Gajjar no Halwa

Sweets

A halwa is a type of dessert made from various kinds of fruits, vegetables, grains, nuts and lentils. The ingredients in Halwa are usually grated finely and fried in ghee and sugar. Nuts and milk may also be added. Halwas have the consistency of a very thick pudding.  Carrot halwa is made with fresh carrots.

carrot halva

Ingredients

  •  2                  lbs grated carrots
  • 1/2                lb butter
  • 1                   can condensed milk
  • 1/4                tsp nutmeg powder
  • 1/2                tsp cardamom seeds crushed
  • 1/4                tsp saffron
  • 1/4                cup sliced almonds and pistachio

Instructions

  1. Melt the butter in a large saucepan.
  2. Sauté the carrots till there is no liquid left about 15 minutes.
  3. Add the condensed milk, nutmeg powder, cardamom seeds crushed,and saffron.
  4. Put the lid on and put the saucepan in the preheated 350 degree oven for half and hour.  It should be thick and dry.
  5. Garnish with almonds and pistachios before serving.

Khas Khas(Poppy Seeds)

Glossary

Poppy seeds (regular gray and Indian white type (close up) 

Poppy seed is a spice and an oil seed  from the opium poppy. The tiny kidney-shaped seeds have been harvested from dried seed pods by various civilizations for thousands of years.  The seeds are used whole or ground, as an ingredients in many foods and they are pressed to yield poppy seed oil.  Opium poppy is native to the Middle East and produces very small slate blue, brown, white or yellow seed that has a nutty flavor and have a crunchy texture.

In Indian cuisine, white poppy seeds are added for thickness, texture and also give added flavor to the recipe.  It is also used as a garnish to the sweet dishes.

Veal Biriyani

Entrees, Meat

Serves 6

 

Ingredients

  • 2              lbs stewing veal
  • 3              onions
  • 2              medium tomatoes
  • 1              tbsp tomato paste
  • 1              cup yoghurt
  • 1/2          tsp cumin seeds
  • 1/2          tsp black pepper
  • 5              cardamom pods
  • 10           cloves
  • 1             2” piece cinnamon stick
  • 2             tsp green masala*
  • 1/2         tsp red chili  powder
  • 1/4         tsp saffron
  • 1/2          cup water
  • 3              tsp salt
  • 3              cups rice
  • 2              tsp salt
  • 4              med potatoes
  •                 oil for frying
  • 1/4          cup finely chopped cilantro
  • 1              tbsp finely chopped mint leaves
  • 1              tsp garam masala
  • 1/4          tsp saffron
  • 1/4          cup hot water

Instructions

  1. Cut the meat into 1 inch cubes removing all the fat.  Rinse it in cold water.  Drain it and put it in a medium size saucepan.
  2. Peel and chop half an onion, add this in the saucepan.  Chop the tomatoes and add this to the saucepan.  Add the tomato paste, yoghurt, cumin seeds, black pepper, cardamom, cloves, cinnamon sticks, green masala,  red chili powder  1/4 tsp saffron, and 1/2 cup water.  Mix well.  Cover and cook on low heat for about 30 min stirring occasionally.  Uncover and cook till most of the liquid has evaporated and the meat is cooked. ( If the meat does not pull apart add more water and cook more.  Meat should not be fully cooked)  Add the salt and mix.
  3. In the meantime peel the potatoes and cut them  in quarters, and peel and slice the onions very fine.  Deep fry the potatoes first and then the onions till they are light brown and crispy.
  4. In another saucepan  boil 6 cups of water.  Add  2  tsp of salt and add the rice.  When the rice is just done remove from the heat and drain it, rinse it in cold water.
  5. In 1/4 cup hot water add the saffron and leave it on the side.
  6. To assemble the biriyani:
  7. Arrange the potatoes on top of the meat.  Sprinkle the chopped cilantro and mint on top.  Put a layer of fried onions on that.  Sprinkle the garam masala on it and then the rice on top.   Pour the saffron mixture on top of the rice and 1/2 cup of oil from the fried onions on it.  Cover the saucepan with a lid and put it in a preheated 350 degrees oven for about  half an hour.
  8. To serve:  Remove the rice from the top and put it in a platter and put the meat on top.
  9. You can buy fried onions at the Indian and Iranian Grocery store.

*Green Masala

  • 1        oz garlic
  • 1        oz ginger
  •           cilantro
  •           Jalepeno
  • 10      leaves mint(optional)

Blend everything together.

Afternoon Tea

Special Occasion

Afternoon tea finger foods                                 A cup of Tea

Fruit  and Cheese Scones with Clotted Cream and Jam

Fruit and cheese scones

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Afternoon tea is a small meal snack typically eaten between 2pm and 5pm. The custom of afternoon tea originated in England in the 1840s.  At the time, the various classes in England had a divergence in their eating habits. The upper classes typically ate lunch at about midday and dinner  at 8:00 pm or later, while the lower classes ate dinner at about 11:00 am and then a light supper at around 7:00 pm.  For both groups, afternoon tea filled a gap in the meals. The custom spread throughout the British Empire and beyond in succeeding decades. However, changes in social customs and working hours mean that most 21st Century Britons will rarely take afternoon tea, if at all.

Traditionally, loose tea is brewed in a teapot and served with milk and sugar   Afternoon tea is  accompanied by luxury ingredient sandwiches   (customarily cucumber, egg and cress,  fish paste, ham, and smoked salmon), scones (with clotted cream and jam),  and usually cakes and pastries (such as Battenberg, fruit cake or Victoria sponge). In hotels and tea shops the food is often served on a tiered stand; there may be no sandwiches, but bread or scones with butter or margarine and optional jam or other spread, or toast, muffins or crumpets]

Nowadays, a formal afternoon tea is usually taken as a treat in a hotel or tea shop.

Afternoon tea was served in the garden where possible; otherwise it was usually taken in a day room, library or salon where low tables (like a coffee table) were placed near sofas or chairs.

We had  an afternoon tea for our seniors today with a debate on “Times now and times than”.  We had a lot of fun.

We had Cream Cheese and Cucumber sandwich, egg Sandwich, spanakopita, scones. cream & Jam,  French pastry, Fruit cake and chocolate covered strawberries.

Apricot Pudding

Sweets

                                                    Apricot Pudding

Ingredients

  • 1           lb dried Apricots
  • 4           cups Water
  • 1           cup sugar
  • 4           cups half and half or homo milk
  • 2           tbsp custard powder
  • 2           cups whipping cream
  • 1/4        cup sliced almonds and pistachio

Instructions

  1. Cut the apricots into quarters.   Soak the apricots in cold water over night.  
  2. In the morning, boil the apricots with  half the sugar till they are soft and most of the liquid has evaporated (about 15 min.).
  3. Drain and save the remaining liquid.
  4. Heat 4 cups of milk and sugar in a microwave for 5 minutes.  Mix the custard powder with 1/4 cup of  cold milk or water and add this to the  hot milk.  Stir it well.  Microwave for 5 minute, Stir it again and microwave it again for 5 min.  The custard should be thick.  Add the liquid from the apricots and mix well.
  5. In a Pyrex dish spread the apricots, then the custard and cool it completely.
  6. Whip the cream till it is thick and spread it on the custard. 
  7. Sprinkle with almonds and pistachios.

Vada(Wada)Daal Bhajiya

Gluten Free, Snacks & Appetizers, vegetarian

Vada is a savoury fritter-type snack from south India.  Vada is made with mung daal which is soaked overnight and pureed in a food processor with the herbs and then deep fried.  You can use a soup spoon, your fingers or a falafel maker to shape the vada..  Although vadas are deep fried, the finished product should not be too oily if prepared correctly, since steam build-up within the vada pushes all oil away.

Vadas are a snack food served with Amli(tamarind chutney) and coconut chutney.  It can also be served with chana batata.  Vada  tastes  good eaten freshly fried, while still hot and crunchy.

At home vada and passion fruit juice was a Saturday morning snack at small cafes.

Ingredients

  • 2              cup mung daal with skin
  • 1              medium onion
  • 2              tsp green masala
  • 1/2           tsp salt
  • 6              cups vegetable oil  for frying

Directions

  1. Soak daal overnight in  6 cups of cold water.
  2. Remove husks by rubbing, and washing several times with several changes of water.  Drain.
  3. Blend drained daal in a food processor.
  4. Blend onion in a food processor and add to the daal mix.  Add rest of the ingredients and mix well.
  5. Heat oil in a karia or a deep frying pan to medium hot.  The oil is ready when, if you put the handle of the wooden spoon in oil and bubbles start to form around  the spoon.  You can use a falafel maker,  or a spoon to slide the mixture into the oil.  You can use your damp hands to form a 1” ball and make round wadas or  flattened slightly into a patty.
  6. Fry on both sides  until golden brown.  The wada will puff up.  Drain on paper towel.
  7. Serve with coconut chutney and tamarind chutney.

Daal Bhajiya Mix

Daal Bhajiya Frying

Bajro (Millet)

Glossary

The millets are a group of small-seeded species of cereal crops or grains, widely grown around the world for food and fodder.  

The most popular staple amongst millets is the pearl millet and finger millet.  India is the world’s largest producer of millets.

Finger Millet in a Field                          Pearl Millet    

 husk  

                                                                                              

 

 

 

 

Koda Millet with husk

Millets are major food sources in arid and semiarid regions of the world, and feature in the traditional cuisine of many others. In western India millet is known as  jowar,or  bajro. Bajro has been used in India for many years to make the local staple called rotla.  Rotla is hand rolled, (without a rolling pin) flat bread. 

Millets are also used as bird and animal feed, and for brewing beer. It is used as a porridge too.

Millet contains no gluten, so they are not suitable for raised bread.but  are appropriate foods for those with celiac disease or other forms of allergies/intolerance of wheat.

Dhebra

Gluten Free, Snacks & Appetizers, vegetarian

This is iron and fibre-rich snack made with fenugreek leaves and bajro flour from Gujarat.  It is served as yoghurt plain or chutney as an afternoon snack.

If you are making it first time then you have to keep in mind that it is sticky dough and you have to be gentle with it.  Because of the bajro it will not be a perfect round, you will have rough edges.

This can be cooked over a tava or frying pan but then it is masala rotla, not dhebra.  Dhebra is best deep fried, so forget the healthy diet and enjoy it fried.

This is my grandmother’s recipe and I have used it for a long time.  You will find different version of this recipe.  This mixture has to rest overnight or at least 5 hrs.  If you make it instantly the texture will be different.  We had always used fresh methi in Africa, but it is not always available in the western countries so now I use the frozen methi.  Frozen Methi and bajro is found in an Indian grocery store.  You will also find different brands of bajri(millet flour), I use Jalpur.

Dhebra

 

 

Ingredients

  • 2             cups bajra no atta (millet flour)
  • 1             tbsp sugar
  • 1             tsp salt
  • ½            teaspoon haldi
  • ½            tsp crushed garlic
  • ½            tsp crushed green chillies
  • ½            tsp crushed ajma
  • ½            tsp crushed cumin
  • ½            tsp crushed black pepper
  • ½            tsp sesame seeds
  • 2             tbsp chopped cilantro
  • 1             cube frozen methi(fenugreek leaves)optional
  • 3/4          cup  yoghurt
  • 2             tbsp oil
For Frying
  • 3             cups oil for frying

For Decoration

  • 1/4          cup sesame seeds for decoration

For Serving

  • 1              cup yoghurt

Directions

  1. Put everything in a bowl and make a stiff dough with yoghurt.
  2. Leave it overnight or at least 5 hours.
  3. Make small balls about an inch round, roll this in sesame seeds
  4. With your fingers and on a kitchen towel, flatten the ball into a patty about 2” round.
  5. Deep fry this in a medium- hot oil. You can fry about 6 – 8 at a time.
  6. Serve this with Yoghurt
  7. You know the oil is hot when you put the handle of a wooden spoon in the oil and the oil bubbles around the handle.
  8. Use a coffee grinder to crush Ajma, Cumin and Black Pepper.
  9. You can make a chutney with garlic, Green Pepper and Cilantro.
  10. Use a little chutney in the yogourt and serve this with the dhebra

IMG_6273IMG_6286 IMG_6289

Batata Wada

Snacks & Appetizers, vegetarian

Batata Wada is a nice mid-afternoon snack.  Batata  Wada means Potato Ball.  Mashed potato is delicately spiced,made into a round ball and dipped in a chickpea flour batter and deep fried.

 Ingredients

  • 2               lb Potatoes
  • 1               lb sweet potatoes
  • 1/2            cup chopped cilantro
  • 2               tsp  salt
  • 1               tsp  citric acid
  • 3/4            tsp  crushed black pepper
  • 3/4            tsp  crushed cumin
  • 1/2            tsp  turmeric powder
  • 1               tsp  garam masala.
  • 2               jalapeño
  • 2               tbsp chopped mint
  • ½              tsp  turmeric powder
  • 4               tbsp oil
  • 1/2            tsp mustard seeds
  • 1/2            tsp fenugreek seeds
  • 10             curry leaves
  • 1               cup mixed vegetables

 Batter

  • 3                 cups chana flour
  • 2                 cups water
  • ½                tsp  salt
  • ½                tsp  red chilly powder
  • 6                 cups oil for frying

Instructions

  1. Boil the potatoes & sweet potatoes, peel them and mash them.
  2. Add the chopped cilantro, salt,citric acid black pepper, cumin, Turmeric powder and garam masala.
  3. Blend the mint and  jalapeño and add this to the potato mix.
  4. Heat the oil in a small saucepan and make Vagar with curry leaves, mustard seeds, cumin seeds and fenugreek seeds. Add the vegetables and cook for about 5 min on med heat.
  5. Add this to the potato mix and mix everything together.
  6. Roll this into 1” balls.
  7. Make a batter with chana flour, water, salt, chilly powder. The batter should be running consistency.
  8. Dip the balls in the batter. ( The ball should be covered with the batter) and deep fry in medium to hot oil. The batter will be firm and you will have a golden brown crust. (about 5 minutes.)
  9. If your balls stick to the bottom of the Deep frying pan, your oil is not hot enough.

A wok is good for frying.

Serve this will Ambli.

You can adjust the salt and chilly powder according to your taste.

Bartha

Entrees, vegetarian

Eggplant is the fruit of a plant which originated in India.  Eggplant is a berry eaten as a vegetable.  There are a few varieties of eggplants.  The purple skinned eggplant, which as an elongated form like a large pear, is the most well-known variety.  The Asian eggplant refers to   varieties that can be as small as an egg, long and thin.  The thin, smooth skin can be dark or light purple, cream, white, green or orange.  The yellow-white flesh is spongy and contains small brownish edible seeds.

Western Eggplant                                                                              Italaian Eggplant

Western Egg PlantItalian Egg Plant

 

 

 

 

Asian  long Eggplant

Asian Egg Plant

 

 

 

 

Ingredients

  • 1               egg plant (western)
  • 4               tbsp oil
  • 1               medium onion chopped
  • 1               medium tomato chopped
  • 1               tsp green masala
  • 1/2            tsp dhana jeera (corriander and cumin powder
  • 1/4            tsp haldi (turmeric powder)
  • 1/2            tsp salt
  • 1               tbsp chopped cilantro

Instructions

  1. Rinse the eggplant and cut in half.  With a pastry brush(or your fingertips), brush  the eggplant with oil and bake  in a preheated 350 degrees oven for 20 minutes(Cut side down).  The egg plant will be soft when done.
  2. In a small saucepan heat the oil and sauté  the onions till they are transparent.  Add the chopped tomatoes, green masala, dhana jeera, haldi, and salt and cook it for five minutes.
  3. With a fork loosen the flesh of the egg plant and add this to the saucepan.  Discard the skin.  Mix well, cook for a couple of minutes.
  4. Garnish with cilantro before serving.
  5. Serve with chapatti or rotlo.