Daal Kachori

vegetarian

Kachories are crispy, flaky shells with a delectably spicy filling of cooked and seasoned yellow moong dal, every bite of these kachoris is worth a fortune! these can be eaten as a snack, or along with your meals. This dish gets a protein boost due to the moong-based filling, making it a great choice for kids. Take care to deep-fry these kachoris on a very slow flame to ensure even cooking and also to make the crust nice and flaky.

Ingredients

Dough

  • 2               cups all purpose floor
  • 2               tbsp vegetables oil
  •                  salt to taste
  • 3/4            cup water

Filling

  • 2               cups Moong daal (without skin)
  • 2               tbsp oil
  • 5               curry leaves
  • 1/2            tsp cumin seeds
  • 1/2            tsp mustard seeds
  • 2               tbsp unsweetened coconut
  • 1/2            tsp fennel seeds crushed
  • 1/2            tsp cumin seeds crushed
  • 1               tsp green masala 
  • 1/4            cup water
  • 1               tsp salt( or to taste)
  •                  juice of 1 lemon
  • 2               tsp sugar
  • 1               tbsp chopped cilantro

Instructions

In a medium bowl, soak daal for a couple of hours.

Filling

  1. Drain the daal.
  2. In a large saucepan, heat the oil on med hot heat. Add the curry leaves, mustard seeds, and cumin seeds.
  3. When the seeds start to pop, add the coconut and the daal. Mix well and cook on medium heat for 5 minutes. Add the fennel, cumin green masala and a 1/4 cup water and mix well. Let it cook on medium heat for about 10 minutes. The daal should be soft to the touch.
  4. Add the salt, lemon juice, sugar and cilantro. Mix well. Let the mixture cool completely.
  5. Meanwhile make the dough.

Make the dough.

  1. In a medium bowl, add salt to the flour and rub in the oil.
  2. Use enough water to make a soft dough.
  3. Cover and leave it aside.
  4. When the filling is cold, take a tbsp full and form a ball.
  5. Divide the dough into 25. Roll each dough into a round ball.
  6. Flaten the ball into a puri about 2 1/2 inches round.
  7. Put the filling in the centre of the puri, bring the edges together, pinch the edges together.
  8. In a wok, on medium heat, heat the oil and fry the kachori for about 10 minutes, turning them a couple of times. They sould be light gold in colour and crispy.

Bhinda Masala on Rotla

Gluten Free

Ingredients

Rotla

  • 1                cup Bajra (millet flour)
  • 1                tsp oil
  • 3/4             cup water

Bhinda Masala

  • 1/2             lb Bhinda (okra)
  • 3                tbsp oil
  • 1/4             tsp cumin seeds
  • 1                small onion, thinely sliced
  • 1                small tomato
  • 1/2             tsp dhana Jeera powder(coriander and cumin)
  • 1/4             tsp turmeric(haldi)
  • 1/2             tsp salt
  • 1-1/2          tsp green Masala
  • 1/2             cup yoghurt
  • 1                tbsp finely chopped onions
  • 1                tbsp finely chopped tomatoes
  • 1                tsp finely chopped cilantro
  • 1/2             tsp finely chopped jalapeño

Instructions

  1. In a small bowl add the bajra, rub in oil and make a soft dough with the water.
  2. Kneed it well.
  3. Divide the dough into 15 small balls.
  4. On a paper towel, flatten the ball into a 2-1/2 inch small rotla.
  5. Cook this on a preheated medium hot tawa.
  6. Cook till it starts to change colour, about 2 min, flip it over and cook for 2 min.
  7. You can cook a few small rotlas at a time.

Bhinda

  1. Wipe the bhinda with a wet cloth.
  2. Cut them in rounds about a 1/2″ thick.
  3. Rub 1 tbsp oil and bake it in a preheated oven for about 15 minutes. They should be a little crispy.
  4. Heat oil in a medium frypan, add the cumin seeds and sauté the onions till they are transparent.
  5. Add the chopped tomato, dhana Jeera powder, haldi, salt, 1 tsp green masala, mix and cook covered, on low heat for 5 minutes, stirring a couple of times.
  6. Add the baked Bhinda, mix well and cook for 5 minutes on low heat.
  7. Mix half tsp green masala in yoghurt and leave it in the fridge.
  8. Mix the chopped onions, tomatoes, cilantro and jalapeño.

To Assemble:

  1. Just before serving, spread a tsp of Bhinda mixture on the rotla, sprinkle it with the tomato mix and serve with yoghurt.

Sev Pak

Sweets

Sev Pak 

Ingredients

  • 4              oz goond
  • 1              cup vegetable oil for frying goond
  • 2              Pkts sev (5.5 oz each)
  • 1              lb butter
  • 4              oz coconut
  • 1/2           cup powder milk
  • 1              lb almond flakes
  • 1              can condensed milk
  • 1/2           tsp cardamom coarsely ground
  • 1/2           tsp ground nutmeg
  • 1/4           tsp saffron threads
  • 1/4           cup pistachios finely chopped as a garnish

Instructions

  1. Heat oil in a fry pan and fry the goond.  The goond will double in size and become transparent.
  2. Melt the butter in a large saucepan.  Break the sev and fry it in the butter for about 5 min.  The sev will be dark and fluffy.
  3. Add the coconut and powder milk, cardamom, nutmeg, and saffron,  fry for 2 min stirring all the time.
  4. Add the almonds, goond and condensed milk and mix well.
  5. Pour the mixture in a 9 x 12 baking tray and spread it evenly.  Sprinkle the pistachio and cool it completly.
  6. Cut into squares or diamonds and serve.
  7. The Pak can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for a month.

Note: You can bake the goond in the oven.   Spread the goond on a baking sheet and bake in a preheated oven at 300 degrees for 5 minutes.]Sev Pak

Walnut Squares with White Chocolate Mascarpone Cheese Icing

Sweets
 

Makes 16 squares

Ingredients For the Base

  • 1          cup white flour
  • 2          tbsp brown sugar
  • 1/2       cup butter, softened

The Filling

  • 1           cup walnuts, chopped
  • 1           cup brown sugar
  • 1/2        cup unsweetened coconut
  • 2           tbsp flour
  • 2           eggs lightly beaten
  • 1           tsp vanilla

For the Icing

  • 1/2         cup Mascarpone cheese, softened(Mascarpone cheese is Italian Cream Cheese).
  • 1/4         cup butter, at room temperature
  • 6            oz white chocolate, melted until completely smooth

Instructions

  1. Heat Oven to 325 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9″ square cake pan.
  2. Work together ingredients for base, either in a food processor or using your fingers, to make fine crumbs. Press into pan. Bake until cooked through, about 15 mins.
  3. Meanwhile, stir together the filling ingredients. Spread the mixture over the base when it comes out of the oven. Return to the oven, bake until set, about 25 mins. Cool completely on a rack.
  4. For the icing, beat the cream cheese, butter and melted chocolate until smooth.
  5. Gradually beat in the icing sugar, and finally, the lemon juice. Chill until spreadable, about 10 minutes.
  6. Spread the icing over the cooked walnut filling and cut into squares,
Note:
You can use cream cheese instead of Mascarpone cheese)
Sheer Khurma

Sheer Khurma, Sev ni Kheer

Sweets
Sheer Khurma, Sev ni Kheer
Sheer Khurma, Sev ni Kheer

Sheer Khurma or Sheer Khorma(literally means “milk with dates in Urdu) is a festive vermicelli pudding prepared by Muslims on Eid ul-Fitr in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. It is a traditional Muslim breakfast, and a desert for celebrations. Sheer (in Sunskrit has a same meaning as Milk), is Persian for milk and Khurma is Persian for dates. This dish is made from dried dates.

This special dish is served on the morning of Eid day in the family after the Eid prayers as breakfast, and throughout the day to all the visiting guests.

You will find a few different recipes for this. This is my mum’s recipe. This was dinner served with Puri and Batata no Shak

Ingredients

  • 1             tbsp butter
  • 2             oz sev(vermicelli)
  • 1             lt homo milk
  • 1/4         cup sugar
  • 1/4         tsp crushed cardomon seeds
  • 1/4         tsp nutmeg powder
  •                A few strands saffron
  • 1/4        cup chopped finely, almonds and pistachio
  • 2             tbsp finely chopped dates(optional)
  • 1             tbsp raisins (optional)

Method:

  1. In a large saucepan, melt the butter and fry the vermicelli till it golden brown in colour, about 5 min.
  2. Add the milk, bring it to a boil, reduce the heat to mark 4, add the sugar, and spices and let it cook on low heat stirring frequently till the vermicelli is soft and the mixture is thick, about 15 minutes.
  3. Serve hot or cold.
  4. Decorate with fruit and nuts before serving.

You can use half and half to make it rich.

You can also add 1 small can evaporated milk.

 

Masala Dosa

Entrees, vegetarian
 

 Dosa is fermented crepe made from rice and black lentils(urad daal) batter. It is a staple dish of south India. It is also popular in other parts of India, and other countries like, Sri Lanka, Malaysia and Singapore. You will find a lot of different recipes of the dosa filling. Dosa

  • 3             cups idli rice
  • 1             cup urad daal
  • 1             tsp fenugreek seed
  • 1             tsp salt

Filling

  • 1/4          cup vegetable oil
  • 1             tbsp urad daal
  • 1             tsp mustard seeds
  • 10           curry leaves
  • 1             lb thinly sliced onions
  • 1             tbsp green masala*
  • 1             tbsp corriander powder
  • 1/2          tsp haldi (turmeric powder
  • 1/2          tsp Garam Masala
  • 1             tsp salt or to taste
  • 1             lb potatoes, peeled and diced to 1/2″
  •               Juice of 1 lemon
  • 2            tbsp chopped cilantro

Red Chilly Paste

  • 2            tbsp chopped cilantro
  • 2            tbsp chopped onions
  •               Green Chutney
  •               Sambal Daal


Instructions Dosa

  1. Rinse the rice and daal seperately and soak it in water overnight. Add the fenegreek seeds with the daal.
  2. In the morning drain the daal and reserve the water.
  3. Drain the rice.
  4. In a liquidizer or food processor grind the daal to a fine paste using the daal liquid as needed.
  5. Grind the rice to a fine paste using the daal liquid
  6. Mix the two together, the consistency should be like a pancake mix, quite thick.
  7. Leave this to ferment in a warm place overnight. In cold places it will take 24 hours. The mixture should have doubled in size.
  8. Heat up the tawa to medium hot(if you drop some water on it, and the water disappears rightway, you know the tawa is ready). brush the tawa with oil.
  9. Pour 1/2 cup mixture on the tawa and with the back of the laddle in circular motion, spread the mixture into a 10″ round. the crepe should be thin.
  10. Brush the top with oil, turn it over, cook for 1 min, turn it over again, spread it with red Chilly paste, sprinkle it with chopped onions and cilantro.
  11. In the middle of the crepe put in about 3 tbsp of potato filling and roll it over.
  12. Serve it with the chutney and Sambal.
    Dosa Batter
 
Filling
  1. In a medium saucepan heat the oil, add mustard seeds, curry leaves and urad daal.  When the seeds start to pop, add the sliced onions and fry till they are transperent, about 5 minutes.
  2. Add the green masala, coriander powder, haldi, garam masala and salt.  Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
  3. Add the diced potatoes, mix and let it cook on medium heat, about 15 minutes or till the potatoes are cooked.
  4. Add lemon juice and cilantro and mix.
Red Chilly Paste
  • 1/2             cup roasted chana daal (daria)
  • 5                 red chili pepper
  • 5                 cloves garlic
  • 1                1″ ginger piece
  • 1/2            tsp salt
  •                   Juice of 1 lemon

Instruction In a food processor, grind everything to a fine paste. Chutney

  • 1                 tsp oil
  • 1/2             cup peanuts
  • 1/4             cup fresh coconut
  • 4                 green chillies(or to taste)
  • 1                 1″ piece ginger
  • 2                 dried red chillies(optional)
  • 1/2             tsp salt

Temper

  • 1                  tsp vegetable oil
  • 1/4              tsp mustard seeds
  • 1/4              tsp cumin seeds
  • 4                  curry leaves
  • pinch          Hing(Asfetida)


Instructions

  1. In a frypan heat the oil.
  2. Add the mustard seeds, cumin seeds. curry leaves and Hing. 
  3. Add the rest of the chutney ingredients, when the seeds start to pop and fry  for 3 minutes.
  4. Make a smooth paste in a food processor.
Green Masala
  • 2                 jalepeno 
  • 5                 loves garlic
  • 1                 1” ginger
  • 1/2              bunch cilantro
  • 10               leaves mint
  1. Rinse with cold water and puree it in a blender or food processor.

Meat Lasagna

Entrees, Meat

Lasagna

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ingredients

  • 16                  pieces lasagna noodles
  • 1                    lb lean ground beef
  • 1/2                 tsp finely chopped garlic
  • 1/2                 tsp finely chopped ginger
  • 1/2                 tsp ground black pepper
  • 1/2                 tsp salt or to taste
  • 1                    bottle (750 ml) pasta Sauce

White Sauce

  • 2                    tbsp butter
  • 2                    tbsp white flour
  • 1                    lt Homo milk
  • 1/2                 tsp salt
  • 1/2                 tsp ground black pepper
  • 1/4                 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 8                    oz shredded mozzarella cheese
  • 3                    tbsp grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Cook pasta according to the package directions.
  3. In a medium saucepan cook meat until brown and broken up.
  4. Add the garlic, ginger, black pepper and salt. Mix well.
  5. Add the pasta sauce stir, lower the heat to medium and simmer 5 minutes.

White Sauce

  1. In a medium saucepan melt the butter and sauté the white flour for a couple of mins.
  2. Gradually add the milk, stirring continuously. Bring to a boil. The sauce will have thickened about 10 minutes.

To Assemble

  1. In a 13 x 9 baking dish, place 4 pasta pieces lengthwise, overlapping edges.
  2. Spread 1/3 of the meat sauce, 1/4 of the white sauce and 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese. Repeat layers 2 more times. Beginning and ending with pasta. Spread remaining white sauce and cheese on top.
  3. Spread the Parmesan cheese on top.
  4. Cover with foil and back for 30 mins or until hot and bubbly.
  5. Remove foil, bake for 5 min.
  6. Let stand 5 min befor serving.

Serve with a salad.

Sugar Cookies

Sugar Cookies

Entrees, Sweets

 

Sugar Cookies
Sugar Cooki

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ingredients

  • 2             cups all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling
  • 1/2          teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4          teaspoon salt
  • 1/2          cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1             cup granulated sugar
  • 1             large egg
  • 1             teaspoon vanilla extract
  •                Assorted candies, sprinkles, or colored sugars, for decorating (optional)

Instructions

  1. In a large bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, and salt.
  2. With an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
  3. Beat in egg and vanilla.
  4. With mixer on low, gradually add flour mixture, beat until combined.
  5. Divide dough in half, flatten into disks. Wrap each in plastic, freeze until firm, at least 20 minutes, or place in a resealable bag, and freeze up to 3 months (thaw in refrigerator overnight)
  6. Preheat oven to 325 degrees
  7. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
  8. Remove one dough disk, let stand 5 – 10 minutes.
  9. Roll out to 1/8″ thick between two sheets of floured parchment, dusting dough with flour as needed.
  10. Cut shapes with cookie cutters. Using a spatula, transfer to prepared baking sheets. (If dough gets soft, chill 10 minutes.). Re roll scrapes; cut shapes.
  11. Repeat with remaining dough.
  12. Bake, rotating halfway through, until edges are golden, 10 – 18 minutes (depending on size).
  13. Cool completely on wire racks.

To ice cookies, spread icing with the back of a spoon.. Let the icing harden, about 20 minutes.

Decorate as desired

COOK’S NOT

Use flour on utensils to keep dough from sticking: Dip the cookie cutters, and dust the spatula before transferring uncooked dough to a sheet. Rolling dough between two sheets of floured parchment will keep it from sticking to the rolling pin.

Spinach Dip

Dips, Chutneys, Preserves and Pickles
Ingredients
  • 1               pkt Swiss Knorr, Vegie Soup
  • 1/2            pkt frozen chopped spinach
  • 1               cup sour cream
  • 1/2            cup mayonnaise
  • 1/2            tsp salt
  • 1/2            tsp freshly ground 
  • 1/2            cup finely chopped spring onions
  • 1/2            cup finely chopped green pepper
  • 1/2            cup finely chopped water chestnuts(optional)

Instructions

  1. Defrost spinach, squeeze all the liquid out.
  2. Mix everything together.
  3. Refregerate overnight.
  4. Serve with bread cubes.
 
 
Spicy Chick Peas

Vagarala Chana

Entrees
Spicy Chickpea
Vagarala Chana

Serves 4 Ingredients

  • 1                    cup dried Chana
  • 1/4                cup oil
  • 1/2                tsp mustard seeds
  • 1/2                tsp fenugreek seed
  • 1/2                tsp cumin seeds
  •                       few curry leave
  • 2                    medium tomatoes, finely chopped
  • 1                    tsp green masala
  • 1                    tsp cumin and corriander powder
  • 1/4                tsp turmeric powder
  • 1                    tsp salt
  • 1                    tbsp tomato paste
  • 2                    cups Water
  • 1                    lemon or lime
  • 2                    tbsp chopped cilantro

Instructions

  1. Soak Chana in cold water for 5 hours or overnight. In the morning rinse Chana in cold water and boil it for about 15 minutes, till the chana are cooked. Drain, rinse it in cold water and leave it aside.
  2. In a large saucepan, heat the oil, add mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds, cumin seeds and curry leaves.
  3. When the seeds start to pop, add the chopped tomatoes, green masala, cumin and corriander powder, turmeric powder, salt and tomato paste.
  4. Turn the heat to low and cook stirring a few times for 5 minutes. The oil should start to separate. Add 2 cups water and lime/lemon juice and the boiled chana. Bring this to boil then lower the heat to medium low (mark 4) and cook for 15 minutes. The liquid will have thickened.
  5. Sprinkle with chopped cilantro before serving.