Green All-Purpose Chutney

Green All-Purpose Chutney

Ingredients:
15 green chillies
1/2 cup coriander
1/2 lemon
1 tbsp. sev or potato wafers crushed
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1/2 tsp. jaggery
salt to taste
1 tsp. oil
1 clovette garlic

Directions:
Put all the ingredients , except oil and asafoetida , in a small mixie.
Heat the oil and add the asafoetida and put in the mixie.
Run the mixie till a smooth chutney is obtained.
Try using no water or as little as possible to make the chutney keep longer.
Add water as and when required.
Store in a clean glass bottle.
Note: Sev is a fried Indian snack made of gramflour.
Makes 1/2 cup chutney
Making time: 5 minutes
Shelf life: 1 week (refrigerated)
14. Sarson ka saag
Ingredients
1 bunch sarson greens
1 bunch spinach
1 onion grated
1/2 tsp. each ginger & garlic grated
3 green chillies
1 tbsp. grated cheese or paneer (optional)
1/2 lemon juice
salt to taste
2 tbsp. ghee
1 tbsp. oil
1/2 tsp. garam masala
1 tbsp. maize flour
Method
1.Chop both greens, wash, drain.
2.Heat oil in the pressure cooker direct.
3.Add both greens, green chillies, stir.
4.Add ginger, garlic, stir.
5.Add few pinches salt, 1 cup water.
6.Pressure cook till done. (2 whistles).
7.Mash well.
8.Heat ghee in a pan, add onion, saute till brown,
9.Add all other ingredients, except cheese.
10.Stir well and cook till oil separates.
11.Garnish with cheese.
12.Serve hot with makki ki roti, or paratha.
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Making time: 25 minutes (excluding pressure cooking time)
Makes: 3-4 servings
Shelflife: Best fresh
15. Sweet Pongal
Ingredients (for two people) :-
Moong dhal - 1/2 cup.
Rice - 1/2 cup.
Milk
Coconut
cashew
jaggery
raisins (khish-mish - dry grapes)
cardamom
ghee.
Fry the moong dhal (before washing) till it becomes little light brown (it
will start smelling). Then soak rice and dhal separately for 10 minutes.
Thoroghly wash and keep it in cooker with the right water (lesser is o.k)and
cook it seperately (in two different containers). Meanwhile cut coconut in
very small pieces and fry in ghee. Fry cashew and raisins also separately.
Break the jagerry and put in water (very little) and make a syrup. This is
done because sometimes jagerry has mud and stones. After we make the syrup
strain it through tea strainer. Put the rice and dhal in a big vessel and
add milk (may be one cup) and cook it till all the milk gets absorbed. Add
jaggery syrup and again cook till even it gets absorbed. Add three big table
spoons of ghee, powdered cardamon and cook again for a while. Add fried
coconut, cashews and raisins.
Serve hot in two cups with a spoon of ghee.
16. Ulundu vada
urad dhaal
hari mirch
salt
Soak dhaal in water over night. Grind dhaal in little water.
Then make vada shape and deep fry in oil.
17. Adai
Rice - ½ cup
urad dhaal - ¼ cup
chana dhaal - ¼ cup
thoor dhaal - ¼ cup
yellow moong dhaal - ¼ cup
red chillis
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salt
Soak everything in water over night. Grind with little water.
18. Dhaal vada
urad dhaal -
chana dhaal -
red chillis -
Following is the thread test (tar) to check required consistency of syrup (chashni). If no thread is formed, but there is
stickiness in the syrup when tested, then it is 3/4 tar (thread). This consistency is generally used in dipping sweets like,
gulabjamoon, boondi, jalebi, imarti, etc. Boil some more and when 1 tar forms, it is used in soaking pancake pancakes like
malpua. On further boiling two tars are obtained and this is used in sweets like burfis, mohanthal, etc. At this stage a drop
of syrup dropped on a plate will form a soft ball when cooled. After this stage do no stir briskly and continuously or the
sugar will recrystallise. Still further boiling will form 2 1/2 to 3 tars and this syrup is used to get a white coating of sugar on
sweets like balushahi, surti ghari, etc. At this stage when the syrup is dropped in a plate it will form a hard ball when
cooled. Following are the steps shown to make sugar syrup (chashni) in the right way.
a.Take sugar and water in the ratio of 2 : 1 1/2 unless other wise mentioned.
b.Put both in a deep saucepan to boil, stirring occasionally.
c.When the mixture comes to a boil, add 1/2 cup milk.
d.When a thick scum is formed on the surface of syrup, it is time to strain.
e.Always use a metal strainer or moist cloth to strain the hot syrup, never plastic.
f.Put back to boil, checking the consistency required as above.
g.Check frequently, because once the first thread forms, it proceeds to thicken to the next stages very quickly.
h.Use as required in the recipe. Make syrup side by side of making the recipe, reheating the syrup too many times will alter
the texture of the resulting sweet dish. To save time, prepare the syrup on a second burner, while making the rest of the
recipe. This will avoid excess wastage of time and unnecessary cooling off, of the fried flours, etc. as the recipe demands.
19. Shrikhand
Ingredients
1/2 kg. curds
300 gms. sugar
1/2 tsp. cardamom powder
few strands saffron
1/2 tbsp. pista & almond crushed
Method
Tie curd in a clean muslin cloth overnight. (6-7 hours).
Take into a bowl, add sugar and mix.
Keep aside for 25-30 minutes to allow sugar to dissolve.
Rub saffron into 1 tbsp. milk till well broken and dissolved. Keep aside.
Beat well till sugar has fully dissolved into curd.
Pass through a big holed strong strainer, pressing with hand or spatula.
Mix in cardamom powder and dissolved saffron and half nuts.
Empty into a glass serving bowl, top with remaining nut crush.
Chill for 1-2 hours before serving.
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Making time: 20 minutes (excluding tieing and keeping time)
Makes: 6-7 servings
Shelflife: 3-4 days refrigerated
Variations: To make fruit flavoured shrikhand eg. mango, add pulp at the stage of adding cardamom and saffron.
20. Puranpoli
Ingredients
300gms. channa (yellowgram) dal
300 gms. jaggery (molasses)
1 tsp. cardamom powder
150 gms. plain flour
1 tbsp. ghee
warm water to knead dough
ghee to serve
Method
Boil dal in plenty of water till soft but not broken.
Drain in a colander for 10-15 minutes.
Pass through an almond grater little by little till all dal is grated.
Mash jaggery till lumps break. Mix well into dal.
Put mixture in a heavy saucepan and cook till a soft lump is formed
Take care to stir continuously, so as not to charr. Keep aside.
Mix ghee, flour, add enough water to make a soft pliable dough.
Take a morsel sized ball of dough, roll into a 4" round.
Place same sized ball of filling in centre, life all round and seal.
Reroll carefully to a 6" diameter round.
Roast on warm griddle till golden brown.
Repeat other side.
Take on serving plate. Apply a tsp. of ghee all over top.
OR
Shallow fry on griddle like a paratha for a better flavour.
But this method will consume more ghee and therefore calories.
Serve hot with dal or amti.
Note: The water drained from boiling dal is used to make the amti. ( a thin curry made using black masala, garam masala
and some mashed
dal.)
Making time: 45 minutes
Makes: 7-8 puranpolis
Shelflife: Best fresh (puran {filling} may be stored in the refrigerator for a week.
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21. Patisa (Soan Papdi)
Ingredients
1 1/4 cup gramflour
1 1/4 cup plain flour (maida)
250 gms. ghee
2 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cup water
2 tbsp. milk
1/2 tsp. cardamom seeds crushed coarsely
2 tsp. charmagaz (combination of 4 types of seeds) refer glossary
4" squares cut from a thin polythene sheet
Method
Sift both flours together.
Heat ghee in a heavy saucepan.
Add flour mixture and roast on low till light golden.
Keep aside to cool a little, stirring occasionally.
Prepare syrup simultaneously.
Make syrup out of sugar, water and milk as shown in introduction.
Bring syrup to 2 1/2 thread consistency.
Pour at once into the flour mixture.
Beat well with a large fork till the mixture forms threadlike flakes.
Pour onto a greased surface or thali and roll to 1" thickness lightly.
Sprinkle the charmagaz seeds and elaichi and gently press down with palm.
Cool, cut into 1" squares, wrap individually into square pieces of thin plastic sheet.
Store in airtight container.
Making time: 45 minutes
Makes: 20 pieces (approx.)
Shelflife: 2 weeks
22. Coconut Burfi
Ingredients
250 gms. finely grated coconut
250 gms. sugar
150 ml. water
ghee for greasing plate
Method
1.Prepare syrup with sugar and water to 2 1/2 thread consistency.
Use method as shown in introduction.
2.Warm coconut in heavy saucepan, pour in the syrup.
3.Stir well and cook till soft lump forms.
4.Spread in a greased plate. Cool.
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5.Sprinkle cardamom powder (optional).
6.Cut into squares, store in airtight container.
Making time: 30 minutes
Makes: 20-25 pieces
Shelflife: 2 weeks
23. Imarti
Ingredients
2 cups urad dal
3 cups sugar
300 ml. water
saffron colour
1/2 tsp. cardomom ground
500 gms. ghee to fry
Method
1.Soak urad dal overnight in plenty of water.
2.Wash and drain. Grind to fine thick batter. Put water little by little.
3.Add colour and mix very well.
4.If using a mixie, beat the dal well by hand till fluffy after grinding.
5.Keep aside for 3 hours. More is weather is cold.
6.Make 1 tar sugar syrup as shown in introduction.
7.Add cardomom powder to syrup.
8.Using either an imarti bottle (with nozzle) or cloth as shown in note, form imartis in the hot ghee. Lower flame and
allow to crisp turning
once.
9.Remove from ghee, drain and dip in hot syrup.
10.Soak for 3-4 minutes, drain and serve.
11.Repeat for remaining batter.
12.Make 4-5 imartis at a time, depending on size of frying pan.
Note:
Use a flat bottomed frying pan.
The imarti bottle can be substituted with a soft plastic sauce bottle with a nozzle.
If not available, take a 12"x 12" thick cloth, make a buttonhole type hole in centre.
Place over a tumbler and pour in some batter.
Hold like a pouch and press out imartis like icing.
Shape the imartis as follows, make a ring first, then form small ringlets all along the ring.
Till you come to the start.
Making time: 1 hour (excluding soaking and keeping time)
Makes: 20 imartis
Shelflife: (1) Keep unsoaked in syrup for a day. (2) Soak in syrup as required.
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24. Kaju Barfi
150 gm cashewnuts
400 gm sugar
elaichi powdered
silver foil (optional)
500 gm khoya
Method
Dry grind the cashew
Mix khoya (grated) and sugar
Heat in a heavy pan, stirring continuously.
Once the sugar dissolves, add the cashew (powdered) and elaichi
Cooking, constantly stir till soft lump is formed and does not stick to sides
Roll on a flat surface to desired thickness and apply silver foil.
25. Khajur Burfi or Rolls
1 tin condensed milk
1 kg khajur deseeded (dates)
250 gm mixed dryfruits (badam, cashew, pista)
1/2 cup dessicated dry coconut
Method
Break up khajur coarsely
Add milkmaid and dryfruit all in a heavy, non-stick pan.
Cook on slow flame, stirring continuously.
Do not allow to stick to bottom.
It takes a while to cook
Stir gently till a soft lump forms.
Spread some of the coconut on a butter paper sheet.
Grease hands and take a chunk of the mixture and roll into a thick roll, on the sheet, all the coconut to cover it.
Chill the rolls in the fridge
Cut into slices
Or set in a tray and cut into squares.
26. Kalakand (Milk Burfi)
2 litres milk
1/2 to 3/4 cup sugar
chopped nuts to decorate (pista, almonds)
silver foil (optional)
1/2 tsp citric acid dissolved in 1/2 cup water.
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Method
Boil half the milk and add the citric solution as it comes to boil
Switch off gas. Once the chenna settles sieve through muslin cloth, press out excess water, take in a plate and press
down.
Do not knead.
Put the remaining milk in a heavy pan and boil to half.
Add the chenna and boil till the mixture thickens, stirring continuously.
Add the sugar and continue to cook, stirring all the while till softly thickens in a lump.
Set in a tray, apply silver foil and sprinkle the chopped nuts.
27. Badam ka seera
1 1/2 cup almonds soaked overnight
3 cups hot milk
250 gm ghee
1/2 to 1/3 cup sugar
Method
Peel the almonds, wash and grind to fine paste.
Heat ghee in a heavy pan.
Add paste and cook on first high then slow flame, stirring continuosly.
After a while it should turn a light brown and aromatic.
Carefully pour hot milk and stir.
Use a long-handled spatula as the mixture tends to splatter.
When thickens, add the sugar and cook, stirring continously and gently till ghee begins to separate.
Decorate with chopped nuts and serve hot.
28. Carrot Halwa
1 kg juicy orange carrots
1 1/2 litre milk
400-500 gm sugar
elaichi powder (cardomon)
saffron few flakes
few drops orange colour (optional)
1 tbsp ghee
Method
Peel and grate carrots
Put milk and carrots in a heavy saucepan. Boil till thick, stirring occassionally. Once it starts thickening, stir
continuously. Add sugar and cook
further till thickens. Add ghee, elaichi, saffron and colour. Stir on low heat till the mixture collects in a soft ball or the
ghee oozes out. Serve
hot, decorated with a chopped almond or pista.
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29. Doodhi Halwa
1 kg doodhi
1 1/2 litre milk
400-500 gm sugar
elaichi powder (cardomon)
saffron few flakes
1 tbsp ghee
Method
Peel and grate Dudhi
Put milk and dudhi in a heavy saucepan. Boil till thick, stirring occassionally. Once it starts thickening, stir
continuously. Add sugar and cook
further till thickens. Add ghee, elaichi, saffron and colour. Stir on low heat till the mixture collects in a soft ball or the
ghee oozes out. Serve
hot, decorated with a chopped almond or pista.
30. Chickoo Halwa
6 chickoos
1/2 tea cup milk
1/4 - 1/3 cup sugar
150 gms khoya or milk powder made paste.
2 - 3 drops cochineal (essence)
1 tbsp ghee
Method
Peel and mash chickoos or blend.
Add milk and boil in heavy saucepan.
When slightly thick add khoya and cook, stirring continuously.
Add sugar and ghee. Cook on low turning continuously till ghee oozes.
Garnish with almond or walnut in centre of the halwa.
31. Dal ka seera
500 gm Moong dal (green)
500 gm sugar
500 gm ghee
saffron soaked in a little milk
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elaichi powder
water about 250 ml.
Method
Soak the dal for 5-6 hours.
Wash and remove the skins well.
Grind dal fine either in a stone grinder or electric grinder or mixie.
Use as little water as possible.
Put sugar and water in a pan and put to boil.
Once sugar dissolve add a few tblsp. of milk.
As the syrup boils the scum will rise.
Remove with a strain.
Further boil till the syrup become sticky between the fingers.
(One thread should fall when poured from a tilted spoon) keep aside.
Heat the ghee in a heavy kadai (vessel) and add dal.
Keep stirring rigorously to avoid burning.
Once the dal stops sticking to the vessel, stir gradually till golden brown, and ghee begins to separate.
Pour the hot syrup, add elaichi and dissolved saffron.
Stir very carefully, not allowing hand to be scalded. Cook slowly till all water is absorbed.
Decorate with chopped dry fruit.
Serve hot especially on a cold day.
32. Atte ka seera
2 tbsp. wheat flour
2 1/2 tbsp. ghee
3/4 to 1 cup sugar or molasses (jaggery)
elaichi powder
chopped pista and almonds
Method
Add flour and roast on slow fire, stirring continuously
Side by side add to sugar 2 1/2 cups water and keep to boil
When the atta becomes a golden brown, add the boiling sweet water
Stir gently and continuously till excess water evaporates and the ghee separates.
Decorate with chopped nuts
33. Beetroot Halwa
1 kg beetroot
1 1/2 litre milk
400-500 gm sugar
elaichi powder (cardomon)
saffron few flakes
1 tbsp ghee
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Method
Peel and grate beetroot
Put milk and dudhi in a heavy saucepan. Boil till thick, stirring occassionally. Once it starts thickening, stir
continuously. Add sugar and cook
further till thickens. Add ghee, elaichi, saffron and colour. Stir on low heat till the mixture collects in a soft ball or the
ghee oozes out. Serve
hot, decorated with a chopped almond or pista.
34. Rava (Semolina) Ladoo