Special occasion or fancy trying to make some of those dishes you find on the streets of authentic India? Well here are some recipes you just have to try! Coconut Laddoo's to Carrot Halwa, there's something to try for everyone.
Coconut Laddoo
Ingredients
1 cup suji (semolina)
1 1/2 cups grated fresh coconut
1 tin Milkmaid
1 cup caster sugar
Method:
1. Roast suji in a round vessel and when it starts turning light brown take it out and keep aside.
2. Add atleast one cup grated coconut to the semolina and keep the mixture to cool down.
3. Keep rest of the grated coconut to wrap the laddoos.
4. Put caster sugar after a while and add ¾ tin milkmaid. Mix well.
5. Make small balls of the mixture.
6. Roll the balls in the coconut powder.
7. Place it in the refrigerator.
8. Laddoos are ready to serve.
Sarson Ka Sag
Ingredients (Serves 6)
1 kg Sarson (mustard greens), chopped finely
1/4 kg Spinach, chopped finely
4 cloves garlic minced
2 cm piece ginger, minced
2 Green Chilies, minced
2 Red Chilies
2 tbsp. Gram Flour, sieved
1 tbsp. Butter
Ghee
Salt to taste
Method
1. Boil both the greens till soft. Remove excess water and mash the leafy vegetables well and reserve.
2. Heat 4-tbsp ghee and add ginger, garlic, green chillies and broken red chillies.
3. When the masala has been browned, add the mashed saag and salt.
4. Mix the gram flour in a little water and add to the saag.
5. Simmer for at least 30 minutes.
6. Serve, topped with a spoon of butter, with makki (maize flour) ki roti.
Makki ki Roti
Ingredients
2 cups Corn Flour or Makki ka atta
Radish (grated)
Warm Water
Salt (optional)
Method
1. Knead makki (corn) ka atta with warm water just before cooking the rotis.
2. While kneading, add some grated radish and salt.
3. To roll it, put a square of polythene paper on the kitchen platform.
4. On this put a ball of the kneaded dough.
5. Cover with another piece of polythene and then press with the ball of your palm till you get the size of a roti. This roti is slightly thicker than the normal roti.
6. Remove the polythene cover and transfer the roti to a hot tava (skillet).
7. Cook on low heat, turning till both sides are roasted.
8. Apply some ghee or butter.
9. Serve hot with Sarson ka Saag.
Pindi Chana
Ingredients
1 cup Chickpeas (chole)
21/2-inch Ginger, 3/4th of it shredded finely for garnish
2tsp. Garlic, finely crushed
2 Onions (chopped)
3 medium sized Tomatoes, chopped
2 Green Chilies, sliced
Finely chopped coriander leaves
2tsp. Ground Coriander
11/2 tsp. Ground Cumin
1/2tsp. Turmeric powder
1/2tsp. Garam Masala
1/2 - 1tsp. Red chili powder or as per taste
1 Tea Bag or 1 tbsp. black tea leaves tied in cheesecloth
2-3 tbsp. Oil
Salt to taste
Method
1. Soak Chole in water overnight or for about 6 hours.
2. Cook chole with salt and enough water in the cooker for about 20 minutes or till fully done.
3. Drain, reserving 1 cup of cooking liquid.
4. Finely chop the remaining ginger.
5. Heat oil and sauté onions till golden. Then add garlic and chopped ginger and green chilies. Sauté for 5 minutes.
6. Add tomatoes, coriander, cumin, turmeric and chili powder and sauté over low heat until the oil separates.
7. Add chole, the reserved cooking liquid, salt and half of the coriander leaves.
8. Simmer, uncovered until the liquid has been absorbed.
9. Add a pinch of garam masala and serve chole sprinkled with the remaining garam masala, coriander leaves and shredded ginger.
10. Serve it with hot Puri or Bhutara
Dry Fruit Kheer
Ingredients
1 litre Milk
3/4 cup Sugar
15 strands saffron crushed, soaked in 1 tsp. hot milk
1/4 tsp. Cardamom Powder
10-12 no. Almonds slivered
10-12 no. Pistachios, slivered
5-6 no. Dried Peaches (quartered)
5-6 no. dried Apricots, nut removed, broken to bits
10-12 no. Raisins
10-12 no. Currants
Method
1. Soak raisins, currant, peaches, apricots, in hot water for 10 minutes.
2. Boil milk with cardamom, saffron and sugar for 10 minutes.
3. Drain the previously soaked dry fruit, add to the boiling milk, and stir gently.
4. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes.
5. Add almonds, pistachios, and take off from fire.
6. Serve hot.
Til Gajak
Ingredients
1 cup Sesame
3/4-cup Jaggery
2 tbsp Ghee
1/2 tsp Cardamom Powder
Method
1. Roast sesame on low flame stirring continuously to avoid it from spluttering out of the pan.
2. Boil jaggery in 1/2 cup water to form thick syrup.
3. When done, check its consistency by putting a drop of the syrup in a dish of cold water. If the drop stays firm the consistency is right.
4. Add the roasted sesame to the syrup. On a rolling board, spread a film of oil and spread the sesame-jaggery mixture.
5. Flatten it to 1-cm thickness. When the mixture is sufficiently cooled, cut into square pieces. Store in an airtight container.
Wheat Flour Laddu
Ingredients
Wheat flour - 1cup
Besan - ½ cup
Sugar - ½ cup
Sieves and powdered sugar - ½ cup
Melted ghee or dalda - ½ tsp
Chopped cashew nuts - 3 dsp
Cardamom powder - ¼ tsp
Melted Ghee - ½ cup
Method
1. Heat a pan and add the melted ghee or dalda.
2. Sauté wheat flour and besan together. (Do not allow the colour of the flour to change).
3. When it is done, remove from fire and allow cooling.
4. Add powdered sugar and cardamom powder and mix well.
5. Melt ½ cup sugar in a pan. Add ¼ cup ghee in it. Pour the content immediately on a greased flat vessel or bowl.
6. This syrup will become hard when cooled.
7. Grind it coarsely and add this to the prepared flour mixture.
8. Fry the cashew nuts and mix in the remaining ¼ cup ghee.
9. Add this to the flour mixture and mix well.
10. Make small balls before it cools.
Carrot Halwa
Ingredients
Grated Carrot - 8 cups
Milk - 6 cups
Sugar - 2 cups
Ghee - 4 tbs
Almonds or cashew nuts - few
Saffron or cardamom powder for flavoring
Method
1. Sauté the grated carrots in ghee.
2. Add milk and cook till very soft.
3. Add sugar, simmer for a while, till sugar dissolves and the mixture thicken.
4. Add saffron or cardamom powder.
5. Garnish with flaked almonds or cashew nuts.
6. Serve hot or cold as desired.
