Methi Thepla with Instant Chilli pickle....

Methi Thepla with Instant Chilli pickle..

I just love it. Can be eaten any time of the day and taken while travelling too. It remains for 1 or 2 days. Easy to make and delicious too. 

Ingredients 

4 cups Whole Wheat Flour 

1 cup Gram Flour

Salt to taste 

2 tsp Chilli powder

2 tsp Cumin powder

1 tsp Coriander powder

1/2 tsp Garam Masala powder 

1/2 tsp Turmeric powder

1 bowl or 1/2 bunch Fenugreek leaves (Methi) chopped 

1/2 cup Curd 

Water as required 

2 tbsp Oil 

Oil to drizzle on the Theplas 

Method

Take a mixing bowl, add whole wheat flour, gram flour, chilli powder, cumin powder, coriander powder, garam masala and turmeric powder. Mix it, add 2 tbsp oil. Mix it well. Add the methi leaves and mix it again. Add curd and water little at a time and make a  soft dough. Cover an keep it for 30 minutes. Divide the dough into equal portion.  Heat a skillet. Take one portion of the dough, sprinkle little flour and roll the dough into a round disc. Put the thepla on the skillet and roast both the sides. Drizzle oil on the thepla and roast till done. Repeat the process with the remaining thepla. Serve with instant chilli pickle and green chutney. 

Instant Chilli Pickle

Ingredients

6 Big Jalpano Red and Green Chillies or any Chillies 

Salt to taste

1 tbsp Mustard dal

1 tbsp Fenugreek dal

1/2 tsp Fennel seeds coarsely ground

1 tbsp Red Chilli powder

1/2 tsp Turmeric powder

1/4 tsp Asafoetida powder

Juice of 1 Lime

1 cup Mustard oil

Method

Wash the chillies, wipe it dry and cut it into round pieces. Add salt mix it. Add the mustard dal, fenugreek dal, fennel powder, chilli powder and turmeric powder. Mix it well and let it stand for 30 minutes. Take oil in a pan. Heat the oil well. Add asafoetida. Cook it for few seconds. Add the chill mix. Stir and cook for 2 to 3  minutes. Add lime juice and cook for about 1 minute more. Cool it and keep it in a clean and dry glass container. This pickle can eaten immediately and can be kept in the fridge for 15 days to a month.

Sarson ka Saag Makki Di Roti with Jhatpat Mooli ka Achar

Sarson ka Saag Makki Di Roti with Jhatpat Mooli ka Achar 

Ingredients
1 bunch Green Mustard leaves chopped and cleaned
3 Tomatoes chopped
3 Green chillies
1 small Ginger piece
1/2 tsp Cumin seeds
2 Pinch of Asafoetida
1/4 tsp Turmeric powder
1/2 tsp Chilli powder
Salt to taste
1 tbsp Makka flour
2 tbsp Ghee

Method
Make tomato, ginger and green chillies paste.
Take a cooker and add the chopped leaves and add 1 cup of water and pressure cook it. After 2 whistles take it off the gas and let the pressure release.  Once  the leaves cool down, blend it in a blender into a fine paste. Take a wok, add 1 tbsp ghee, add the cumin seeds and asafoetida, let the cumin seeds crackle. Add the corn flour and roast it till light brown, add the tomato paste, turmeric and salt, saute and cook for 5 minutes. Add the mustard leaves paste and a cup of water.  Stir the gravy, After gravy comes to boil, simmer and  cook it on a low flame till it is in semi liquid form, add the rest of the ghee and serve hot with Makki Di roti and Jhatpat Mooli ki Achar..

P.S. 1/2 bunch of Spinach and 1/4 bunch of Dill  leaves can be added along with Mustard leaves while boiling. Chopped onion and 1/2 tsp chopped garlic also can be added while sauté.

Makki Di Roti

Ingredients
500 grams  Makka Flour
Salt to taste
Warm Water
Butter / Ghee

Method
Take Makka Flour in a vessel. Add salt and mix the flour. Knead dough just before preparing. Knead the flour with warm water. Heat the skillet.  Take a small portion of dough and knead it again with hands until soft. Take a portion of the dough and roll into a ball. Apply water on the palm and flatten the dough with palms and make circles round of 5-6” in diameter.
Place it on hot skillet,  turn when one side is done. When other side is also cooked, with the help of a tong cook directly on the flame,  turning around until both sides are done. Add ghee before serving.

Jhatpat Mooli ka Achar
Ingredients
3 Radish (Mooli)  washed and  cut in to big pieces
1/2 cup Radish leaves stem washed and  chopped
6 Green Chillies
1 small Garlic Pod cleaned
1/4 cup Vinegar
1/2 tsp Turmeric Powder
1 tsp Carom seeds
1 tbsp Feaugreek split dal
2 tbsp  Mustard split dal
2 tbsp Red Chilli powder
Sea Salt to taste
2 Pinch Asafoetida
1/4 cup Mustard oil

Method
Take a chopper, add the radish, radish stem, green chillies, garlic, vinegar, turmeric, carom seeds, Feaugreek dal, mustard dal, chilli powder and salt. Coarsely grind the ingredients together. Take a pan, heat oil, add the asafoetida. Add the ground ingredients in the oil, cook it till the water from the ingredients have dried up and only the oil should remain. This pickle can be had instantly after it cools down, store it in a dry glass bottle and refrigerate it. It remains till 3 months.

Stuffed Paneer Batura and Pickled Carrot

Stuffed Paneer Batura
Sita Ram Diwan Chand in Paharganj, is the place once long time back I had this Stuffed Paneer Batura; Chana and Carrot pickle with sliced onions. The shop I believe is since 1948. Suddenly the other day while surfing, one of the food channels on television was telecasting Delhi street food and this shop was shown. I with great interest started to watch as I had already been to the place. Then what... I want to make this.. I had the carrot pickle at home and here is the recipe..

For the Batura Dough
Ingredients
3 cups of All Purpose Flour
1/2 cup Curd
1 tbsp Sugar
Salt to taste
2 tbsp Oil

Method
Take the curd and mix sugar and salt. Add the curd in the flour, oil and add little water at a time as much required to make a soft dough. Cover and keep for 30 minutes

For the Paneer Stuffing
Ingredients
250 grams Paneer crumbs
1/4 tsp Cumin seeds
1/4 tsp Pepper powder
1/4 tsp Chaat Masala
Salt to taste
1/2 tsp Green Chilli minced
1 tbsp Coriander leaves chopped
1/2 tbsp Mint leaves chopped

Method
Mix all the above ingredients together.

To make the Batura
Divide the dough into equal big lemon size balls. Take one portion and fill in the suffering. Roll the dough and shallow fry it in oil. Serve it with Chana and Pickle  Carrot..

Pickled Carrot
Ingredients
2 Carrot cut into strips
Few Chillies slit
Salt to taste
1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
1/4 tsp Mustard seeds crushed

Method
Mix all the above ingredients and store in a glass bottle for 2 day and have it.

Topa Kuler (Jujube) Tok Jhal Misti Achaar / Bor ki Khati Tikhi MithiAchaar

Topa Kuler (Jujubes) are Indian berries that are found in the month of Feb when Bengalis celebrates Saraswati Puja  on  Basanth Panchami  day. As a kid we were prohibited to eat Kul before the puja. My Ma use to get angry on me if I was caught eating this tangy berries with salt. Mouthwatering !! I still remember my Dida (Grandma) use to make this pickle in large quantity and when I use to visit her, my cousin and me use to very quietly hide and eat this pickle under the bed in the afternoons while every one was having their afternoon nap.  When ever I make this pickle it is so nostalgic, remembering my childhood day brings happiness to me.

Jujubes have to be be washed well and then after applying salt it has to be sun dried. It has to be then burst and then cooked. I have added jaggery and sugar, but you can add only jaggery. After it is cooked it is stored in a clean glass jar and kept in the sun for few days before enjoying it. 

Ingredients
250 grams  Kul / Jujube fruit / Ber
3/4 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
1/2 tsp roasted Panch phoran  powder ( roast the panch photon along with a dry red chilli and then powder it)

1/2 tsp Panch phoran
3/4 cup  Jaggery 

1/4 cup Sugar
1 tsp Mustard oil
1 dry Red chilli

Method
Wash and dry the kul / ber. Burst them. Add  1/2 tsp salt to the bors and dry them in the sun for 2 to 3 hours. Take a pan. Add mustard oil. Heat the oil well. Add 1/4 tsp panch phoran and dry red chilli. Let the panch phoran crackle. Add the kul / bers, remaining salt and turmeric powder. Add the jaggary, sugar and 1/2 cup water. Let it simmer till the jaggary has incorporated well with the kul/ bers and the gravy has thickened. Add roasted powder panch phoran  and mix it well. Take off the gas and cool it. Store it in the glass bottle and you can have it the next day. But if you  leave it in the sun for 4 to 5 days to mature it will taste more better. Store it 6 to 8 months. Enjoy the Achaar with dal - rice, paratha.... Or eat it just like that. 

Punjabi Aam ka Acchar

Punjabi Aam ka Acchar

Ingredients 

1 kg Raw mangoes cut into medium sized pieces  and cleaned. 

3 tbsp  Fenugreek  dal

5 tbsp Mustard dal

4 tbsp Fennel seed coarsely ground

3 tbsp Nigella seed

2 tbsp Turmeric powder 

4 tbsp Red chili powder

1 tsp Hing

Salt to taste

2 cups Mustard oil 

Salt to taste

Method 

Take mango pieces wipe the mango pieces  after washing them. Add some salt and 1 tbsp turmeric powder to the mangoes . Let it dry in the sun for a day or 2 and no water should remain.  Mix all the spices and add some extra salt to the diced mangoes pieces. Mix well. Put the mango peices in a jar covered for 3 to 4 days in the sun. Mix the mangoe pieces and the spices every day with a clean and dry spoon. Heat the mustard oil.  Cool the oil. Pour mustard oil over the mango pieces. Mix well. Keep the pickle in the sun for another 4 to 5 days. Mix it every day with a clean spoon. Store the pickle in a dry place.

Mix Vegetable Pickle

Mix Vegetable pickle 

Ingredients
1/4 cup carrot cut into medium strips
1/4 cup brinjal cut into small pieces
1/4 cup cauliflower cut into small pieces
1/4 cup beans cut into medium pieces
10 garlic cloves
10 green chillies slit
1/4 cup radish cut into medium strips
1 cup mustard oil
1/4 tsp fenugreek  seeds
1/4 tsp fennel seeds
1/4 tsp mustard seeds
1/4 tsp kalonji
1/4 tsp cumin seeds
1/4 tsp hing
Salt to taste
1/2 cup vinegar

For the pickle masala powder
Ingredients
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp carom seeds ( Ajwin)
5 whole red chillies
1 tsp cumin seeds
2 tsp coriander seeds
1/4 tsp fenugreek seeds
2 tsp fennel seeds
(Grind all the ingredients together for the powder masala)

Method
Wash and then cut all the vegetables. Add 1/2 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp turmeric powder and keep them in a colander for an hour in the sun. Take a pan and add oil and let the oil heat up. Add cumin seeds, mustard seeds, kalonji, fennel seeds, fenugreek seeds and hing. Let the seeds crackle. Add the vegetables, salt to taste and the powder masala. Let the vegetables cook on low flame for 5 minutes add vinegar and cook for another 5 minutes till all the vegetables incooperate with the oil, vinegar and the masala. Cool the pickle and keep it in the glass bottle. Keep the bottle in the sun for a week and it is ready to eat.

Raw Tamarind Pickle

Aunty who works for me gots these tamarind from some neighbouring tree while returning home ... Wondering what to do..... I tried out this sour, spicy tamarind pickle Andhra style....
Raw Tamarind Pickle
1 cup raw tamarind cleaned and cut in to pieces
1 tsp coriander seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
2 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 fenugreek seeds
1 tsp turmeric powder
6 red whole dry chillies
2 tsp salt
1/2 cup mustard oil
1/2 cup curry leaves
15 garlic cloves
1/2 tsp urid dal
1/2 tsp chana dal
1/2 tsp hing

Method
Grind the red chillies. Now add tamarind, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, 1 tsp mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds, turmeric powder, salt, curry leaves keeping 5 to 6 curry leaves aside and garlic into the grinder and grind all the ingredients together into a rough paste... Take a pan and add oil. Once the oil heats up add the remaining mustard seeds, urid dal, chana dal, curry leaves and hing. Once the seeds begin to crackle add the paste and mix it well. Take off the gas and once the pickle cools down, store it in the jar....

Spice Mango Pickle

Spice Mango Pickle
Ingredients
1kg raw green mangoes
1/4 cup methi ka dana/methi kuria
½ cup split mustard seeds / rai kuria
½ cup red chilli powder
4 tbsp fennel seeds powder
2 tbsp turmeric powder
½ tbsp asafoetida
½ cup heaped rock salt
3.5 cups  mustard oil add more if required
Method
Rinse the mangoes and then dry them with a clean kitchen towel. Chop the mangoes into bite sized pieces. Take all the chopped mangoes in a mixing bowl. Add the fenugreek seeds dal, split mustard seeds, fennel seed powder,  turmeric powder, red chili powder and rock salt.Mix very well with a clean spoon.Now add this pickle mixture in a sterilized glass Heat the  mustard oil till it reaches its smoking point. switch off the flame. Add asafoetida,  cool the mustard oil completely. Add the cooled mustard oil to the pickle mixture. The oil has to float at least 2 inches above the top.Close the jars tightly and keep it in the sun  for 15 days till the mangoes soften a bit and become tender. Stir the jar after every 2 to 3 days with a clean sterilized spoon.

Mangoes and Ĺimes in Salt

Mangoes and Ĺimes in Salt

Getting ready to make pickles for this season..... So was looking out for the pickles remaining from the last season..... Few raw mango and lime marinated in salt remaining... Just love them... This mangoes and limes come very handy and can be used in any recipes... Eat it just like that, make Khatta Dal, use them in Salads, in chutney, make instant pickles, if fresh lime is not available just use them.. Chop them and use for bhel puri or sew puri or in poha... To give the tangy taste and many more things....Very easy to make...

Ingredients
Raw Mangoes
Lime
Salt
Method
Take Raw mangoes or lime and salt ... Wash the mangoes or limes. Wipe them. No water should be there on the mangoes or limes, otherwise it will catch fungus. Give  four slits on the mangoes or cut limes in four parts and rub salt... Take a glass jar arrange one layer of mango or lime.. Add salt on top of the mangoes or limes. Repeat the process and fill up the jar. Keep the jar in the sun for 15 days to a month more till the mangoes or limes will absorb the salt.. And then it is ready...

Bitter Gourd pickle

Bitter Gourd pickle
Ingredients
250 grams Bitter gourd Cleaned and seeds removed and cut into small pieces
1 tsp Mustard seeds
1 tsp Fenugreek seed
1/2  cup White vinegar
¼ cup Sesame oil
½ tsp Red chili powder
1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
Few Curry leaves

2 Green chillies chopped 
 

Method
Sprinkle salt and turmeric powder on the chopped bitter gourd and mix well. Keep this bitter gourd for 30 minutes. After 30 mins, squeeze the salted bitter gourd and discard the juices. Rinse once again , drain water and keep it aside. Heat the oil till it starts smoking. Add mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds, chopped chilies  and curry leaves. Wait till the mustard crackles then add bitter gourd. Saute for 7-8 minutes, add vinegar and salt. Stir and bring the pickle mixture to a boil about 3 to 4 minutes. Add red chili powder. Stir well again. Let the pickle cool. When it completely cooled, pour the bitter gourd pickle in a clean sterilized jar.Close the jar with its lid and keep the bitter gourd pickle in the refrigerator.  

Tak - Jhal - Misti Aamer Acchar

This is a sour - spicy and sweet raw mango recipe from Bengal, this is normally had after completing the afternoon meal or it can be eaten with paratha or luchi.

Spice Powder

Ingredients

1 tsp Fennel seed

1 tsp Coriander seeds

1 tsp Cumin seeds

1 tsp Mustard seeds

1/2 tsp Nigella seeds

1/4 tsp Fenugreek seed

6 Dry red chili

Method 

Dry roast all the above spices and let it cool, grind the spices into a powder. 

Ingredients

1 kg Raw Mangoes peeled and cut into medium size pieces 

1 kg Jaggary grated or Sugar and Jaggery in equal proportion 

2 Bay leaves 

3 to 4 Dry Red Chillies 

1 tsp Panch phoran 

1 tsp Turmeric powder

Spice powder

Salt to taste

2 tbsp Mustard Oil 

Method

Add 1 tsp salt and turmeric powder on the mango pieces, mix well and  keep it in under the sun for 4 hours.

Take a wok, add oil, let it heat up, add the panch phoran, bay leaves and the red chillies. Stir for few seconds. Add the mango pieces and 1/2 tsp salt. Stir the mangoes for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the jaggery and stir the mango pieces for 2 minutes, the jaggery will begin to melt. Let it cook on low medium flame until the liquid reduces and starts to thicken up. Add the spice powder. Stir and continue to cook until the liquid has reduced and thicken, don’t dry up the liquid completely as after the flame is switched off, it will still continue to cook until it’s cool down completely. 

 Keep in a glass jar and store it in cool and dry place. Have it after a day.