Rajasthani Panchmel Dal

Ingredients :

• Split bengal gram dal - 1/4 cup
• Whole green gram dal - 1/4 cup
• Split black gram [ urad ] - 1/4 cup
• Toovar dal - 1/4 cup
• Masoor dal - 1/4 cup
• Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
• Salt - as required
• Ginger  - 1/2 inch [ chopped ]
• Green chillies - 2 [ chopped ]
• Asafoetida - a pinch
• Oil - 3 tbsps
• Red tomatoes - 2 [ chopped ]
• Cumin powder - 1/2 tsp
• Coriander powder - 1/2 tsp
• Red chilli powder - 1 tsp
• Garam masala powder - 1/2 tsp
• Fresh coriander leaves - little

For seasoning :

• Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Cloves - 3 to 4
• Dried red chillies - 2 [ broken ]

Method :

Wash all the pulses in 4 to 5 times in water. Then soak in enough water at least 3 hours.  Drain and boil in enough water, with turmeric and salt till cooked. Grind green chillies and ginger to a paste. Then heat oil  in a pan, add asafoetida, cumin seeds, cloves and red chillies. When the cumin seeds begin to change colour, add ginger chilli paste and saute for a few seconds. Then add cumin, coriander powder, red chilli powder and chopped tomatoes. Cook till oil separates. Then add the cooked lentils and add required water. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Finely add garam masala powder and chopped coriander leaves. Serve with hot jeera rice, roti.

Kajas [ sweet ]

Ingredients :

• Maida - 2 cups
• Bengal gram flour - 2 tbl sps [ heaped ]
• Curd - 1/2 tbl sp
• Sugar - 1 tsp
• Oil & ghee - for frying

For sugar syrup :

• Sugar - 11/4 cup
• Water - 3/4 cup

Method :

Sieve maida and mix with 1 tsp sugar and curd. Then sprinkle water and kneed to a smooth dough. Then mix enough oil with bengal gram flour to make it into bajji dough consistency. [ oil, flour mixture should easily speard when smeared ]. Make big balls out of maida dough. Roll out into very thin chappathis using more maida for dusting. Apply oil, flour paste evenly on each chappathi. Prepare a pile  five chappathis keeping one on top of another. Then first fold one end to about 2 inch width. Flatten the folded portion, and continue folding  in this manner to look like a flat roll. Then cut 1 inch pieces from the flattened roll. Press it on top with rolling bin. Theinner rings should remain at the sides. Prepare like this from all the balls. Then prepare sugar syrp of half string consistency, and remove from the fire and keep it warm. Heat oil and deep fry few kajas at a time till golden brown. Then put it in the sugar syrup and allow it to soak till next batch is fried. Arrange on a flat plate to dry. If more syrup is left over, pour it over kajas.

Variation :

Omit oil and bengal gram flour. Instead apply ghee on top of chappathi. Dust little  maida and fold.

Potato Wafers

Ingredients :

• Potatos - 1/2 kg
• Salt - 2 to 3 tbsp.
• Oil - enough for deep fry

Masala :

• Chilli powder - 1 tsp
• Or
• Pepper powder - 1 tsp

Method :

Peel and slice the potatoes. Then wash the sliced potatoes 3 to 4 times and immerse in salted water. After that, remove, press lightly between the palms to drain the excess water out. Then heat oil, deep fry on a high flame by seperating the slices and dropping them in hot oil. Remove them when it become crisp. Last sprinkle the desired masala.

Note :

While frying wafers, let the remaining potato slices remain immersed in salted water only.  If removed and kept aside before frying thay tend to get reddish.

Corn Chevda

Ingredients :

• Corn powha [ flakes ] - 1 cup
• Peanuts - 1/4 cup
• Cashew pieces - 6 to 8
• Kismis [ raisins ] - 6 to 8
• Dry copra - few slices
• Oil - to fry

Masala - 

• Salt - as required
• Garam masala - 1/2 tsp
• Chilli powder - 1 tsp
• Powder sugar - 1 tbsp.

To temper :

• Oil - 1tbsp.
• Seasame seeds - 1tsp
• Turmeric powder - 1tsp
• Curry leaves - few

Method :

Deep fry corn powha on a high flame. Remove immediately from the heat as it would expand very fast on frying. Fry peanuts, cashew pieces, copra slices and raisins separately on medium flame till crisp. Then for tempering heat oil add seasame seeds. When the seed splutter, add turmeric powder and a few curry leaves. Finely add all the ingerdients, masalas and mix well. Your tasty corn chevda isa ready to serve.

Wheat Halwa

Ingredients :

• Samba wheat - 1 cup [ 200gms]
• Sugar - 21/2 cup [500gms.]
• Melted ghee - 1 cup
• Cardamom powder - little
• Kesar colour - little
• Water - 7 cups

Method :

Soak wheat in water for 10 to 12 hours.Then grind it in wet grinder to smooth paste. Squeeze out water by straining it through a muslin cloth.To the plup add some more water and grind. Repeat the process for 2 to 3 times.Throw away the waste and keep the extract in a vessel for 10 hours to settle down. Then throw away clear water, which stands on top of the extract.  Remaining portion add 5 to 6 cups of water. Meantime heat sugar with enough water to cover it, in a heavy vessel and heat till one string consistency is reached. Then pour the diluted extract, colour, and stir well  till halwa becomes completely transparent. At that time add melted ghee little by little whenever halwa sticks to the vessel. Stir till ghee oozes out from halwa. Then mix cardamom powder, and stir for few more minutes or it leaves the sides of the vessel. Mix fried cashewnus and pour on a greased tray. ur tasty halwa is ready.

Custard Halwa [ easy to make for diwali ]

Ingredients :

• Milk - 3 cups
• Custard powder
• [ any flavour of ur choice ] - 2 table spoon [ heaped ]
• Sugar - 1/3 cup
• Ghee - 3 tablesps.
• Cashew nuts - to garnish

Method :

Mix custard powder in 1/2 cup cold milk [ boiled and cooled milk ] then heat remaining milk along with sugar in a heavy kadai. When sugar is completely melted and milk comes to boil, reduce the flame, and pour dissolved custard mixture stirring constantly without forming lumps. Cook till it becomes little transparent and shiny. When it sticks to the vessel add ghee. Remove from the gas, when halva consistency is reached. Pour on a greased tray and garnished with cashew nuts.

Moghalai Paneer Curry

Ingredients :

• Paneer - 1/2 k.g.

For filling :

• Carrot - 1
• Fresh beans - 6
• Green peas - 1/2 cup
• Cashew nuts - 10
• Un sweetened khova - 1/4 cup
• Salt -  as required
• Oil - for deep frying

For gravy :

• Red ripe tomatoes - 2 to 3
• Onions - 3
• Ginger garlic paste - 1/2 tsp
• Nutmeg powder - little
• Garam masala powder - 1/2 tsp
• Fresh curds - 1/2 cup
• Red chilli powder - 2 tsp
• Salt - to taste
• Sugar - n1 tsp
• Oil - 2 tbsp

Method :

Blanch tomatoes in hot water.  Peel skin and make into paste.Chop carrot, beans finely,add peas, salt and steam in pressure cooker without adding water. .Mix boiled vegetables with khoya, cashewnuts a pinch of salt and mix well. Then divide paneer into small portions. Take one portion flatten in the form of a cup, place a little filling inside, close and make balls, till all the dough is over. Then deep fry in hot oil. Then take one kadai, heat oil, fry the sliced onions till thay become transparent. Add tomato paste, ginger garlic paste,nut meg powder, chilli powder, garam masala powder, sugar, salt and beaten curds. Cook till the gravy is thick, add koftas just before removing from the fire. Serve garnished  with chopped coriander leaves and little fresh cream. Your tasty side dish ready for roti, nan and parathas.

Tip :

You can also brake the koftas and add to the gravy. It will also give a good taste. This technique will help to increase the quantity of the gravy when all of a suddenly guests visits our home. Hence it will help in preventing shortage of the gravy.