Malai Kofta

Ever wondered what goes behind making that delicious, Indian curry that adds taste to a dull, Sunday afternoon lunch? I asked the same question to my mother and the answer I got reaffirmed my faith in Mughlai cuisine, and that too home-made (it does ensure some controlled oil use, I can assure you that). ‘Malai ke kofte’ is a creamy dish set in a white curry, with a slightly sweet taste, that may wary from each individual’s choice. Although a little effort is required in collecting all the ingredients necessary to prepare this Mughlai delight, once that is done, the final dish is just a shape, fry and boil away! If you are bored with eating the same old daal and roti and want to make your Sunday more exciting without entering the blistering June heat, try out this scrumptious recipe. Enjoy!!

INGREDIENTS:

For the Malai Koftas:

•  Grated paneer (cottage cheese) - 1/2 cup
•  Boiled and grated potatoes - 1/2 cup
•  Corn flour - 1 tbsp
•  Tomato ketchup - 1 tbsp
•  Chilli powder - 1 tsp
•  Turmeric powder (haldi) - A pinch
•  Grated carrot - 1/4 cup
•  Finely chopped capsicum - 2 tbsp
•  Grated ginger (adrak) - 1 tsp
•  Grated garlic (lehsun) - 1/2 tsp
•  Chopped coriander (dhania) - 1 tbsp
•  Salt to taste
•  Oil for deep-frying

For the tomato gravy:

•  Sliced onions - 1/2 cup
•  Ginger (adrak), chopped - 12 mm. (½") piece
•  Garlic (lehsun) - 3 cloves
•  Chopped tomatoes - 2 cups
•  Almonds (badam) - 4 to 5
•  Turmeric powder (haldi) - 1/2 tsp
•  Chilli powder - 1 tsp

Other ingredients:

4 tbsp butter
•  Cumin seeds (jeera) - 1/2 tsp
•  Garam masala - 1 tsp
•  Dried fenugreek leaves (kasuri methi) - 1/2 tsp
•  Sugar - 2 tsp
•  Salt to taste
•  Cream - 4 to 5 tbsp
•  Chopped coriander (dhania) - 1 tbsp
•  Butter for garnish - 1 tsp

METHOD OF PREPARATION:

For the Malai Kofta:

•   Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and mix well.
•   Divide the mixture into 8 equal parts and shape them into flat koftas.
•   Heat the oil in a kadhai and deep-fry the koftas in it over a medium flame till they are golden brown.

•   Drain on absorbent paper and keep aside. For the tomato gravy:

•   Combine all the ingredients in a pan with ½ cup of water and cook on a low flame for 15 to 20 minutes.
•   Cool completely.
•   Blend this mixture in a mixer to a smooth purée.
•   Strain and keep aside.

How to proceed:

•   Heat the butter in a pan and add the cumin seeds.
•   When they crackle, add the prepared tomato gravy, Punjabi garam masala, dried fenugreek leaves, sugar and salt and bring to boil.
•   Add the cream and mix well.
•   Add the koftas and simmer for 2-3 minutes.
•   Serve hot garnished with coriander and butter

Recipe by – Shalu Tolasaria
Guest Writer  
June 10, 2012 | 12:10 PM IST

Read More

Masterchef Special: Mayan-e-Kebabs

The Master Chef series (and there are umpteen versions of it running on television today) inspires every hardcore cook in some manner or the other. Months after the second season of the Indian version got over, one of my friends decided to try her hand at one of the recipes that had etched its way into her mind.

Delicious Mayan-e-kebabs are one of those preparations that need a slight more work than your usual quick recipes. But the ultimate results are so satisfying that the effort seems to be worth it. My friend decided to surprise her cousins at their weekly get together by making this extra-special, extra effort dish. According to her description of their reactions, neither could they believe their eyes nor their taste buds when they actually got down to tasting the kebabs.

I found this recipe to be an ideal companion for one of those weekends when the scorching sun outside forces you to take a day off at home and relax. In the company of such delicious companions, all seems well. Have fun!!

INGREDIENTS:

•  Rajma – 200 gms
•  Chana Dal – 100 gms
•  Moong Dal – 100 gms
•  Salt – According to taste
•  Oil – As required
•  Ginger Garlic paste – 1 tbsp
•  Onion (finely chopped) – 1 tbsp
•  Chilli flakes – ½ tsp
•  Cumin Powder – 1 tsp
•  Kasuri Methi – 1 tsp
•  Red Chilli Powder – 2 tsp
•  Black Pepper Powder – 1 tsp
•  Fresh Cream – 100 ml
•  Amul Processed Cheese (Grated) – 70 gms
•  Pineapple (Sliced) – 100 gms
•  Tomatoes - 2
•  Lime Juice – 1 tsp
•  Maida – 100 gms
•  Bread crumbs – 200 gms
•  Semolina – 20 gms

METHOD OF PREPARATION:

•   Soak the rajma overnight in water. Combine the rajma, chana dal and moong dal in a saucepan with water and salt. Boil till the pulses are cooked.
•   Heat 1 tbsp oil in a kadhai, add ginger-garlic paste, chopped onions and sauté till onion becomes transparent.
•   Mix in chilli flakes, cumin powder, kasuri methi, half the red chilli powder and half the pepper powder and sauté for a few more seconds.
•   Mix in the boiled pulses and cook thoroughly till pulses are properly mashed. Cook till mixture is dry, remove from flame and keep aside to cool.
•   Heat cream in a frying pan. Mix in grated cheese, salt and remaining pepper powder and cook till cheese melts and mixture thickens slightly. Remove from flame and keep aside.
•   Roast the pineapple slices on the flame and chop roughly.
•   Roast the tomatoes on the flame, peel and chop roughly.
•   In a mixer, combine the pineapple and tomatoes with remaining red chilli powder, salt and lime juice and blend to a puree.
•   In a mixing bowl, whisk the maida together with salt and water to make a thick batter.
•   Mix the breadcrumbs and semolina in a plate.
•   Heat oil in a kadhai. Meanwhile, divide the rajma mixture into small portions and shape each portion into a bullet-shaped kebab.
•   Dip the prepared kebabs into the maida batter, roll in the breadcrumb-semolina mixture and deep fry in hot oil till golden and crisp. Remove and drain on absorbent paper.
•   Spoon a tablespoonful of cheese sauce in a shot glass. Spoon some pineapple tomato sauce over this. Insert a toothpick in a kebab and place on top of the sauces in the shot glass. Repeat for remaining kebabs and serve immediately.

Recipe by – Shalu Tolasaria
Guest Writer  
April 21, 2012 | 12:10 PM IST

Read More

Veg Keema Aaloo

Being a vegetarian has its perks and downfalls. While the perks remain that we vegetarians manage to avoid many extra needless calories (Hey, It is my blog and I will write what I want to), the disadvantages remain that we are unable to taste many of those exotic and interesting sounding dishes because well, let’s face it, they have meat. Unfair isn’t it, especially when those non-vegetarian can eat pretty much everything we can!

One day, I decided to find a ‘Jugaad’ to the situation. Now ‘Keema’ is one dish every non-vegetarian out there really seems to enjoy. I decided to give a vegetarian twist to this dish. A few potatoes, Nutrella nuggets, Indian masalas, and voila, we have a ‘Vegetarian Keema Aloo’ ready to eat.

Try this recipe out fellow cooking enthusiasts. I am sure not only will the taste suit your innovative streak but the look of surprise on your near and dear ones when you tell them that you have made keema (They don’t need to know it is a vegetarian one at first :D) will make the experience more fun. Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS:

•  Nutrella Nuggets (Soaked for 15 minutes, drained and powdered in a mixer grinder) – 250 gms
•  Ginger Garlic Paste – 1 tbsp
•  Onions (Sliced) - 2
•  Potatoes (Cubed) - 4
•  Cumin seeds (Zeera) – 1 tsp
•  Cloves - 2
•  Cardamom - 2
•  Big Cardamom - 1
•  Dhania Powder – 1 ½ tsp
•  Salt to taste
•  Turmeric Powder – 1 tsp
•  Red Chilli Powder – 1 tsp
•  Curd – 1 cup
•  Chopped Green Chillies
•  Chopped Green Coriander – To garnish

METHOD OF PREPARATION:

•   Soak the nutrella nuggets for at least 15 minutes in water. Drain and squeeze by hand. Then grind in a mixer and set aside.
•   Fry onions in a pan till they turn light brown. Set aside.
•   Put oil in a pressure cooker and heat it. Add cumins, cardamoms and cloves and fry for 1 minute. Put dhania powder, ginger garlic paste, salt, turmeric powder, red chilli powder and cook it for a while.
•   After the masala starts leaving the side of the cooker and the oild also starts to show, add the curd and again cook for 1 minute.
•   Now add the ground nuggets into the masala along with the fried onions. Close the lid of the pressure cooker and cook for 10 minutes. Open the lid and add the potatoes. Close the lid and cook for another 10 minutes or till the potatoes are done.
•   Garnish with chooped green chillies and coriander. Serve hot.

Recipe by – Astha
Recipe Adda Team  
February 26, 2012 | 12:10 PM IST

Read More

Chunky cheese and vegetable sandwich

These days, almost everyone (including all the males) have become very conscious about their eating habits. Although I cannot say what has led to the rise of this new trend, it has definitely given sandwiches a new place in the gourmet world.

While I always thought that a sandwich meant slapping two pieces of bread together with a layer of jam and /or butter in between, I was glad to be proven wrong by one of my dear friends. Inviting me to one of her get togethers, she introduced me to this wide range of sandwiches that she had prepared, which threw a whole new perspective on the art of sandwich making.

Her Chunky Cheese and Vegetable Sandwich recipe taught me that preparing a sandwich could indeed be fun, which would make the ultimate eating experience all the more enjoyable. Thus, to all those out there who always thought that there could not be a more boring cooking chore than preparing sandwiches, do try your hand at this 10 minute, healthy and delicious recipe. Enjoy!!

INGREDIENTS:

•  Medium size hard rolls / brun bread - 4
•  Butter for grilling
•  Springs of parsley for the garnish

FOR THE CHUNKY CHEESE VEGETABLE SPREAD:

•  Grated Paneer (Cottage cheese) - 3/4 cup
•  Carrots (boiled and chopped) - 1/4 cup
•  Red, yellow and green capsicum (chopped) - 1/4 cup
•  Corn (boiled) - 1/4 cup
•  Geen peas (boiled) - 1/4 cup
•  Chopped celery - 2 tbsp
•  Chopped parsley - 1 tsp
•  Milk - 2 tbsp
•  Grated mozzrella cheese - 2 tbsp
•  Butter - 2 tsp
•  Salt and freshly crushed pepper to taste

PREAPARING THE CHUNKY CHEESE SPREAD:

•   Mix all the chunky cheese spread ingredients in a pan and heat for a few minutes till the cheese melts.
•   Keep aside.

HOW TO PROCEED:
.
•   Cut each hard roll into half. Only the bottom half is used in this recipe. The top half may be used for some other recipe.
•   Scoop out the centre soft portion of each bottom half. Brush with melted butter.
•   Bake in a hot oven at 200°C (400°F) for 5 minutes.
•   Reheat the filling and spoon a little of it in the centre of each scooped bottom half of the roll.
•   Garnish with a sprig of parsley and serve immediately.

Recipe by – Shalu Tolasaria
Guest writer  
February 18, 2012 | 12:10 PM IST

Read More