Shahi Tukra Sandwich

Well, its Rakshabandhan and my birthday, KAPUT goes my diet . So lets ruin it just a little bit more by making an awesome and super simple recipe. Shahi tukra ... basically sweetened toast with rabri. Rabri can be a long tedious process, where as in this recipe you can make this recipe in flat 15 mins. Not just sisters who bring sweets to their brothers, I feel even brothers should cook for their sister. I sent mine Mocha Muffins. This post for my DIDI. 

Shahi Tukra

Bread 8 slices

Condensed milk ½ tin

Corn flour 1 tbsp

Milk 1 cup

Cardamom powder

Sugar 1 cup

Water 1 cup

Rose water 1 tsp

Ghee for frying bread

Almond slivers for garnish

Saffron for garnish

• Make sugar syrup with water and sugar add rose water at end
• Fry the bread and soak in soak in syrup
• Dissolve the cornflour in a little milk
• Mix the remaining milk with the condensed milk and bring to a boil
• Add the cornflour mixture and thicken.. Add Cardamom powder
• Cook till thick
• Top over the sweet toast and serve 

HAPPY RAKHI .....

Eid Ki Sevaiyan...

I have been blessed to work with some really gifted people.... and on of them is Chef Naseem, from whom i have learn a true elixir... Sevaiyon  Ka Muzaffar... and then after adding few of my personal twists i make this recipe over and over again, pleasing many friends and sending it as Eid sweet. This Eid we had a Bloggers Meet at my residence and some wonderful foodies came over for a potluck... I cooked Rajmah and Sevaiyon ka Muzaffar... Thus,  sharing the recipe.

Sevaiyon Ka Muzaffar 

Sevaiyan toasted 200g 

Ghee 100 ml 

Sugar 200 g 

Water 200 ml 

Milk 50 ml 

Cardamom Powder 1 tsp 

Meetha Itr few drops 

khoya 50 g 

Cashewnut 50 g 

Raisin 50g

Almonds 50g

dated 50g 

magaz 1 tbsp 

chironjii 1 tbsp 

glazed cherries few 

petha 50g 

ghee for frying 1 tbsp 

Silver Warq for garnish 

• Chop all dry fruits and saute in ghee 
• boil water and sugar to form a syrup 
• Saute the sevaiyan in ghee and add the syrup and cook till all syrup is absorbed
• add the milk and cardamom powder and ittr and cook till mill gets absorbed 
• add half the dry fruits and mix well 
• transfer into a large dish and spread it evenly top with khoya, warq and remaining dry fruits

Eid Mubarak Everyone ....

Pad Thai..... Soul Comforts

When we talk about soul food, mine is Thai food, yes it does hurt even thinking of this as I am on a diet and this is diet buster.... but believe me, nothing makes me happier that a well cooked Pad Thai. Fish sauce or Nam Pla is the key flavoring ingredient in Thai food and also hold importance in this recipe . For people who like meats in their pad thai one can add some sauteed prawns and chicken to it as well. Tamarind too is very important as it adds the piquant flavor way better than any vinegar .

Pad Thai

Onion 1 nos sliced

Tofu  50 g fried

Crushed peanuts 2 tbsp

Spring onion ½ cup

Tomato julienne 1 nos

Garlic 2 cloves

Ginger 1 cm piece

Chili paste 1 tbsp

Light soy 1 tsp

Tamarind pulp 1 tsp 

Fish sauce a dash  

Salt

Pepper

Palm Sugar 1tsp

Rice sticks 100g

Oil to stir fry

• Soak the rice sticks in water
• Drain and keep aside
• Heat oil and sauté ginger, garlic, and onions with the chili paste
• Add the vegetables and tofu  and sauté
• Mix chili paste, soy, tamarind pup, fish sauce with a few drops of water 
• Add the seasonings and the mixture of sauces and saute till oil appears on edges 
• Add the soaked rice sticks and stir fry till they wilt and turn reddish brown 
• make sure not to over cook them the process will not take more that 5 mins 
• Top with crushed peanuts

Bliss Cravings .... Dark Chocolate Tea Cake !

There are a very few things that can make one as happy as a dark... Bitter-sweet.... Rich .... Chocolate cake...

Sharing a  recipe that have won many hearts and is the gift I give to most people ... Eat it as it is.... Or with some Whipped Cream and Chocolate sauce.... Tastes Brilliant all the time .

Chocolate cake

100g salted butter

2 tbsp hung curd 

120g sugar

80g Flour

40 g cocoa

½ tsp baking powder

¼ cup choc sauce

3 eggs

1 cup Chocolate Chips 

• Beat the butter and sugar till light and fluffy and till it turns really pale 
• beat in the hung curd 
• Beat in eggs one by one
• Beat in chocolate sauce
• Sift all dry ingredients together
• Gently fold dry ingredients into the mixture
• Pour the mixture into a lined cake tin and bake like a loaf at 180 degrees  Celsius for 30 minutes
• Serve Warm or microwave for a few seconds before serving 

Mushroom Claypot Rice.... Monsoon Comforts .....

Mushrooms, have a natural mood uplifting quality about them. It is said that they have natural MSG like substances in them that intoxicate your taste buds and improve the flavor of anything that they are cooked with. I simply  adore their versatility. However the recipe i am sharing today is a classic and is pure elixir when u have a cold or it is raining cats and dogs outside. well i am blessed to have a kitchen which has no doors or windows and i can enjoy cooking this recipe wile i can smell the whiff of the first rain on the grass.
and this is my favorite monsoon recipe . it also does wonders to a misty glum winter lunch.

Mushroom Claypot  Rice 

Rice Boiled 1 cup

Stock:

Water 1 L

5 mushrooms

2 shitake mushrooms

Carrot ½

Bay leaf

Star anise

Pepper

Boiled shitake mushrooms 6

Fresh mushrooms 6

Fried garlic 1 tsp

Fresh garlic 1 tsp ( grated)

Salt

Pepper

Sugar

MSG

Spring onion chopped 1 tsp ( garnish )

Sesame oil for garish

Oil for cooking

Chinese Cooking wine 1 dash 

• heat all ingredients for the stock for 30 mins on high heat covered.... (till it becomes half) 
• strain and put aside 
• Heat oil sauté garlic and sliced mushrooms till they wilt 
• Add boiled rice and the stock.
• Add the seasonings and cook till the stock gets thicker
• Finish with sesame oil chinese wine and chopped spring onion

P.S. serve with chili oil and chopped spring onion greens on the side.

Aloo.... SIGH !

It seems everyone loves ALOO... Aloo, potato, is one vegetable i have never been able to favorite (although, looking at me you would refuse to believe so ). My family is forever after me to make, Dum Aloo Kashmiri, Cripsy Honey Chili Potato, Tandoori Aloo, Tikkis, and a many more such things... Sharing with you one the the recipes that i teach in the first session of my Indian cooking class.... The trick behing a perfect, semi sweet, Kashmiri Aloo Dum ...

If you are an ANTI- ALOO like me , feel free to make this recipe with  fried plantains (kacha kela ) or Kachhe Kele ke Kofte , Plantain Koftas

Dum Aloo Kashmiri 

Small Potatoes 250g

Onion 3 nos ( make into fine paste)

Tomato ketchup ½  cup

Sugar 1 tsp

Honey 1 tsp

Kashmiri Red chili powder 2 tbsp

Almond powder 2 tsp

Cream ½ cup

Curd ½ cup

Water ½  cup

1 tsp besan  ( gram flour)

Dhania powder 1 tbsp

Turmeric ½ tsp

Ghee 2 tbsp

Salt to taste

cream for garnish

• Peel and fry the potato
• Heat ghee and add sugar and honey
• Caramelize the sugar and add dry spices
• Add the onion paste and cook till dry
• Add the ketchup and cook till ghee leaves sides
• Beat the curd with besan and remove all lumps
• Add the cream and curd to the spices with ½ cup water
• And add the potatoes
• Cook on a slow flame and covered.
• Garnish and serve hot

Guilty Pleasures .... Paneer tikka ....

There are very few things that get me salivating... ( that's a lie) Well there are some that make me salivate more than others... Just like every Punjabi, I love paneer.... and i love it even more if its paneer tikka.... 

Its a very simple recipe but there are a few point that one needs to keep in mind in order to make a good paneer tikka a brilliant one ... sharing a recipe that has never disappointed me hope everyone else loves it too

Paneer Tikka

Paneer 250g

Capsicum 1

Tomato 2 Deseeded

For marinade

Salt

Pepper

 Red Chili paste 1 tbsp

Ginger 1 cm piece

Garlic  3 -4 cloves

Yogurt ½ cup

Mustard oil 1 tbsp

Ajwain 1 tsp

Dhania powder 1 tbsp

Meat masala 1 tsp

Chat masala 1 tsp

Sattu 1 tbsp

·        Mix all ingredients for the marinade together in a blender till a smooth paste is formed

·        Add paneer and marinate for some time save some marinade for tomato and capsicum

·        Arrange in skewers alternating paneer and capsicum and tomato

·        Grill at 250 degrees ( both grillers on ) on grill till golden  baste with butter at end (optional )

 P.S. Top Quality Paneer means Top Quality Paneer Tikka 

 P.S. It is best if the paneer is left in the the marinade for 3 - 4 hours