Gujiya / Karanji recipe: Diwali Sweets

INGREDIENTS for stuffing / filling of Gujiya / Karanji:
Grated coconut – 2 spoons
Mawa (khoya) – 250 grams (if you don’t like / get khoya, you can avoid it but increase the amount of coconut to 4 spoons)
Cashewnuts – finely chopped
Raisins/ kishmish
Green cardamom – powdered – 1 pinch
Sugar – powdered – 1 1/2 cups

METHOD of preparing stuffing of Gujiya / Karanji

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Last minute cooking tips: When you need more quantity

The other day, I was preparing my favorite capsicum with gram flour / shimla mirch with besan subzi, when at the end of it the quantity of sabzi turned out to be very less. My family was all set to dine and here I was in a fix. With no time and energy left, I had to seek help from the experimental part of my brain.

I removed the subzi in another vessel and quickly added a tsp of oil in the pan in which I had prepared the dish. The pan already had the aroma and some flavor of capsicum + besan, so I conveniently avoided adding the mustard seeds and jeera... no time to wait for them to splutter ;) I did add a few curry leaves though!

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For the love of Khichdi at Durga Puja

While most people hate khichdi, some really love it. I know of some friends who prefer to order dal khichdi from a restaurant instead of a biryani or paneer+tandoori roti combination. After all, like dals, khichdis can be of various types, consistencies and flavours. And when they are served hot with a dollop of pure ghee, khichdis are truly heavenly!

I was not such a huge fan of khichdi always...

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Ukadiche Modak / Steamed Modak Recipe - Sanjeev Kapoor

Ukadiche Modak / Steamed Modak Recipe video on Sanjeev Kapoor's Khaana Khazana. It uses rice flour, coconut, jaggery, cardamom (elaichi) powder, khus khus (poppy seeds), ghee, salt and oil.

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Modak Recipes - Easy Recipes for Tasty Modaks

Modak recipes are all you need to make this Ganesh Chaturthi memorable. Modak recipes are all I'm here with this Ganeshotsav!

Check out all the different types of Modaks, their preparation and some videos. Once you try making these delicious Modaks and get the blessings from Lord Ganesha and praises from everyone, do share your experience out here:

Fried Modak Recipe
Mukhvilas / Moong Dal Modak Recipe
Fruits Modak / Phalanche Modak Recipe
Kakdi / Cucumber Modak recipe
Ukadiche Modak / Steamed Modak Recipe

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Aloo and Chini Parathas, Dal Makhani at J&K Dhabas

I returned from Jammu and Kashmir recently (June 7, 2010) and the trip had been more than fulfilling given the locale and the delicious food. Like always, I decided to try out just anything and everything (of course, vegetarian) without thinking about calories (and little bit hygiene). I so not regret my decision!

6 Aloo parathas, 2 chini (sugar) parathas and 1 onion paratha spread across a span of 6 days! And that’s just the breakfast. Our other indulgences at the Jammu and Kashmir dhabas included super creamy dal makhani, rajma chawal, mouthwatering paneer dishes, softest soft phulkas, freshly prepared mixed vegetables and lassi… to name a few ;)

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तोरी / तुरई की सब्जी कैसे बनाएं

खट्टी मीठी और थोड़ी चटपटी तोरी / तुरई की सब्जी बनाना अत्यंत आसान है. बल्कि ये सब्जी काफी जल्दी भी तैयार हो जाती है. यदि आप२ लोगों के लिएतोरी की सब्जी बना रहे हैं तो निम्नलिखित मात्रा में सामग्री का प्रयोग करें:

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What to do when your recipe goes wrong?

If your Indian recipe of a curry / sabzi goes wrong, meaning it doesn't taste too good, any of the following might help:

• Mix some fresh coriander leaves
• Add some lemon juice
• Mix some curd

It very much depends on the dish, but if you have been cooking for a while, you'd get an idea which of the above will suit your preparation best. And most importantly, present the dish well, it makes a lot of difference!

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Palak Paneer recipe by Chef Sanjeev Kapoor

Like most of us, my mom taught me cooking. And then started chef Sanjeev Kapoor's Khana Khazana show on television. So if there were things we never cooked at home, Sanjeev Kapoor taught us those.

Palak Paneer (Cottage Cheese in Spinach gravy) is one of those easy recipes we have mastered thanks only to India's top chef! The key in preparing this and any other recipe is blanching palak (known as spinach in English). I have tried many variations in cooking Palak Paneer - some with adding grated ginger, some with adding tamarind pulp. However, for the authentic Palak Paneer recipe (text) by Sanjeev Kapoor, you may head here directly.

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How to blanch Palak / Spinach in 7 steps

To make the most of the goodness of palak (spinach in English), blanching it properly is most important. This not only imparts a good green color to any palak dish but also improves the flavor and the aroma. Here are the 7 steps that go behind blanching palak / spinach perfectly:

1 - Separate the palak leaves from the stem
2 - Wash them them properly
3 - Add some salt to water and bring it to boil.
4 - Blanch the palak leaves in this water for a couple of minutes
5 - Drain the hot water from the leaves
6 - Dip them in cold / ice water for some time
7 - Squeeze out all the excess water

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DINING OUT POLL: Punjabi cuisine preferred over others

This is true for my blog visitors, if not the entire country. I am running a poll on which cuisine people prefer while dining out. After 101 votes, the data shows that 38% of my visitors prefer Punjabi cuisine while 30% will go for Chinese (most of my visitors are Indians). Well, still many days are left to vote. So go ahead and let us know what would you like to indulge in while dining out. To find the poll, scroll down the blog and check out the extreme right hand side column.

PS Don't mind the typo error in the poll, can't change it now.

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My Maggi Recipes: Maggi with Dal Tadka

Maggi, like many others, is my all-time favorite. And nothing can beat Maggi Masala Noodles. Now the other day we felt like having Maggi at midnight. And we added a little Indian twist to it - Dal Tadka. It tasted yummy!

How to make Maggi Dal Tadka? Prepare Maggi Masala Noodles as you always do and then mix some hot dal tadka (thick consistency) to it. It's simply irresistible and would leave you only wanting for more!

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Idli coconut chilly chutney recipe

The entire credit of this idli coconut chilly chutney recipe goes to my mother-in-law. Before I got married, my favorite chutney with idli was the one provided with the idli vendor who roams around in our area on a bicycle and sells yummy idlis and medu vadas. You just need to call him out from your window and he'll come upstairs with your order. I remember how we used to buy some extra chutney as it would taste great even with bread!

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Yellow Moong Dal / Split Bean Recipe

Yellow moong also known as mung bean and split bean in English has many delicious recipes to its credit. The fastest and simplest of these is Moong Dal. Here's how you prepare thick moong dal:

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