Chickpea Potato Dry Sabji Or Curry / Guest Post For Avin S Kohli

Chickpea potato dry sabji or curry.

Bored with regular chana masala or spicy chhole or chickpea Curries?

Try this no onion garlic delicious chickpeas with potatoes.

If you want to make something spicy and delicious in a hurry this chickpea with potatoes is a best option if you have soaked and boiled chickpeas.

My blogger friend and amazing cook Avin of theyellowdaal asked me to write a guest post for her blog. I think its a best recipe for her blog. Because Avin is from Punjab and I am from Bengal. Why not mix matche Punjabi chhole and Bengali bhaja moshla or dry roasted mixed spices. Avin has a lovely blog. Do visit her blog for many awesome recipes from different cuisine.

This chickpeas goes well with puri, roti or Indian flat bread, paratha or simple daal chawal. Or use it as sandwich stuffing.

Its very easy to make. You don’t need onion garlic for it. But you can make it with onion garlic too if you like. I will share the mathod of both.

Recipe 
Chick peas – 1 cup

Potatoes – 3 medium

Green cardamom – 2

Cinnamon – 1/2 inch piece

Cloves – 3

Cumin seeds – 1/2 teaspoon

Asafetida or hing – a pinch

Green chilli – 2 – 3 chopped

Grated ginger – 1 teaspoon

Cumin powder – 1 teaspoon

Coriander powder 1 teaspoon

Turmeric powder – 1/4 teaspoon

Kashmiri red chilli powder – 2 teaspoon

Garam masala powder – 1/4 teaspoon, optional

Amchur or dry mango powder – 1 teaspoon

Lemon juice – 1 teaspoon

Dry roasted mixed spices – 1 teaspoon

Ginger Julienne and cilantro for garnishing

Method 

Boil overnight soaked chickpeas or chana with 2 green cardamom 3 cloves and 1/2 inch piece cinnamon in a pressure cooker.

Let it cool down. Grind in a mixer grinder and keep aside. Don’t discard the remaining water, we will use it later.

Peel the potatoes. Cut into small cubes. First cut into 4 parts in length wise. Then make small pieces. Wash well. Drain and keep aside.

Heat oil in a pan. Fry the potatoes. And keep aside.

In the same oil add cumin seeds. When seeds starts to crackle add hing or asafetida.

Add grated ginger and chopped green chilli. Fry for few seconds.

If you want to add onion garlic add finely chopped 1 onion and 1 teaspoon garlic paste or minced garlic with ginger and chilli. Fry until onion becomes translucent.

Add ground chickpeas. Saute until chickpeas changes it’s colour. Stir continuously.

Add the fried potatoes.

Add salt, cumin powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder, kashmiri red chilli powder and garam masala powder. Mix well.

Add the remaining water of boiled chickpeas.

Mix and cover. Cook until the potatoes becomes soft.

Fried potatoes don’t take much time to cook so don’t add too much water.

When the potatoes becomes tender stir and cook until dried up. If you like you can make thick gravy. I have made it dry.

Add lemon juice, amchur or dry mango powder and dry roasted mixed spices.
For mixed spices dry roast 2 tablespoon each of cumin and coriander seeds, 3-4 cardamom, 1 inch piece cinnamon stick and 4 cloves. If you like it hot add 1-2 dry red chilli with it. After roasting let the mixture cool and grind them to make powder. Keep in airtight container for later use. 

Mix everything well. Taste and add more salt, lemon juice and dry mango powder if require.

Remove from heat.

Garnish with ginger julienne and cilantro. If you are using onion garlic you can use onion rings for garnishing.

Serve with puri, kachaudi, paratha, roti or Indian flat bread or daal chawal.

Even you can make delicious sandwiches with it. Keep it in refrigerator make sandwiches in a jiffy. Or enjoy with crisp toast.

Happy cooking 😊
I would love to hear from you. Please leave some words in the comment if you like the recipe.

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Cooking In Halogen Oven

One more kitchen appliance in my kitchen. Usha Halogen oven. Here is a non sponsored short review for new users. Hope this helps.

A halogen oven, halogen convection oven, or halogen cooking pot is a type of oven that utilizes a halogen lamp as its heating element. It is used primarily for cooking. Halogen ovens are often noted for being more energy-efficient than a conventional oven due to their use of a halogen lamp reducing the cooking time usually needed in a conventional oven.

Source- Wikipedia

Anniversary gift from my brother. At first little confused what to do with it 😀

Googled and yes there are some videos.

Heavy but small and cute. You can adjust it easily in your kitchen. Small but you can roast a whole chicken in it. Now I don’t have to use my OTG or microwave to roast or bake for our everyday breakfast.

First I have tried a recipe from it’s cookbook. Choco chips cookies. Believe me its just awesome. Crispy and delicious. I didn’t roll out the dough.  Just made these pressing with hands. But I will make these cookies again properly by rolling out to get proper shape.

Fried potatoes in just one teaspoon oil. Perfect crispy and feeling very happy to get a healthy option for frying in very little oil. Here are some pictures to show how its looks.

I have made pan fried cutlets or aloo tikki in it. Placed the cutlets on oil greased tray. And sprayed little oil over it. Look how its turns out.

You can make stuffed brinjal in 8 –  10 minutes. Just spray little oil and set the oven at 200°. You don’t need to flip. Look how its turns out.

Do you love kurkuri bhindi or crispy ladyfingers or okra? I have made it with only 1 teaspoon oil. It was really yummy.

Hard boiled eggs without water. Seems impossible isn’t it? Yes you can boil eggs in it without water. You will get perfect hard boiled eggs. But be careful eggs shouldn’t be cracked.

You can toast your bread in it. But it makes the bread brown from upside. You have to toast for few minutes more after turn the breads upside down.

Hope this post will help you if you are a new user of this oven or planing to buy.

I would love to hear from you. If you have some suggestions or queries please write in comment or mail me at sujata.roy24@gmail.com

Mango Pomegranate And Tender Coconut Salsa

Mango, pomegranate and tender coconut salsa.

Mango is one of the most favourite fruit of the world. Its called king of the fruits because of it’s superbly delicious taste. And mango season is at its peak this time. I have already made some yummy dishes with it. Mango litchi fudge or burfi.  Eggless no bake no gelatin cheesecake.  Paneer or cottage cheese and mango smoothie.  Mango kalakand.  Mango sandesh.  Mango banana smoothie.  Eggless mango mug cake.  Mango coconut and flax seed smoothie 

Its Monday again. Our bloghop day.  And this week #Foodiemonday bloghop theme is #CWFB means cook with fellow blogger. Yes we have to choose a recipe from each other’s blog. This  recipe is from my fellow blogger and friend Alka’s blog. She has an excellent blog. Alka is a Blogger Photographer and Food Stylist.  She always amazed us by her photography skill. Visit her blog Culinaryxpress  for many amazing recipes and excellent pictures. All the pictures are really a visual treat.
At first I thought of a baking recipe from her blog. But I  am out of town this time. So its impossible to bake anything. Alka suggested me to make this easy no cook but delicious Mango pomegranate and tender coconut salsa.  Thanks Alka.

Mango is my favourite fruit. And I have used it in many of my dishes. But all are sweet. In this recipe sweet pulpy mango, Pomegranate,  cucumber and tender coconut mixed with salt, green chilli and pepper. Sounds interesting isn’t it? Believe me taste is too good. Pomegranate, cucumber and onion gives a crunchy texture to this salsa. Love this sweet, salty and spicy mixed taste.

According to Alka “Salsas  always go well with a platter of Chips, Tortillas and even with Papads khakras, which are a slightly healthier version when compared to chips. I prefer the Mango salsa the most for it’s perfect burst of flavors with the sweetness of mangoes which is balanced with the acidity from lemon and the heat from the chillies but you can make various salsa varieties with fruits and vegetables during their respective seasons”.

I am in Kolkata now so I have used Himsagar mango. Thanks to bro Nilotpol Ganguli for these sweet juicy flavourful mangoes. A superbly delicious gift. I love the taste of this variety. Its a famous variety in West Bengal.

Recipe 

Mangoes –  2 large ripe , peeled, diced

Cucumber –  1 diced

Pomegranate seeds –  ¼ cup

Tender coconut –  1,  flesh cut in one inch strips

Red onion –  ½ cup , chopped
Coriander leaves –   ¼ cup chopped

chilli –  1 finely chopped

Lime –  1

salt and Black pepper to taste

Method 

Dice the mangoes and cucumber and keep aside. Deseed the pomegranate and take out the flesh of the tender coconut.

In a large bowl, combine diced mangoes, cucumber, chopped onions,pomegranate seeds, tender coconut, chopped chilies and chopped coriander leaves.Add lime juice and salt to taste. Mix well.

Let this sit for 10-15 mins for flavors to mingle together.Serve it with papads or chips.

For outdoors, scoop them in paper cups and serve it with scoop type chips or papas.

Enjoy the sweet, salty and spicy mixed summer fruit salsa.  Perfect for this hot weather.

Dairy Free Sugar Free Beetroot Smoothie

Dairy free sugar free beetroot smoothie.

Ramadan Mubarak

Muslims are observing Ramadan, a holy month of fasting and religious devotion.

Ramadan is the 9th month of the Islamic calendar and is the holiest of the month as it is believed that the Holy Quran was revealed to Prophet Mohammed during this month.

During this holy month of Ramadan Muslims are required to abstain from eating and drinking from dawn till sunset.

Drinks play a vital role when we are on fasting. A glass of chilled and refreshing drink at Iftaar time is energy boosting.

Fasting is a tough task for people, who abstain from food and drink until sunset in this summer season.

Our this week’s 97th #Foodiemonday bloghop theme is #Ramadan recipes.

Fasting people need to drink more after Iftaar in order to avoid dehydration.

So here is a refreshing chilled and yummy dairy free beetroot smoothie for Iftaar. Beetroots are high in immune-boosting vitamin C, fiber, and essential minerals.

You don’t need to add sugar in it. You can add black salt or rock salt and black pepper powder if you like. I didn’t.

Recipe 

Seedless beetroot – 1 cup cubed

Cucumber – 1 medium

Lemon – 1

Grated ginger – 1/2 teaspoon

Cinnamon powder – 1/2 teaspoon

Flax seed powder – 1 teaspoon
Ice cubes as required
Lemon wedge for garnishing

Method 

Boil the whole beetroot with skin in a pressure cooker.

Let it cool down. Peel and chop the beetroot into small pieces.

Peel and grate or chop the Cucumber. Make small pieces for easy blending.

Combine every ingredients with juice of 1 lemon. You can add some ice cubes too.

Blend until smooth and frothy.

You don’t need to add sugar in it.

Taste and add more lemon juice if require. You can add black salt or rock salt and black pepper powder if you like. I didn’t.

If you don’t like cinnamon, you can omit it. Add few mint leaves instead of cinnamon.

Place some ice cubes in the glass. Pour the mixture over it.

Garnish with lemon wedge. Serve chilled.

Stay happy stay healthy.

Wish you all a very happy and blessed Ramadan!!

Oats Wholewheat Caraway Cookies / Eggless Savoury Cookies

Eggless oats whole wheat caraway cookies.

One more oats cookies. But this time not sweet its savoury cookies. Crispy, delicious and healthy cookies for your sudden hunger pangs or munching time.

Perfect for kids to. You can make it as your kids choice. If they like Italian seasoning. Use Italian herb and chilli flakes instead of caraway.

If you don’t like caraway or ajwain use dry roasted cumin. Add chilli flakes or black pepper powder to make your cookies spicy.

You can add dried and crushed mint leaves, dried fenugreek leaves or kasuri methi or cilantro. Options are unlimited. Choice is yours.
This post is going to be a part of 96th #Foodiemonday bloghop #baking theme.

I have used homemade unsalted butter. If you want to use salted butter adjust the salt. Make and enjoy the crispy delicious savoury cookies with the flavour of your choice.

Recipe 

Whole Wheat flour – 1/2 cup + for dusting

Oats – 1/2 cup

Unsalted butter – 1/4 cup

Salt – 1 teaspoon

Caraway seeds – 1 teaspoon + to sprinkle

Powdered sugar – 1 – 2 tablespoon

Baking powder – 1/2 teaspoon

Baking soda – a small pinch

Milk – 3 tablespoon or as require

Method 

Preheat the oven at 180°

Grease a baking tray or line with parchment paper or aluminum foil.

Grind the oats. Make fine powder.

In a bowl mix whole wheat flour, oats powder, baking powder, soda, salt, caraway seeds, powdered sugar and butter. If you don’t want to use oats you can use 1 cup whole wheat flour or refined flour or maida only. Or use 1/2 cup whole wheat flour 1/2 cup refined flour. Taste is better with refined flour or maida but I have used whole wheat flour and oats to make it healthy for kids and elderly people. And yes for health conscious people too.

Add sugar according to your taste. If you like more sweet add 2 tablespoon or add 1/2 teaspoon salt and, 1/4 cup sugar to make the cookies more sweet. I want to make these savoury so  I have added 1 tablespoon sugar only. You can add black pepper powder or chilli flakes too to make your cookies spicy.

If you don’t like caraway you can use dry roasted cumin. You can add dried fenugreek leaves or kasuri methi, dried mint leaves or cilantro.

Or add some Italian herb and chilli flakes. Choice is yours.

Mix everything. Add milk gradually to combine. Make a smooth dough.

Roll the dough on a flour dusted surface  with a rolling pin. Roll into a thin disc. Sprinkle little caraway seeds. Press lightly with rolling pin.

Cut with your favourite cookie cutter. I have used small sized cutter. You can use large size cutters if you like.

Arrange on the baking tray 1 inch apart. Cookies will not spread much.

Bake at 180° in preheated oven for 12 – 15 minutes or until the edges becomes brown.

If you want more crispy cookies bake for some more time to make light brown.

Let the cookies cool down.

Store in a airtight container.

serve with tea, coffee or milk.

Enjoy healthy munching.

Happy baking 😊

Mango Litchi Fudge Or Burfi

Mango litchi fudge or burfi. 

A delicious sweet with the flavour of both mango and litchi. 

Its very easy to make. You need only khoya/mawa or reduced milk, sugar and cardamom powder with mango and litchi. 

I was born and raised in Bihar. And always tasted the best litchis of the country. Yes I am taking about litchis from Muzaffarpur. Large size juicy litchis with small seed. 

Muzaffarpur is famous for Shahi litchis and is known as the Litchi Kingdom.

There are numerous beauty and health benefits of litchi fruit, from aiding weight loss and digestion to treating influenza and reducing the signs of aging. 

It is highly rich in nutrients and offers numerous benefits for your skin, hair, and health that make it all the more irresistible.

Source

And mango is the most popular fruit in the world. We all know it as king of fruits. 

Now taste both of these delicious juicy fruits in this mango litchi fudge or burfi.

Recipe 

Mango – 1 cup chopped 

Litchi – 10 – 12

Khoya/mawa or reduced milk – 1 cup 

Cardamom powder – 1/4 teaspoon 

Sugar – 4 tablespoon or to taste

Ghee or clarified butter – 1 tablespoon 

Method 

Grease a plate with ghee or clarified butter and keep aside. 

Peel and remove the seeds of litchis. 

Grind the litchis with chopped mango. 

Cook the mixture on low flame. Add sugar. 

Stir continuously. 
At first add 2 tablespoon sugar. It depends on the sweetness of mangoes. Mine was not very sweet so I have added 4 tablespoon. 

When the moisture evaporate add ghee or clarified butter and khoya/mawa or reduced milk. 

Cook everything on low flame. Stir continuously. When it about to dried up taste and add more sugar if require. 

Cook until it becomes like a soft dough and leaves the sides. Switch off the flame. 

Add cardamom powder and MIx well. 

Pour the mixture in the greased plate. Spread and level the top with a spoon. You can sprinkle some shredded pistachio or almond over it. 

Keep it in refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Cut into equal shape.
Enjoy mango litchi mixed flavour in one fudge 😊

Misti Doi

Misti doi or caramel flavoured sweet yogurt.

Misti doi is very common dessert in Bengal.

Authentically its made of thickened sweet milk and caramel. And allowing the milk to ferment overnight. Earthen post is best for making this Misti doi because water evaporate through its porous walls and produces the right temperature for the growth of the culture.

Nowadays you can get lots of flavours in misti doi. Such as aam doi or mango flavoured yoghurt, khajur gur or date palm jaggery yoghurt etc.

Many of my readers asked for the recipe of misti doi when I posted Misti doi parfait

This yogurt is my all time favourite.

We can get it at Kolkata or Delhi sweet shops. First time tasted homemade when spending my summer vacation at my Sejomashi ( maternal aunt’s) home at Delhi. She was an amazing cook. She and my mom is no more with us but still remember the taste of the dishes made by my mom and aunt.

I have got this recipe from my Sejomashi Gargi Gupta. I always followed her recipe without adding any flavour. But in my last Kolkata visit noticed in sweet shops they used whole cardamom in misti doi. So I have added few cardamom. But next time again I will make without cardamom. If you like you can add or add a pinch of cardamom powder.

I remember when my father in law asked after tasted my homemade doi “from where you bought this doi? Its much better than I tasted before. More delicious.” And that was my best reward I have ever get.

Happy Father’s Day in advance. Jagruti Cooking Odyssey requested some blogger friends to link up with her to celebrate Father’s Day. This misti doi was most favourite dessert of my late father and father-in-law. So I am dedicating this post for Father’s Day.

This yogurt takes more time to set than normal plain yogurt. And we set our homemade curd or yogurt with only 1 or 1/2 teaspoon curd. But this yogurt need more curd to ferment. I have added 1/2 cup curd in it. Because I have used fresh homemade curd which is not tangy at all. I am sharing some tricks to set the yogurt easily.

Recipe

Milk – 1 litter

Sugar – 1 cup ( 3/4 + 1/4 )

Curd – 1/2 cup

Cardamom – 3 – 4 optional
Or
Cardamom powder – a pinch, optional

Sliced pistachio for garnishing, optional

Method
Boil the milk in a heavy bottom pan. Add 3/4 cup sugar and reduce the heat. Cook on low flame until milk becomes almost half. Stir occasionally.

In a separate non stick pan or heavy bottom pan mix remaining 1/4 cup sugar and 1 teaspoon water. Keep it on low flame until it becomes golden brown.

Immediately add in hot reduced milk. Mix well. Add the cardamom if you want. When it starts to boil stir and switch off the flame.

Let the milk become lukewarm. Stir continuously. Don’t let the milk topping set over the milk. Don’t make it completely cool. Milk should be warm and touch it to check. If you can tolerate the heat then its perfect to set.

Remember milk should be lukewarm not hot. If you add curd in hot milk it will curdle.

Whisk the curd well. Mix with reduced milk and whisk again.

Now time to set. You can set it in glass or ceramic pot too. But better try to set in earthen pot for better result.

Because it’s porous walls evaporate the moisture. And you will get perfectly set misti doi.

Pour the milk in the earthenware. Cover and keep it undisturbed in a warm place for overnight or 8 – 10 hours.

If the weather is cold then its difficult to set this yogurt. In that case keep the earthen pot in microwave and set the minimum temperature of your microwave. 180 or 200. In my microwave lowest is 180. Just press the power button

few times to get desired temperature. Keep the yogurt filled earthen pot in it. start the oven for 10 minutes.

After 10 minutes cover and keep it undisturbed in the oven for overnight or 7 – 8 hours.

You will get perfectly set misti doi.

After setting keep it in refrigerator.

Serve chilled. You can garnish with chopped pistachio.

Enjoy the chilled misti doi as a dessert.
Notes –

Don’t make the milk too thick just reduce to almost half.

Whisk well before setting to make it smooth.

If you don’t have microwave keep it in a casserole and close the lid. Or cover the pot with a warm cloth.

Milk should be lukewarm not hot. If you add curd in hot milk it will curdle.

Some more recipes of other talented bloggers for Father’s Day celebration.

Sugar free mango basil and cashew

Ghari rotli or puran poli

Baigan ka bharta

Meat masala bharwa baigan

Masala upma

Sweet vermicelli with jaggery

Mint Rice Or Pulao

Mint rice or pulao.

A very flavourful and spicy one pot meal. Goes well with any veg or non veg curry. Or serve it with simple onion cucumber raita or fruit raita. You can make this delicious rice for tiffin too.

Whenever we have to cook lip-smacking dish in a short notice one pot meal is the best option.

This post is going to be a part of 95th #Foodiemonday bloghop one pot meal theme.

You don’t have to spend lots of time in the kitchen. Just grind the spices and and make it in a pressure cooker for one whistle. You can add whole spices as tempering. But I have ground them to make the rice more flavourful.

Recipe 

Rice – 1 cup

Onion – 2 sliced

Garlic – 4 – 5 cloves

Ginger – 1 Inch piece chopped

Mint leaves – 1 cup

Coriander leaves – 1/2 cup chopped

Green chilli – 2 – 3 chopped

Green cardamom – 3 – 4

Cloves – 3

Cinnamon – 1 inch stick

Mace or javitri – 1 string

Star anise – 1/2

Tomato – 1 chopped

Cumin powder – 1 teaspoon

Turmeric powder – 1/4 teaspoon

Black pepper powder – 1/2 teaspoon

Oil or ghee/clarified butter – 2 – 3 tablespoon

Lemon juice – 1 tablespoon

cumin seeds – 1 teaspoon

Sugar – 1/2 teaspoon, optional

Water – 1& 1/2 cup

Fried cashew nuts – 2 tablespoon

Method 

Wash the rice well. Drain and keep aside.

Grind mint leaves, coriander leaves or cilantro, ginger, garlic, green chilli, cardamom, cinnamon, mace or javitri, star anise and tomato. Make a smooth paste.

Heat oil or ghee in a pressure cooker. Add cumin seeds and let them splutter.

You can can use cardamom, cinnamon, cloves  mace and star anise as tempering. I have ground them to make the rice more flavourful. If you want to add as tempering crush the whole spices and add with cumin seeds in hot oil or ghee. Grind only mint leaves, cilantro, green chilli  ginger, garlic and tomato.

When cumin seeds starts to crackle add sliced onion. Fry until onions becomes translucent.

Add the ground mixture, salt, black pepper powder, sugar, coriander powder and cumin powder. Adjust chillies according to your taste.

Saute until oil leaves the side.

Add the rice. Mix gently. Saute for few seconds.

Add 1 and 1/2 cup water and lemon juice.

Mix well.

Close the lid. Remove from heat after one whistle.

Don’t open the pressure cooker immediately. Let the pressure settle down on its own.
Fluff the rice gently.

Garnish with fried cashew nuts.

Serve hot with any veg or non veg curry. Or onion cucumber or fruit raita.

Banana Almond Mint Smoothie

Banana almond mint smoothie.

One more healthy, yummy, chilled and refreshing drink to beat the heat.  And yes very easy to make.

Smoothie is an easiest way to nourish your body with essential nutrients. It gives you essential minerals and vitamins too. You need only some fruits, milk or yogurt and a blender to make this healthy and yummy drink.

Bananas are available in every season and packed with vitamins and minerals.

And almonds are excellent source of vitamins and heart healthy monounsaturated fat.

Yogurt has been consumed by humans for hundreds of years.

It’s very nutritious, and eating it regularly may boost several aspects of your health.

For example, yogurt has been found to reduce the risk of heart disease and osteoporosis, as well as aid in weight management.

Source 

You can take all three in a delicious way. Just blend everything and its ready. You can add ice cubes and enjoy as a chilled drink. I have used everything frozen so didn’t used ice cubes. You can add cinnamon or cardamom powder if you don’t like mint.

Recipe 

Yogurt – 1 cup

Banana – 2 peeled and chopped

Almond – 5 – 6 soaked and peeled

Lemon juice – 1 teaspoon

Mint – few leaves

Honey or sugar – 2 teaspoon or to taste

Ice cube – as require

Shredded almonds, lemon wedge and mint string for garnishing

 

 

Method 

Combine every ingredients. Blend until smooth and frothy.

You can add cinnamon or cardamom powder if you don’t like mint. You can add raisins or any soaked dry fruits of your choice.

Taste and add more honey, sugar or lemon juice if require.

Pour the mixture into your favourite glass. Add some ice cubes if require.

I have used everything frozen so didn’t used ice cubes.

Garnish with shredded almonds, lemon wedge and mint string.

Serve chilled.

Enjoy…….