Shrikand

Ingredients :

Buffalo's milk - 1/2 litre
[Thick milk]
Fresh curds - 2 tsp
Powdered sugar - 3/4 cup [100 gms]
Saffron - Little
Cardamom powder - 1/4 sp
Chopped pista nuts - 1 tbl sp
Chopped chironji nuts - 1 tbl sp.

Method :

Mix 2 tsp of fresh curds to a warm milk to prepare curds. When it is set, pour it in a clean muslin cloth, tie & hang the bag for 2 hrs till all the water drips by itself. Tie another double layered cloth strongly on top of a vessel. Then take small quantities of curd & sugar alternatively & rub on top of the cloth. [This removes excess moisture ]. Then put it into another bowl. Repeat the process till all the curd is mixed. Crush saffron after heating it on a heavy pan. Then mix saffron, cardamom powder with the curds. Sprinkle fried nuts & serve it chilled with hot puries.

Rich vegetable Jalfraize

Ingredients :

Cauliflower - 1/4 cup [Diced]
Broccoli - 1/4 cup [Diced]
Carrot - 1 [Diced]
Beans - 1/4 cup
Potatoes - 1/4 cup [Diced]
Paneer cubes - 1 /4 cup
Colour capsicum - 1/4 cup [Diced]
[Green, Red & Yellow]
Onion  - 3
Salt - As required
Fresh cream - 2 tbl sp
Ghee - 2 tbl sp
Oil - 2 tbl sp
Cashewnuts - 10
Water melon seeds - 1/2 sp
Turmeric powder - 1/2 sp
Red chillie powder - 1 1/2 sp
Garam masala - [Whole].

For Grinding :

Grind 2 onions, cashews,  water melon seeds, little milk in mixer & form a smooth paste.

Method :

Wash & cut the vegetables into a desired size. Cook with just enough water. Then heat ghee & oil together in a frying pan & fry whole masala like cardamom, cinnamon, clove & cashews. Add vegetables along with chillie powder, salt & grained masala. Keep the gas in sim position for 10 mins. Garnish with cut coriander leaves, fresh cream & fry cashews.

Variation :

Fry green chillies & poppy seeds in little oil. Grind it along with little coconut, onion, 1 tomato, few garlic flakes & little ginger. Fry onions & then add the grained masala. When good smell comes, add the cooked vegetables & salt. Cook till it is done. Enjoy with phulkas, nan & parotas.

Rajma Curry

Ingredients :

Rajma [Red beans ] - 1/ 4 kg
Salt - As per taste
Turmeric powder - 1/2 sp
Rajma masala - 1 sp
Red  chillie powder - 1 sp
Oil - 2 tbl sp
Cumin seeds - 1 sp
Jaggery or Sugar - 1/2 sp
Cut coriander leaves - Little.

Make Into Coarse Paste :

Onion - 3
Red tomato - 1 [Big]
Garlic flakes - 2 to 3
Green chillie - 1
Ginger - 1/2 inch piece.
[Fry all the ingredients in oil for 5 mins till the onion turns into light pink colour. Then grind into smooth paste].

Method :

Soak rajma in water for 10 hrs. Then boil in cooker adding salt & turmeric powder. Remove the cooker from gas after arrival of 3 whistles. Then take one pressure pan, keep on the gas, pour oil & add cumin seeds. When cumin seeds splutters, add the grained masala to that & mix well. Add chillie powder, rajma masala  powder, little sugar or jaggery & stir nicely in low flame. When the oil leaves sideways, add the boiled rajma with the water. Check salt at this time. If you want, add little more water & mix 1 tbl sp tomato purie, close the lid & boil for some more time. When 1 whistle comes keep the gas in sim position & allow it to boil for 20 mins in low flame. Then remove from the gas. Wait till the pressure goes. Then open the pressure pan & sprinkle coriander leaves. This gravy can be served along with rice also. Reduce the quantity of water if it is to be served with chappathis.

Ribbon Pakoda

Ingredients :

Rice flour - 3 1/2 cup
Bengal gram flour - 1 cup
Broken black gram flour - 2 sp
Salt - As per taste
Asafoetida powder - A pinch
Red chillie powder - 2 sp
Ghee - 1/2 sp
Oil - For deep frying.

Method :

Take one big bowl & mix all the ingredients. Add required water & form a dough for making ribbon pakodas. Then keep one kadai on the gas & pour enough oil. In the mean time, take a mold & apply little oil towards the side of the mold & fill it with dough. When the oil become hot, press the mold directly in the oil. When  pakodas are crisp & golden in colour, gently remove from the oil. Your ribbon pakoda is ready to eat. Store it in an air-tight container.

Deepavali Legiyam

Ingredients :

Pepper corns - 2 tbl sp
Coriander seeds - 1 sp
Cumin seeds - 2 tbl sp
Ajwain - 2 tbl sp
Kandan thippilli - 2 tbl spn
Dried ginger - A few pieces
Cardamom - 4
Jaggery - 3/4 cup
Ghee - 1/4 cup.

Method :

First roast each ingredient separately [except cardamom, ghee & jaggery]. Then soak all together for about 20 mins in enough water. Then drain the water & grind to a fine paste. Then keep one thick bottomed vessel on the gas &  put the jaggery to that adding little water & stir continuously. When the jaggery gets completely dissolved, add the grained paste, powdered cardamom, ghee & stir well till it leaves the sides of the vessel. Your deepavali legiyam is ready. When it becomes cool store it in a dry container.

Fruit Salad with Ice - Cream

Ingredients :

Bananas - 2
Apple - 1
Green grapes & Black grapes - 1/ 2 cup
Fresh orange juice - 1 /2 cup
Powdered sugar - 1/2 cup
Vanilla ice-cream - 3 cups.


Method :

Peel & cut bananas into slices. Then cut apple into dices & mix 1 tbl sp of lemon juice. This prevents browning. Grapes should be washed & seeded. Then take one mixing bowl & mix orange juice with other fruit pieces. Add powdered sugar, mix well & chill in the fridge till serving time. Before serving add the ice-cream & mix well.

How To Serve :

In each ice-cream cup, put 3 tbl sp of fruits & 1 scoop full of ice-cream. Keep 1 wafer biscuit in a slanting-standing position & serve as a dessert.

Mambazha Pulisseri

Ingredients :

Ripe sweet mangoes - 2
Curd - 2 1/ 2 cups
Turmeric powder - 1/ 2 sp
Salt - As required.

Vegetables :

White pumpkin - 1/4 kg [Peeled, seeded & cut into big pieces].

For Wet Grinding :

Grated fresh coconut - 2 cups
Green chillies - 3
Cumin seeds - 1/4 sp.

Fry In Coconut Oil :

Methi seeds - 1/2 sp
Dry red chillies - 2 [broken].

For Seasoning :

Mustard seeds - 1 sp
Coconut oil - 1 tsp
Red chillie - 1
Curry leaves - 1 spring.

Method :

Wash & cut the ripe mangoes & cook well till it becomes soft. When it becomes cool, squeeze out the thick pulp, mix with the well beaten thick curd & keep aside. Then add 2 cups of water to the remaining mangoes & squeeze out the pulp completely. In this water, cook the pumpkin [white] pieces, adding salt & turmeric powder. Grind together coconut, green chillies, fried methi seeds & red chillies. Add this wet grained masala to the boiling vegetables & cook for 5 mins more. Then add well beaten curd mixed with the mango pulp to that & mix well. When it comes to boil, remove from the gas. Season with mustard seeds, red chillie & curry leaves in coconut oil & pour it to the kuzhambu.Your mambazha pulisseri is ready to serve. Serve with hot rice along with kootu or curry.