mehandi for diwali

I love mehndi tattoos.My daughter also loves as much as I do, Here are the pictures of the mehandi tattoo done by a ready made mehandi cone.

1)mehandi on my 2 years old daughter's palm.I wish I would have done nice around the mango design and on the fingers also but she is too little to sit still for long time and I had to finish it fast and dry it quickly with a blow dryer(hair dryer) . she hardly kept for 2 hours but still that was sufficient to get nice dark orange colour which lasted for 3 days.

2) my mehandi tattoo Arabic style.

TACHANI BESAN LADDU / RAVA BESAN LADDU

HAPPY DIWALI !

my diwali 'Pharal' is ready. I have made shankarpali,badam halva,chivada,chakli,nippattu(almost got over) and today yet to make karanji(karchikayi/gilaganchi) and cornflakes chivada.

Will post a picture of the pharal items shortly.

Yesterday I made 'Tachani besan laddu' also called as Rava besan laddu.This is second time I am making this after a small trial batch last week. I prefer this laddu to besan ladu ever since I was small . I made it on my own after my mother told me over phone exactly how to make it. And she was very happy when I said that it really turned out very well.

This is my first post of diwali pharal(many more yet to post ) and also for the contest ''sweet celebrations '' by Aparna.. http://mydiversekitchen.blogspot.com/2008/10/celebrating-one-year-of-posts-at-my.html

recipe:

for syrup: 2 cups sugar( u can add 1:1 ratio also... i prefer less sweet)

water just enough to cover the sugar.

few strands of saffron

other ingredients:

1 1/2 cup bombay rava(fine semolina)

3/4 cup besan (ratio is 2 rava: 1 besan)

ghee 4 tbsp + 7 tbsp

few cashews halved

few raisins

pinch of cardamom powder.

Process:

roast rava in 4 tbsp ghee on a medium flame stirring continuously to get nice golden colour and keep aside in another bowl.

roast besan in 7 tbsp ghee till it becomes golden and add the dry fruits and pour in the same bowl of rava.

prepare sugar syrup by adding just enough water to cover the sugar and stir occasionally.add saffron. to check the consistency take some water in a small katori(steel bowl) drop the syrup and if it does not mix into water and forms like jelly... it is ready.(or make one string consistency syrup .What i mentioned is little kachcha syrup))

pour the syrup on the rava besan mixture mix well and let cool.

keep on checking... may be after 2 hours.. you will find that the mixture is just right to roll into balls. add cardamom powder and mix well and make the laddus of the size u like.

Enjoy the delicious 'TACHANI BESAN LADDU'

chole

samosa and chole is my favourite of the Punjabi dishes.

Today I made chole for lunch and it turned out awesome!I did not fry Bhaturas or puris.. as my husband does not prefer oily stuff .I made chapati to go with chole.

Here is the recipe for Punjabi chole .

Ingredients:

1 cup dry kabuli chana(white garbanzo beans or chick peas)washed soaked overnight

2 tomatoes

1/2 large onion

1" ginger root

2 cloves garlic

2 tsp oil

1/4 tsp jeera/cumin

1/4 tsp mustard seeds

1-2 bay leaves

1" cinnamon stick( dalchini)

cloves 5-6

1-2 cardamom

3 green chilies slit lengthwise

garam masala 3 heavy pinches(the strong type... recipe n link yet to be posted ..)

1/4 tsp turmeric

salt to taste

water.. 1/2 cup + 1 1/2 cup.

before serving add..................

coriander.. chopped,

onion finely chopped

squeeze lime.

Method:

drain all the water from the chick peas and wash thoroughly. Pressure cook in 1/2 cup water for 3 whistle.

puree tomatoes,onion,ginger and garlic(this was exactly 1 cup after pureeing )

heat a heavy bottom vessel add oil,mustard seeds, cumin and let splutter.Then add cinnamon,cardamom,cloves,bay leaves.

add turmeric,green chilies,red chili powder and add the pure` carefully.

let it cook till all the raw smell is gone and oil oozes out.

add the cooked chickpeas and add 1 1/2 cup water.. add salt ,bring to boil and simmer for 15-20 minutes.

Garnish with chopped coriander and onion and squeeze lime to add some more taste!

Sambhar powder type 1

This is the recipe for sambhar that we make with Idlis
Ingredients:
1 cup coriander seeds
1 1/2 cups dried red chillies(use byadagi chilies..)
1/4 cup Channa dal
1/4 cup Urad dal
1 tbsp methi/ fenugreek seeds,(add little more if u like)
Method:
Dry roast all the ingredients separately
Let cool and grind to fine powder.
store in air tight jar.
This powder has extra chilies in it so be careful if adding chili powder to the sambhar.

Batata poha

Batata poha or the wet variety of poha is called ' soosala' in some parts of North karnataka and it is very easy and quick to make and as such usually guests are offered either this or upma in the North karnataka region.
One of my friends in Indus ladies forum had asked me to post this recipe.. so here is the recipe for her and to you all.

Ingredients:

1. 3 cups thick poha(nirmal brand)
2. 1 onion cut into squares
3. 1 tomato ( not very juicy)
4. 1/4 cup cucumber or potato(I usually use either of these)
5. 8-9 curry leaves
6. 2 -3 strands coriander finely chopped.
7. 3 green chilies .. or as per taste
8. 1/2 lemon/lime
9. oil 1 tbsp
10. mustard 1/2 tsp
11. cumin 1/4 tsp
12. asafoetida ,a pinch
13. udad dal 1/2 tsp
14. peanuts, 1 tbsp
15. dalia 1 tbsp
16. turmeric 1/4 tsp
17. sugar 1/2 tsp
18. salt to taste.

Method:

• in a large vessel heat oil, add udad dal .. let it turn golden and add mustard and cumin.
• add curry leaves,asafoetida,dalia and peanuts,turmeric,cut vegetables and let the vegetables cook. Meanwhile in a strainer quickly wash the poha in cold water taking care that it does not become soft.(if you are using very thick variety of poha , wash ahead and set aside for 10 -15 mins)
• add washed poha stir, and add salt, sugar,and mix well gently.
• cover and let cook for a minute and set aside.squeeze lemon and mix well.
• serve hot garnished with finely chopped coriander.( it is sometimes garnished with freshly grated coconut, hot mix, bhujiya(sev)

serves 4- 5

onion dry curry

This is very easy to make and last for 2 days on shelf as it is not cooked in water. Good to carry while travelling

ingredients:
2 large onions, diced
2 tbsp fine semolina(bombay sooji)
1 tbsp besan(ground chickpea flour)
2 tsp oil
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/4 tsp turmeric
pinch of asafoetids(hing)
1/2 tsp red chili powder or as required
salt to taste

method:
heat oil in a pan,add mustard,cumin,and add the diced onions.
add turmeric and salt. stir well, cover and let saute for some time until onions are soft.
then add hing,red chili powder and mix well.
add besan and sooji and mix well and cover and let cook well on a very low flame.
This side dish goes well with chapati, and curd rice.

khichadi masala

Huggi/pongal/moongdal khichdi masala

The  quantity of masala is required for making

1/2 cup rice and 1/4 cup moong dal

3 tbsp dry coconut grated

2 tbsp coriander seeds

1 1/2 tsp cumin

5 cloves

1 cardamaom

6-7 black pepper seeds

small cube of black rock hing(asafoetida)(or else use powdered asafoetida in seasoning)

easy chtutni powder

this is called shenga puthani hindi.

This goes very well with batata poha,curd rice,lemon rice and I add a little bit of this chutni on dry potato curry.
ingredients:
1 /2 cup roasted peanuts(ground nuts)
1/2 cup roasted Dalia(puthani)
few pinches of hing(asafoetida)
salt to taste
2 tbsp red chili powder or as per taste
1 clove garlic.

roast garlic along with dalia and let all ingredients cool completely.
add together in a mixer grinder and make a powder (do not make it very fine)
store in air tight jar for a week or two.

cantaloupe smoothie

cantaloupe smoothie

This is very easy and tasty drink,
Ingredients:
1) 1 1/2 cup diced cantaloupe
2) 1/3 cup milk
3) 2 - 3 ice cubes
4)2 tsp sugar
5) few strands of saffron to garnish

Method;
mix all the ingredients except saffron in a blender and blend till smooth.
serve cool garnished with the strands of saffron.

I have used few pomegranate seeds as well

kesari bhat

kesari bhat ( sweet rice )










kesari means 'orange' colour in Kannada and bhat is the Marathi word for rice.In northern parts of karnatak kesari bhat means a sweet rice unlike the rava kesari or the sooji halva.This sweet is considered one of the PAKWANNAS. I am presenting this on the occasion of Durgashtami one of the holy days of NAVARATRI FESTIVAL.
ingredients:
1/2 cup Basmati rice( I used Royal brand here)
3/4 cup water to cook the rice.
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup water to make the sugar syrup
1 tsp pure ghee
4 cloves cloves
few cashews and raisins
1 cardamom
1/4 tsp saffron strands.
Method:
thoroughly wash the rice and cook the rice.Let it cool and separate the grains with a fork.
heat a vessel and add ghee.add cloves,cashews,raisins and cardamom and fry to get golden colour.
add 1/2 cup water and 1/2 cup sugar and the saffron strands. Let sugar dissolve in the water and cook for another minute or so.
add the cooked and cooled rice and gently mix well.
cover and steam for few minutes taking care not to scorch the bottom.
aromatic Kesari bhat is ready to enjoy!
In this recipe even though I have used cardamoms the fragrance of saffrons overpowered the cardamom. I did not bother to get the perfect orange colour by adding artificial food colours. i am very much happy with the natural colour of the saffron.