Gulamba

Happy to return to blogging after a while. Today I am posting my ultimate favorite seasonal preparation preserved from generation to generation, Gulamba i.e raw mango jam. Its tangy and sweet taste is treat to taste buds. It is served side to main dish like pickle and can be served with hot chapati/puri/paratha.

Ingredients:

• Raw mango 2 cups peeled and grated. 
• Jaggery 2/3 cups grated as per the sweetness desired.
• cardamom powder.

Preparation:

1. Peel the raw mango and grate it. Squeeze the grated mango slightly to remove some juice out of it, to reduce the sourness.
2. Grate the jaggery.
3. Mix them together and keep aside for 2 hours so that jaggery and mango gets mixed well.
4. Now add cardamom powder and keep the mixture on low/medium flame till mixture gets thicken.(it gets a silky texture and thick consistency). Stir in between to not stick to bottom of pan.
5. Let it cool down completely and store it in glass jar. It can be refrigerated for 4-5 months.

Batata Bhaji with Masala

Ingredients:

• Boiled Potatoes
• Ginger
• Garlic
• Green Chili
• Dry Coconut powder
• 1 Tsp Cumin Seeds
• 2 Tsp Split Black Grams
• Coriander 
• Finely chopped Onion
• 1/2 Tsp Sugar
• Salt to taste
• Oil

Preparation: 

1. Mix ingredients - Ginger, Garlic, Green Chili, Coconut Powder, Cumin Seeds, Coriander in the mixer.
2. Now heat the oil in pan, splutter some curry leaves, put Black Split Gram and saute till golden brown.
3. Add chopped onion and saute till transparent.
4. Now add the mixture from step 1 and saute for a minute. Add some sugar.
5. Add cut Potatoes, mix them well with spices and simmer for 5 mins covered with lid.
6. Serve hot with Chapati or Puri.

A Basic Cake Loaf

Ingredients: 

• 3 Large Eggs
• 1 Cup Yogurt
• A pinch of Salt
• 1/2 cup Oil
• 2 Tsp Vanilla Extract
• 1 Cup Sugar
• 1+1/2 Cup All Purpose Four
• 1+1/2 Tsp Baking Powder
• Dried fruits (Tutti Frutti, Raisins etc)

Basic Loaf Cake

Preparation:

1. Preheat the over to 375F
2. Break eggs in a large bowl and mix it well with hand mixi.
3. Then add oil, yogurt, vanilla extract, salt, sugar and again mix it well to become a smooth paste.
4. Now add raisins or dried fruits while folding the mixture.
5. Now cover the cake pan with wax paper or with baking spray and add the mixture to it.
6. Bake in for around 30-45 minutes while checking in between. As a check, insert a toothpick or knife and it should come out clean.

Carrot Kheer (Gajar Kheer)

Carrot Kheer/ Gajar Kheer

Ingredients:

• 5 -6 Medium Size Fresh Carrots
• 10-12 Chopped Cashew nuts/Almonds
• Few Resins
• Sugar - 4 - 5 Tsp
• Ghee - 2 Tsp
• 4 cups milk
• Cardamom powder - 1/4 Tsp

Preparation: 

1. Grate carrots. Just grate them right before preparation otherwise they change the color.
2. Heat ghee in heavy bottom plan, non stick is preferable.
3. Add nuts and resins and fry them.
4. Add grated carrots in ghee and saute for  almost 10 minutes.
5. Now add milk and sugar and keep the mixture on simmer for next 30-35 minutes. Keep stirring in between so that the milk residue should not stick to the bottom of the pan.
6. Add cardamom powder(optional)
7. Check for the consistency of the kheer(see above picture). It should not be too thick like halwa. Add some milk if necessary.  
8. Adjust the sweetness.
9. Serve warm or cold.

Bhendi Masala (Spicy Okra)

Bhendi cooked with powdered spices is a treat to taste buds.It is usually served with chapati as a main course vegetable dish. I am very sure you are going to like this recipe.

Ingredients: 

• Bhendi - 1/2 Kg or 1 lb
• Oil - 4-5 Tsp
• Onion - 1 big, slice them lengthwise
• Chili Powder - 1 Tsp
• Roasted Sesame Seeds Powder - 1 Tsp
• Cumin Powder - 1/2 Tsp
• Coriander Powder - 1/2 Tsp  
• Turmeric - 1/4 Tsp
• Mustered Seeds
• Salt to taste
• Coriander leaves to garnish

Bhendi Masala

Preparation: 

1. Wash bhendi and pat dry with napkin and slice each bhendi lengthwise in halves or 1 1/2 inch pieces like shown in first picture. 
2. Heat oil in a wide and heavy bottom pan.
3. Crackle some mustered seeds in it.
4. Add sliced onion and saute it till golden brown.
5. Now add bhendi and saute it till bhendi is tender and all the stickiness is gone. It will take a while.
6. Once the bhendi cooks perfectly, add all powdered spices - turmeric, cumin powder, coriander powder, chili powder, sesame seed powder etc. 
7. Saute for 2-3 minutes and cover the lid. let it cook covered for another 5 minutes, then put off the cover and finish the dish with sprinkling chopped coriander on it.

Tip: 

I usually dry roast sesame seeds and crush them in grinder for course powder, then I store it in air tight container so that I can use it in making variety of vegetables like eggplants(vangi), cluster beans(gavari) etc. It adds real good flavor in your dish.

Fettuccine Cajun Chicken Alfredo Pasta (Pasta in Alfredo Sauce and Cajun Seasoning)

How to cook a perfect pasta : 
1. Take cold water in large pot and boil it on high flame.
2. When the water starts boiling, add 2 Tsp of salt and 1 Tsp oil.
3. Then add pasta. It takes around 12 to 15 minutes to cook pasta. Keep stirring in between to prevent the pasta sticking to the pan.
4. When pasta cooks,drain all the water immediately out of it.
Tip: Do not overcook the pasta or else it will spoil the taste.

Fettuccine Cajun Chicken Alfredo Pasta

Ingredients For sauce - 
1. Red or green bell pepper

2. a bunch of scallion(spring onions)

3. 4-5 Garlic cloves (chopped)

4. Chili Flakes

5. Pepper powder

6. Milk

7. Butter

8. Salt to taste

9. Parsley
10. 1/2 Tsp of grated Ginger
12. Chicken breast.

Sauce Preparation:

• Heat half a spoon butter in the pan, put the scallions and bell pepper into and saute till they partially cook. (Do NOT cook them fully. It should retain the crunch and texture). When they half cooked, take them out of pan and set aside.
• Again heat around 1 Tsp(or some less if you are calorie conscious)  butter in pan.
• Add garlic and ginger and saute for a while, then add chicken.
• Let the chicken cook for 8-10 minutes. Then add 1 cup of warm milk.  Saute till the milk becomes a thick sauce. It generally takes 8-10 minutes in think and wide bottom pan.
• Now add cooked pasta.
• Immediately add parsley, chili flakes, black pepper powder, scallions and bell pepper and also salt if required. 
•  Give it one proper mix and then serve hot.

Fettuccine Cajun Chicken Alfredo Pasta

Gajar Halwa / Carrot Halwa

This is authentic Punjabi dessert, one of the sweet treats which is healthy yet super simple to prepare.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups of shredded Carrot
• 1/4 cup of Sugar
• 2+1 cups Milk
• Milk Paneer 1/2 cup
• Dry fruits(Cashews, Almonds, Raisins etc)

Gajar Halwa/ Carrot Halwa

Procedure: 

1. Boil 2 cups of milk till it reduces half to its quantity.
2. Boil 1 cup of milk separately until all water evaporates and mixture becomes a thick mawa.(You can use ready made khawa/khoya instead of making mawa from scratch.)
3. Now take a thick bottom and wide open pan/wok and heat 2-3 Tsp of ghee.
4. Add bites of almonds, cashew nuts and raisins to the ghee and fry them for 2 minutes.
5. Add Carrot, saute for a while and add the above milk.
6. Reduce the flame and keep stirring till the mixture becomes thick, add slightly crushed cardamoms. It usually takes around 10-15 minutes on low heat to cook the halwa.
7. Now add sugar and keep stirring for 2 minutes. 
8. Add khava/Mawa

Your gajar halawa is ready. You can top it with fried cashews and almonds for crunchy effect at the time of serving.