Gujarati Kadhi

DIVERSITY!!
I think in this whole wide world India is the only country with such a diverse culture. Indian languages, religion, architecture, music, customs and Food differ from state to state.
Indian food has made profound impact across the world. It's cuisine uses numerous ingredients, multiple cooking techniques and wide range of food preparation styles.

Of the 29 states of India I belong to Gujarat which is in the Western Part. This state has wide coastline providing choicest seafood but people still prefer to eat vegetarian due to their Traditional Hindu culture. The typical Gujarati Thali consists of  Wheat Roti, Dal, Kadhi, Shak, Farsaan, Rice and One sweet Dish.

There is a belief that Gujarati Food is sweet and can be served as dessert, this is completely wrong. So let me tell you it's not TRUE!!! Gujarati food is a combination of sweet and sour taste. It can tantalize your taste buds. The food served in most of the Gujarati / Rajasthani Restaurant do not prepare the traditional stuff and that is the reason of the "Sweeet Theory"  If you want to taste some real dishes then tell your Gujarati friend to invite you to have Gujju food. :)

Dharmesh loves simple home cooked food. He is a foodie but doesn't like to experiment much and I love to eat every kind of food. He always says our choices are very different and never matches :) and I told him opposite attracts! This Gujarati kadhi is his favorite and he like to have it with Moth (sprouted Moth bean).

Gujarati Kadhi
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Prep Time:5 Mins      Cook Time: 25 Mins      Total Time: 30 Mins
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Ingredients

• 200 Grams sour Curd
• 400 ml Water
• 3 Tablespoon Gram flour(Besan)
• 2 Teaspoon of Jaggery 
• 1 Teaspoon grated Ginger
• 2 Green Chilies sliced
• few Curry leaves
• Pinch of Clove powder
• Pinch of Cinnamon Powder
• Few Methi seeds
• Few sprigs of chopped Coriander stems
• Salt to taste
• Coriander leaves of garnish

To temper

• 2 Teaspoon Ghee ( Clarified Butter)
• 1/4 Teaspoon of Mustard Seeds
• 1/2 Teaspoon of Cumin Seeds
• 2 dry Red Chilies
• Generous pinch of Hing 

Direction:-

• Whisk sour curd and water in a big pan. Add gram flour, whisk till smooth.
• Add grated ginger, sliced green chilies, salt, clove powder, cinnamon powder,methi seeds, jaggery, curry leaves and coriander stems. Bring it to boil, stirring continuously. Cook for 25 Mins. Keep it aside.

• For temper:- Heat ghee in a small pan and add mustard, cumin, dre red chilies and hing let it splutter for few seconds.
• Pour the tempering over the kadhi.
• Garnish with coriander leaves.
• Serve with Rice, Roti or Pulao!

Soya Kathi Rolls

Very healthy and tasty rolls!!!! Perfect Idea for lunch box.

Soy chunks, also called TVP (textured vegetable protein). It's a healthy and cheap alternative to meat products. Soy Nuggets are a great source of protein for vegetarians or vegans. Soy chunks are dried nuggets. The dried nuggets have to be soaked in boiled salted water for 10 to 12 minutes or boiled in salted water for 4 to 5 minutes. The boiled nuggets turns soft and spongy. 

I have got this recipe from very good friend of mine Bindu Singh. She is super talented designer and  Nail artist who stays in Kolkata. She is very good cook too. Bindu and I always share recipes and One fine evening I was facing the same problem as you guys have felt so many times that"What to cook tonight"??  I called Bindu and asked her to give me some idea..She gave me this super

Karahi Mushroom

Sorry for not posting anything from past 18 months..I had some personal reason for not writing anything but I am really grateful for your support and encouragement to start my blog again... :) 

Mushroom is one of our family's favorite vegetable. A new study shows eating mushroom will help you to lose weight. Mushrooms are low calorie food and are an excellent source of B vitamins, minerals, potassium and carbohydrate with absence of fat and sodium.. Including mushroom in your daily diet could be useful in regulating blood sugar..Mushrooms are standard fare in Asian culture but not very common in everyday Indian cooking.

Tomato Risotto

Risotto is an Italian rice dish, most popular in north Italy. Venice and many surrounding parts of Veneto are known for Risotto. The best known version is "Risotto Alla Milanese" , flavored with Saffron. Generally the rice is slowly cooked in stock to a creamy consistency and grated Parmesan cheese is almost always sprinkled on top.

I like to cook Italian food because it's extremely simple and many dishes needs only four to eight ingredients. Italian dishes rely on the quality of ingredients rather than on elaborate preparation.

Here is my most favorite dish "Tomato Risotto". I do not remember when I had it first

Mushroom Do Pyaza

My Daughter Dia loves Mushroom. She wants to have mushroom in her every meal. We had this vegetable in some restaurant, after that she was behind me making this dish at home. I tried this and it turned out very well.


Serves 4
Ingredients

• 2 Packs Mushroom ( 500 gm)
• 3 Small Onions Chopped in square
• 1 Big Green capsicum Chopped in square
• 1/2 Cup Tomato Puree
• 1/4 Cup Cream
• 1 Tablespoon Ginger garlic paste
• 1/4 Teaspoon Turmeric
• 1 Teaspoon Kashmiri Red Chili Powder
• 2 Teaspoon Coriander Cumin Powder
• 1 Teaspoon Garam Masala
• Salt To taste
• Oil

Directions:-

• Chop Mushroom in quarters. Boil them for 3 to 4 minutes and drain.

• Heat oil in a pan. Add Onion saute till translucent. Add ginger garlic paste cook for few minutes.

• Add tomato puree and stir. Add capsicum ans saute. Add mushroom, salt and all spices. Mix well. Cook for few minutes. (Capsicum should be crunchy)

• Add cream and stir. 
• Serve with Malabari Paratha or Plain Paratha !

Baingan Bharta or Eggplant Curry

  Here comes my most favorite vegetable "Baingan ka Bharta". In Gujarat Baingan bharta called "Odho" ans is Kutchhi delicacy. This dish is  usually accompanied with  Bajra Rotla ( Millet Pancakes ) and dollop of white butter, Red Chili garlic  Chutney and chhas ( Butter Milk ).  Baingan Bharta Traditionally made by roasting Eggplant on charcoal, since we no longer cook on charcoal I usually roast Eggplant on gas stove. While roasting the eggplant  your kitchen will be filled with aroma.


Serves 4
Ingredients

• 2 Big Eggplants/ Brinjals
• 2 Medium size Onion Chopped
• 2 Tomatoes Chopped
• 1 Tablespoon Ginger Garlic Paste
• 2 Green Chili Chopped
• 1/4 Cup Green Peas
• A Pinch of Hing (Asafoedita )
• 1/2 Teaspoon Cumin seeds
• 1/4 Teaspoon Turmeric
• 1 Teaspoon Degi mirch ( Red Chili Powder)
• 1 Teaspoon Cumin Powder
• 1 Teaspoon Coriander Powder
• 1 Teaspoon Garam masala ( Curry Powder)
• 2 Tablespoon Oil
• Coriander for garnish

Direction

• Wash, pat dry, and prick eggplants. Roast on a gas stove just placing the eggplants straight on the burner on slow flame. Keep turning till all the skin on the eggplant is charred and inner flesh looks soft. Let them cool. Remove skin and mash the pulp completely.
• Heat oil in a deep pan. Add hing and cumin seeds cook for few seconds. Add onion and saute till translucent. Add ginger and garlic paste and green chili cook for a minute. Add tomatoes. Cook till oil separates. Add all the powdered spices. Stir well and cook for 3 to 5 minutes.
• Add mashed roasted Eggplant, green peas and salt. Mix well. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes.
• Add chopped fresh coriander and serve with Pita bread, Indian Bread or Rice and Dal.

               
           

                     
       

                       

Kasoori Gobhi

One of the easiest vegetable to cook is Cauliflower. My brother is very fond of this dish. It is the highlight of our Sunday lunch. Everyone in our family is in agreement when it comes to this vegetable. This dish is nice change to your regular Aloo Gobhi (Potato and Cauliflower Curry).

Ingredients
Serves-4

• 1 Kg. Cauliflower cut into 1" florest
• 2 Potatoes Cut into medium chuncks
• 2 Onion Finely Chopped
• 2 Tomatoes Finely Chopped
• 4 Green Chili Chopped
• 1" Ginger Grated 
• 1 Tablespoon Oil + For Shallow Frying
• 1/2 Cup mild sour Yogurt
• 2 Tablespoon Kasoori Methi ( Dry Fenugreek Leaves )
• 1/4 Tsp Turmeric
• 1 Tsp Coriander Powder
• 1 Teaspoon Garam Masala
•  Salt to taste
• Coriander for garnish

Directions

• Heat oil in a deep pan. Shallow fry Cauliflower and Potatoes till golden brown.
• Dry roast kasoori methi on a tawa or  in microwave. Cool it and powder it.
• Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a pan add Onions and saute until golden brown.
• Add Green Chili and Ginger. Saute along with Onions.
• Add Tomatoes and stir. Add 1/2 cup of water, cover and cook.
• Add Turmeric Powder, Coriander Powder and mix. Add beaten Yogurt to it and cook it in a high flame for few minutes.
• Add Cauliflower,Potatoes, Salt and powdered Kasoori methi and garam masala. Mix well.
• Cook for 5 minutes and garnish with Coriander.
• Serve Hot with Chapati (Indian Bread ).

Shahi Paneer

In North India Paneer is the most sought after vegetarian dish,My daughters(Dia and Aaesha) love to hsvr Paneer both for lunch or dinner..Normally they don't eat every form of Paneer.This dish is my daughter Dia's favorite Paneer recipe.She is a very fussy eater but whenever I make this Paneer dish she will have more appetite than usual.This is the easiest Paneer dish I have come across.

Samagri(Ingredients)

• 250 gm Paneer cut into cubes
• 8 big Tomatoes
• 1" Ginger chopped
• 1 tbsp Ginger Garlic paste
• 2 tsp Butter
• 1 tsp Kashmiri red chili powder
• 1 tsp Garam Masala
• 1 tbsp Kasoori Methi
• 2 tsp Honey
• 1/4 cup Cream
• Salt to taste
• Coriander for garnishing

Vidhi(Direction)

• Wash tomatoes then chop them to quarter and put then into the pressure cooker along with 1/2 tsp of Kashmiri red chili powder and chopped ginger.Pressure cook them till 2 whistle.

• Cool and blend in a mixer and strain it.
• Dry roast Kasoori Methi and powder it.

• Now heat a pan with butter.Add ginger garlic paste saute till golden brown.

• Add Tomato puree.Saute till puree gets thick.
• Add Kashmiri red chili powder,Garam masala,honey and saute for 2 min.

• Now add powdered Kasoori methi and salt. Saute little more.

• Add cream and paneer mix it with the gravy.
• Do not over boil this gravy otherwise cream will get curdled .

• You can add milk if gravy is too thick.
• Garnish it with Coriander.