Dhokar Dalna - SNC Challenge

Being a south Team member in our SNC Challenge ( created by Divya Pramil ) got a lovely opportunity to try this delicious and traditional Bengali recipe. Have to thank Pinky from Esho Bosho Aahare for introducing such an excellent recipe. Very tasty and perfect with hot rice.

Check out our North Team Challenge recipe Qubhani kameetha hosted by Roha from Hyderabadi Cuisine.

Ingredients:

For Lentil Cakes :

• 1 Cup Channa Dal
• ½ Cup Split yellow peas
• ½ Cup Coconut, grated
• 1 Tsp Ginger paste
• ½ Tsp Hing
• 1 Tsp Onion seeds / Kalonji
• 2 Green chillies
• ¼ Tsp Baking soda
• Salt to taste
• ½ Tsp Turmeric powder
• 2 Tbsp Oil
• Oil for Frying

For Curry :

• 4 Potatoes, cubed
• 1 Tomato, finely chopped
• 3 Green chillies, slitted
• 1 Tsp Red chilli powder
• 1 Tbsp Garam masala powder
• 1 Tsp Jeera Powder
• ½ Tsp Turmeric powder
• ¼ Cup Cashew and Raisin paste
• 2 Cup Coconut Milk
• 1/2Cup Coconut, Grated
• 1 Tbsp Ginger paste
• ¼ Tsp Hing
• 2 Tsp Jeera / Cumin seeds
• 1 Bay leaf
• Salt to taste
• Oil

Method :

For Lentil cakes:

• Soak channa dal and yellow split peas for 4-5 hours.

• Drain, wash and grind coarsely along with green chillies.

• Add grated coconut, turmeric powder, salt, onion seeds, ginger paste and baking soda to the ground batter.

• Heat oil in a pan and add hing followed by the dal batter.

• Simmer and stir continuously till the batter becomes thick and get off from the pan.

• Now transfer the cooked batter to the greased plate and cool it completely.

• Cut into desired shape and deep fry till it turns golden brown color.

• Remove and keep aside.

For Curry :

• Soak Raisins and cashews for half an hour and grind to a fine paste.

• Heat oil in a pan and add turmeric powder followed by cubed potatoes.

• Fry till they turn crispy.

• Remove and keep aside.

• Now add remaining oil in the same pan and add Hing followed by jeera and bay leaf.

• Add green chillies and ginger paste.

• Fry them till the raw smell goes off and add the chopped tomatoes.

• Cook until the tomatoes turns mushy or soft.

• Now add turmeric powder, garam masala powder, chilli powder,jeera powder and salt.

• Cook for 3-4 minutes or until oil separates from the pan.

• Add grated coconut and coconut milk at this stage and mix well.

• Now add cashew- raisin paste and fried potatoes to the gravy and cook for few more minutes by adding water until the curry turns thick.

• Now add the fried lentil cakes and sprinkle garam masala on top of it.

• Remove from the flame and serve hot with rice.

Notes:

• Add fried lentil cakes to the gravy / curry before serving or else it would turn very thick.
• Be careful while frying cooked cubed lentils because while frying few may break.

Are you interested in participating in our SNC Challenge every month… just click HERE…

Bottle Gourd & Sprouts Curry

Ingredients:

• 1 Cup Bottle gourd, grated
• ½ Cup Mixed Bean Sprouts
• 1 Onion, Finely Chopped
• 2 Tomatoes, Finely Chopped
• 1 Tsp Chilli powder
• 1 Tsp Coriander powder
• ½ Tsp Jeera Powder
• ¼ Tsp Turmeric powder
• ½ Tsp Garam Masala powder
• 1 Tbsp Oil
• Salt to taste

Method:

• Heat oil in a pan and add the chopped onion.
• Sauté for couple of minutes and add the chopped tomatoes.
• Fry them together for 3-4 minutes or till tomatoes turns mushy or soft.
• Add Turmeric powder, chilli powder, garam masala powder, coriander powder and Jeera powder.
• Mix well and cook till the raw smell goes off.
• Now add the grated bottle gourd and mixed beans sprouts.
• Mix well and add water along with the salt.
• Cook for 5 minutes in a medium flame or till the gravy consistency occurs.
• Garnish with coriander leaves or curry leaves and remove from the flame.

Serving Options :

Serve hot with Rice or any Indian breads.

Linking this recipe with 
Viji's Show your style to the world series 4

Friday Chat With Bloggers - Linsy Patel From Home Cook Food

Hi all….

Sorry for the delayed Friday Chat Post.... Am travelling to my native and finding very difficult to connect internet so taking break for a week... Gonna miss u all and blogging :)

OK let us meet our today’s guest…. Linsy Patel from Home Cook Food in our blogging world!!!

Lovely blogger and known as kitchen queen in our blogging world has lots of unique and interesting recipes in her blog...  And also her blog filled with lots of awards... Congrats dear :) Simple, neat and perfect blog with clear explanation..

So ready to know more about her favorites....    
wait!! 
Before that let me share my favorite recipes of her...

Offlate I started craving vada pav and started eating almost every week with icecream.. . Hot and cold…yummy right :) And guess what.... the very first recipe I viewed in her space was vada pav.. What a timing :) Her recipe method is also very interesting..not like the regular one… Excited to know?? Click Vada pav…  

And her blog has few nutella recipes too like Nutella Baklava
 shells…Nutella coke brownies and Nutella Coffee Frappe… 
Sounds yummy and tempting right :)

My other favorites are…..

Gujarati Thali

Bruschetta and warm caprese dip

Un fried Green tomatoes

Baked Mozzarella sticks

Cocoa Fig and Date Nuts Rolls

Wasabi and Tahini Chickpea Wrap…

My list never ends… So click HERE to check all her yummy 

mouthwatering recipes.

Now let’s see what Linsy shares with us….

Priya : Love to hear few words about you n your blog and who is your greatest support?

Linsy : Hi, My Name is Linsy Patel and I go by Kitchen Queen because That is what I am.  I started my blog Home Cook Food, last year in July. Before that also I used to go to various blogs to see recipes and my sister also have a blog so I know about it but I had a very bad incident with one of the senior blogger so thanks to her I started my blog too. My family and all of you my virtual friends are my support and strength without you guys I wouldn’t survive, so from bottom of my heart Thank you all.

Priya : Your Favorite chef, favorite cookery show and favorite cookbook.

Linsy : From the beginning I watch SanjeevKapoor’s show here and in India too. After coming to USA , Food Network become my favorite channel and in that I love Chopped, Mexican Made Easy by Marcela. Frankly I don’t follow any rules so no favorite cook book. I just cook with my heart.

Priya : Can you share us about your first cooking experience and the recipe which you tried first?

Linsy :  Being a younger one in my family I never enter in to the kitchen before marriage but after marriage when I landed here, I have to make everything , that time by practice , some errors and above all with my dear husband’s help I reach here today. My first dish was Egg Masala. It is easy; just grind onion, tomato, khaskhas, red chili powder, turmeric powder, cumin coriander powder, ginger, green chili paste. Cook till raw smell go and add boiled eggs and potatoes in it, add enough water to make gravy and salt and you are done.

Priya : When your house filled with sudden guests...What would be your quick menu?

Linsy : My pantry and freezer is always full so to cook something for guests its always easy.

For appetizer  http://realhomecookedfood.blogspot.com/2012/08/chickpea-and-almond-croquettes-with-hot.html, guacamole and chips, 

,http://realhomecookedfood.blogspot.com/2012/08/hariyali-paneer-tikka.html for Main Paneer and vegetable korma, MethiMatarMalai, Hyderbadi Soya Biryani and Whole Massor Dal with parathas , for sweet Chickoo and Almond Kheer and Mango mousse

Priya : What’s your family’s most favorite recipe which you cook?

Linsy : Pls share with the link if you had posted in blog. They like everything I make but mine vegetable pizza is all time favorite.

http://realhomecookedfood.blogspot.com/2012/12/veggie-lover-pizza-with-home-made-dough.html

Priya : Please share some kitchen tipsor secrets of yours…

Linsy : Don’t throw away leftovers, you can make something out of it and everyone love it, if you have dals or any gravy dish or rice, add them in flour and make parathas for breakfast or tea. If you have thick gravy add boiled potatoes in it and make cutlets out of it. Use your time and freezer wisely. Don’t overcook vegetables, that way you are losing all the nutrients from it, Stir fry them so its stay crunchy.

Priya : What do you like in my blog and please share your suggestions to improve mine.

Linsy : You are the goddess of blog world. All your recipes are so unique and easy I told you before also you should publish your book. Just one word keep up the good work.

Ma Po Tofu

A famous Szechuan recipe - the name Ma Po Tofu is roughly translated as "pockmarked grandmother bean curd " named for the old woman who supposedly invented the dish. Today this dish, known as Mapo Tofu, can be found in almost any Chinese restaurant around the world with hundreds of variations adapting the piquant original to suit local tastes. And do I need to tell you, its spicy so its my favorite too. When we go to out favorite Chinese restaurant  We ordered two dishes always. Hot n Sour soup and Ma Po Tofu.

And its been a while we had this and I was craving for this for so long so when I went to Chinese store, my aim was to pick up ingredients for this dish only and I made it and we enjoyed it. It has to make it on high flame and fast. so prepare everything and keep it near so it will be done in no time.

Ingredients :

• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 3 medium garlic cloves grated on a micro plane grater (about 1 tablespoon)
• 1 tbsp fresh ginger, peeled and grated on a micro plane grater
• 1 tbsp plus 1 teaspoon Sichuan peppercorns, finely ground in a spice grinder or mortar and pestle
• 1 tbsp fermented chili bean paste
• 1 tbsp garlic red chili sauce (sambal oelek)
• 2 tablespoons vinegar
• 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
• 1/2 cup vegetable broth or water
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch combined with 3 tablespoons cold water
• 1 block of silken tofu, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 1 cup frozen green peas

Method:

• Heat vegetable oil in a large wok over medium heat until shimmering.

• Add garlic, ginger, and 1 tablespoon Sichuan peppercorns and cook, stirring constantly, until lightly sizzling, about 1 minute.

• Add chili bean paste and red chili sauce and cook, stirring constantly, until incorporated, about 15 seconds.

• Add vinegar, soy sauce, and vegetable broth and bring to a boil.

• Add starch mixture and bring to a boil.

• Cook for until liquid has thickened, about 30 seconds.

• Add tofu and fold in, being careful not to break it up.

• Stir in peas and simmer until heated through, about 5 minutes.

• Transfer to a serving bowl and Serve with white rice or Fried rice.

Thank you so much Linsy... It's my pleasure to have your recipe n

interesting chat in my space. Thank you so much for spending your valuable time to participate in my event. Am sure that all our friends will also enjoy this interesting chat with delicious recipe....

And thank you so much for your valuable f


                                 Thank You Linsy !!!

Happy Weekend Friends :) 

Will meet you all next week..after a short break !!!

Mango Raita - Try My Recipes

Perfect way to beat the heat is with curd…well, that’s common but adding summer special fruit or can also be called King of fruit in curd makes more delicious and flavorful…right? Yeah… Mango Raita is really very very tasty and refreshing which can be served with Spicy briyani or Pulao. Personally I loved the flavor so completed the bowl as such J . Have to thank Meenu for posting such a refreshing raita and hosting an interesting event “ TRY MY RECIPES “ through which Am getting a chance of trying her recipes…

Click HERE to her original recipe...

Wanna join her event and try her recipes??  Just Click HERE…. You will be redirected...Hurry!!! Only few more days left..

Ingredients:

• 1 Mango Ripe
• 1 Cup Curd
• Sugar to taste

Method:

• Take one cup of curd in a bowl and blend well using fork or hand blender.

• Peel the skin of mango and remove the flesh part.

• Finely chop them and add to the beaten curd.

• Add sugar and mix well.

• Serve chill.

Serving Options:

Serve chill with Spicy briyani or Pulao.

 Linking this with Meenu's TRY MY RECIPES

Moti Channa - Try My Recipes

Simple and delicious snack from Meena’s blog. Perfect evening snacks which can be served with hot tea or coffee.. Click HERE for the original recipe.

Just one week left for the event in meena's space...Hurry!! Try her recipes and get a chance to win an exciting prize... Click HERE for more details.

Ingredients:

• 2 Cups Gram Flour / Kadalai Maavu
• 2 Tbsp Chilli powder
• A pinch of hing
• Salt to taste
• 2 Tsp Ajwain
• 1 ½ Cups Water
• 2 Tsp Oil for kneading
• Oil for frying

Method:

• Add flour followed by chilli powder, hing, ajwain, salt and oil in a bowl.

• Add water little by little and prepare sticky tight dough.

• Heat oil in a pan and use big perforated spoon/ ladle called Jarani in tamil to prepare moti channa.

• Now place the ladle in top of kadai and spread the dough using hand.

• Press it so that the moti channas falls into the hot oil. (Be careful at this stage).

• Fry it in a medium flame until they turn into golden brown and crisp.

• Repeat the process for the remaining dough.

• Remove and drain the excess oil using kitchen towel.

• Serve hot or store it in an air tight container. 

Serving Options:

Serve with hot coffee or Tea.

Linking this with Meenu's TRY MY RECIPES