Rasgulla recipe

 Here I am giving out the recipes for the Rasgulla which I made during diwali time …

Prep Time: 20 mins    |  Cook time: 25 mins    |  Makes: 25 Rasgullas

Ingredients: 

Milk (full cream) - 1 Litre

Lemon juice - 3 tblsp

Sugar - 2 cups

Water - 3 &1/2cups

Elachi powder - 1 pinch

Ice cubes - 12 nos

Nuts (optional) For garnish

Method

Heat the milk, when it starts to boil, simmer the flame, add the lemon juice and stir properly. Heat it further until the whey water clearly separates. Put off the flame.

Take a metal strainer; lined with a cheese cloth/muslin cloth (I used my dupatta). Pour the curdled milk in it. Add the Ice cubes and mix well. Ice cubes are added to stop the curdling at that instant. It prevents the chenna to become hard and helps for soft texture. 

Wash it well in the running water under the tap to remove the lemon smell and sourness.Then squeeze the excess water gently and hang it for 30 minutes. I just squeezed the excess water now and then very gently as my dupatta dint drain the water by itself. But it’s not a must if the cloth is proper.After 1/2 hour, take out the paneer in a bowl. I will be now more like a crumble look wise.

Now knead this for 7-10 minutes gently to make it like soft and smooth dough. Make smooth equal sized small balls. I made some 25 balls; you can adjust the number according to the size you decide to get. Apparently take the sugar,elachi powder and water in a pressure cooker and boil it

After the sugar gets dissolved completely and the syrup boils, add the balls made carefully one by one. Cover the pressure cooker and cook it till you get one whistle in low flame. After a whistle, simmer more and keep for another 5 minutes. Put off the flame and let the pressure gets released by itself, then open the lid to see the rasgullas – by now it would have doubled in size.Cool down and refrigerate and serve chilled! 

Notes:

Use lemon juice as mentioned and the milk should boil while you add the lemon juice.The kneading part is very important, knead smooth and soft with patience.

Ennai Kathrikkai Kuzhambu:

 Here I am giving out the recipes for the Ennai Kathrikkai Kuzhambu …

Ingredients:

Brinjal  - 6

Onion -1
Tomato - 1
Tamarind - a small ball
Garlic - 1
Coconut ( grated ) -  2 tsp
Cumin - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Chilli powder - 2 tsp

Coriander powder – 1 tsp
Salt - as needed
Oil - as needed

For seasoning:

Mustard - 1/4 tsp
Urad dal - 1/4 tsp
Curry leaves – small pinch

Method:

Cut the brinjal at the edge alone.
Cut onion, tomato, garlic finely.Soak tamarind in water and prepare extract. Grind coconut, cumin to a paste.Heat oil in a pan. Add mustard, urad dal ,curry leaves and when mustard splutters, add onion, garlic and fry. Add brinjal,tomato and fry for a while. Add tamarind extract, coconut paste, turmeric powder, chilli powder, coriander powder, salt. Once the oil separates, switch off the stove.

Ennai Kathrikkai kuzhambu  is ready!

Chicken Gravy Masala

Here is the Chicken Gravy Masala I prepared for the Sunday Special lunch for my sweet family. Here I am giving out the recipes for the Chicken Gravy Masala... 

Ingredients:
 
Chicken - 500 gms 
Onion (Vengayam) - 4 
Tomato (Thakkali) - 1
 Refined oil - 4 tsp 
Chicken Malasa powder - 3 tsp 

Curd – 2 tsp
Turmeric Powder- 1 tsp
Salt - 3 tsp 

To Grind:

Ginger (Inji) - 1 inch 
Garlic (Poondu) - 10 cloves 
Fennel seeds (Perunjeeragam) - 1 tsp 
Coconut - 1/2 moodi chopped

For seasoning :

Coriander leaves - 1 pinch 
Mint leaves - 1 pinch 

Masala 1 : 

Chicken Malasa powder: ( we can make it our own preparation too with these ingredients. today I have tried with chicken masala:) ) 

Coriander, Black Pepper, Cinnamon, Cumin, Dry Ginger, Cardamom, Bay Leaf, Fennel, Turmeric, Cloves, nutmeg, mace and salt.

Masala 2 :

Make a paste with Fennel Seeds,Jeera & Coconut by adding sufficient water... 

Method:
 
Wash and clean the chicken. Remove skin and fat.
Cut it into small pieces. 

Marinate the chicken with 2 tsp chicken masala powder,1 tsp turmeric powder, 2 tsp salt & 2 tsp curd  for half an hour.

Finely chop the onion and tomato. Keep them separately.
 
Add Grind the peeled ginger and garlic to a fine paste.

Heat the oil in a wok. Add the finely chopped onion and fry till it becomes golden brown.
Now put the ginger garlic paste and fry till the raw smell goes.Now add the Chicken pieces that are done with marinating.Add Masala 2 contents with 1 tsp salt and fry till oil separates.Add the finely chopped tomato and fry till oil separates. 

Add Coriander leaves ,Mint leaves.

Cook the contents in VERY LOW HEAT for 15 minutes. stir once in 5 minutes. Switch off after the oil starts showing up. 

Chicken Gravy Masala is ready! 

Serving suggestion:

 

Serve as side dish with plain white rice,biriyani,tomato rice + rasam.

Also tastes great with any Indian breads like chapati, naan, parotta & dhosa, idly dishes.

If it seems too spicy, serve with ghee rice and lots of raitha. 

Paneer Mutter masala

Paneer mutter masala is a curry with Indian cottage cheese and green peas. Paneer means Indian cheese and mutter stands for green peas. This is a lesser spicy curry of Indian vegetarian cuisine. Most common among North Indians and admired by all.


I went for shopping yesterday .After seeing Paneer in the shop ,I got tempted and decided to get it immediately though my brother refused for it (as it adds wgt ,,he is trying to loose his wgt :):) ) I prepared this curry for breakfast along with poori. 

Ingredients:
Paneer -200 gm (chopped 2 handful)
green peas (fresh / frozen) - 1 cup
Tomato - 3
onion - 2 (big)
cashew - 5
cinnamon - 2 inch
fennel - 1 tsp
cardamom - 2
cloves - 4
Red chilly powder - 1 tsp
garam masal - 1 tbsp
Turmeric powder - 1/8 tsp
salt - to taste
cilantro + mint leaf - a handful
oil - 2 tbsp

Method:

Heat oil in a pan. Chop the paneer into 1 inch size cubes. Fry the chopped paneer till golden brown and keep aside.

Then fry the cashews, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves. Add onion and fry till it beomes golden brown. Let everything cool.

Cook tomato with 1 cup water till mushy..Let it cool.

Grind the onion, cashew, spices, tomato together into a fine paste along with the water from cooked tomato.

Heat the pan and fry a bay leaf. Put the ginger garlic paste and fry till we get a nice flavor.

Then add the ground paste, turmeric powder, red chilli powder, garam masal powder, salt and bring it to a boil. Then add the green peas and cook completely. Reduce flame and cook covered for 10 minutes.

As the raw smell vanishes and oil starts showing up add the fried paneer and mix well.
Keep it in low flame for 5 minutes and switch off.

Garnish with finely chopped cilantro and mint leaf.

Paneer mutter masala is ready!

Serving suggestions:

Serve hot with chapati or paratha or malaysian parotta or poori..

Mochai Payaru Kuzhambu

 Here I am giving out the recipes for the mochai kuzhambu…

Ingredients:
Pachai mochai payaru ( field beans )  - 250 gm (don’t forgot to soak it in water  over night)
Onion -1
Tomato - 1
Tamarind - a small ball
Garlic - 2
Coconut ( grated ) -  2 tsp
Cumin - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Chilli powder - 2 tsp
Coriander powder – 1 tsp
Salt - as needed
Oil - as needed

For seasoning:

Mustard - 1/4 tsp
Urad dal - 1/4 tsp
Curry leaves – small pinch



Method:
 
Wash the soaked mochai payaru and put it in a cooker for 1-2 whistles. Add small amount of salt and sufficient water.
Cut onion, tomato, garlic finely.Soak tamarind in water and prepare extract. Grind coconut, cumin to a paste.Heat oil in a pan. Add mustard, urad dal ,curry leaves and when mustard splutters, add onion, garlic and fry. Add tomato, tamarind extract, coconut paste, turmeric powder, chilli powder, coriander powder, salt. Once the oil separates, switch off the stove.

Mochai payaru kuzhambu  is ready!

Cabbage Poriyal & koottu

 Here I am giving out the recipes for the Cabbage poriyal & koottu…

Ingredients:

 Cabbage – 1
Onion/Vengayam – 1
Green chilly - 2
Salt- as needed
Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp
Refined oil – 3 tsp
Chopped coconut – 1/4 cup (small amount)
Ginger – small pinch

For seasoning:

Mustard seed – ½ tsp
Urad dal – 1/2 tsp
Channa dal – 3 tsp

Method:
 
Cut/shred  the cabbage into very small piece and keep it aside.
Heat a pan and add oil and do seasoning with mustard,urad dal & channa dal.
Add chopped  onion ,green chillies,ginger .Once onion is turned into brown in color ,add cabbage, turmeric powder and salt  by keeping it in low flame and stir it till it is well cooked. There is no need to add water since it should be cooked in oil.
Add finely chopped coconut and stir for 3 minutes
Cabbage poriyal  is ready!

Note:
If the green chilly is not there, you can add red chilly instead.
There is another method too. We can cook cabbage, turmeric powder  and channa dal with sufficient amount of water & salt as needed instead of frying it in oil and keep it aside. Heat a pan and add oil and do seasoning with mustard,urad dal . Add chopped  onion ,green chillies,ginger.Once onion is turned into brown in color ,add cabbage & channa dal  by keeping it in low flame and stir it till it is well mixed. Add finely chopped coconut and stir for 3 minutes. Cabbage koottu is ready to be served.

Thakkali kothsu

 Here I am giving out the recipes for the Thakkali kothsu…

Ingredients:

 Tomato/Thakkali – 5
Onion/Vengayam – 2
Green chilly - 4
Salt- as needed
Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp
Refined oil – 3 tsp
coriander leaves - small pinch

To Grind:
Ginger – 1
Garlic cloves – 5
Cashews – 6
Kasa kasa – ½ tsp
Jeera – ½ tsp
Chopped coconut – ½

For seasoning:

Mustard seed – ½ tsp
Urad dal – 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves 1 sprig
Method:
 
Wash the tomato and cook for w while in water.once it is hal cooked,peel it off the skin and grind it without skin along with kasa kasa and cashews..keep it aside.
Heat a pan and add oil and do seasoning eith mustard,urad dal & curry leaves.
Add chopped  onion ,green chillies,ginger & garlinc.Once onion is turned into brown in color ,add tomato mixture ,coconut milk ( jeera & coconut should be grinded together ) ,salt & turmeric powder.Once the flavor is thick in shape,add coriander leaves at the end.

Thakkai Kothsu pongal is ready!

Note:
If the green chilly is not there, you can add red chilly instead.


Serving suggestion:
 
Serve as break fast with chappathi,poori,dosai,idly,rice