoa powder and spread  on the cake. this is optional.
9. Slice and serve the eggless chocolate cake.
10. Can serve with out frosting also.

Amritsari Aloo Kulcha

Amritsari Aloo Kulcha

Amritsari Aloo Kulcha is a Punjabi dish. This is kind of desi-pizza, stuffed with masala potatoes. It is a delicious Indian recipe . When cooked it is usually rubbed with butter or ghee.

Ingredients:

Dough

1.  1 cup maida
2. 2 cup whole wheat flour
3.  2 tsp Yeast
4. 2 tbsp Curd/Yogurt
5.  2 tbsp Oil
6.  2 tsp Sugar
7.  Salt

Stuffing/Filling

• 2 cup Boiled-Peeled & Mashed Potatoes

• 1 tsp Red Chili Powder

• 1 tsp Garam Masala

• 1 tsp Chaat Masala

• Salt

• Flour for Dusting

Can do any stuffing like onion,paneer etc.

Method:

Dough

1.  Add both flours ,salt, oil, curd ,yeast,sugar and mix well, knead it for 4-5 minutes, and then make  dough.
2.  Apply little oil, cover the dough and place it in a warm place for 1 hour or till double.

Stuffing

1. Take another bowl, add mashed potatoes.dd red chili powder, coriander powder, garam masala, salt, Chaat masala and mix well.

Process

1.  Take the prepared dough, punch it down and knead it again for 2 minutes.
2. Kept the dough again for 1 hour.
3. Now divide the dough into 8-10 balls.
4.  Take one ball, dust in flour roll it and make thick circle disk.
5.  Now place the stuffing on the disk and close the edges, farm it into the ball.
6.  Dust the ball into the flour, flatter with using fingers, and then roll it like a paratha using roller pin.

On Tava

1. Heat the griddle, place the rolled Kulcha on it and cook for a minute or till down side spotted little brown.

2. Flip it other side and cook it for 1-2 minutes, and then roast it for few seconds on a direct flame .

3. Now remove it on plate and apply ghee.

In Oven

1. Preheat the oven on maximum temperature.

2. Take a baking tray, grease it with few drop of oil. Place the Kulcha on it.

3. Sprinkle some sesame seeds, coriander leaves, press them lightly, and brush it with oil or ghee.

4. Place the tray into the oven and then bake it for 5-7 minutes on highest temperature.

Amritsari Aloo Kulcha is ready, Serve with palak paneer, curry, chole or any vegetable of your choice .