Scrambled Cottage Cheese : Paneer Bhurji

It won't be an exaggeration to say that the varieties of food across the world is beyond infinity! But everywhere, the key to please someone's taste budz is entirely dependent on 'the love with which one cooks' and 'how to make cooking simpler' (exceptions are always a rule).

One such dish that you can make in a jiffy yet satisfy many taste budz is "Scrambled Cottage Cheese" a.k.a Paneer Bhurji.

** Cottage cheese is commonly available these days. If not, you can make this at home from curdled milk (or by adding lemon to boiled milk it can be curdled). Just filter it to squeeze out all water, tie it tightly in a cloth or in a big tea filter and allow it to rest. Ensure all water is squeezed before you use it.

Ingredients:

• Fresh Cottage Cheese (Paneer): 1 cup [** See the note above the picture]
• Onion : 1 medium sized chopped
• Green Chillies: 2-3 chopped
• Chillie powder : 1 tspn
• Turmeric powder : 1/2 tspn
• Salt : to taste
• Oil : 1-2 tspn (less oil)

Method:

• In a kadai, add oil. As it warms up, add Chillies & Onion. Fry till golden brown
• To this add turmeric powder and chillie powder (You can add pepper powder as well)
• Add the cottage cheese and shred it well while mixing it. Add salt to taste. Should be cooked in 2-3 mts (max 5 mts)
• Dress it with Coriander leaves or Kasoori methi (dried Methi Leaves)
• Remove from fire and serve hot

You can have this as a starter or as a side dish with hot rotis. Similarly, we can prepare Scrambled Eggs. 

Chocolate Shake

Scorching heat is a given in Chennai... Venturing out in this sun is a 'task' rather wouldn't it be a bliss to treat ourselves, especially the kids, to something 'chill and cool' to shake this heat off!!! 

"The Hindu" recently carried a recipe for "easy-to-make" dark chocolate flavored deserts. One of it is "Chocolate Shake" : Just vanished in 2 mts into the tummy of the two kiddos :)

Ingredients:
Chilled milk : 2 cups (if hot, use ice cubes to chill it)
Dark Chocolate : 1/2 cup chopped
Sugar: 3 tsp (or as per taste)
Chocolate ice-cream : 1/2 cup (We used Vanilla instead)
Cocoa powder: 1 tsp
Instant Coffee powder: 1/4 tsp

Method:

• Take a little milk and mix the chopped dark chocolate - Microwave it for 30 secs (We did it using a pan and by constantly stirring the chocolate in the warm milk. As soon as the chocolate starts to melt, remove from fire and stir). 
• Mix the above (leave aside 1-1.5 spoon for dressing) with the rest of the ingredients and blend it to a smooth drink 
• Pour it into glasses and chill it
• Before serving, remove from freezer, add a scoop of more ice cream and top it with chocolate syrup, fried dry fruits such as badam and cashew, and choco chips.

You can customize this further using Rich Cream or Whipped Cream, rich chocolate syrup etc.

Serve this yummmilicious chocolate shake to see the most happiest and satisfying smile on your little ones and ofcourse the kids within the adults too ;)

Amristari Chole : My first attempt

Chole is a staple punjabi / north indian dish that can be relished with pooris, rotis, rice etc. One variety is made out of kabuli channa / konda kadala / chickpeas (white). Different state gives this dish its own flavor and one such commonly available is "Amristari Chole".

Ingredients:

• White Channa (Chickpeas) : 1 cup (Soaked over night)
• Tea Bag                             : 1 (optional - for this attempt I didn't use it)
• Black Salt                          : 1/2 tspn
• Salt                                    : 1/2 tspn 
• Big Cardamom (badi ilaichi) : 2-4 (Optional)

       For Dry Masala

• Jeera                            : 1 tspn
• Black Pepper               : 1 tspn
• Coriander Seeds          : 1 tspn
• Clove                          : 4-6 pieces
• Cinnamon                    : 1 piece
• Anardana                     : 2 tspn
• Garam Masala             : 1/2 - 1 tspn

        Other Ingredients:

• Green Chillies : 3-4 Chopped
• Ginger            : 1 piece chopped
• Onion             : 1 big finely chopped
• Tomatoes       : 3-4 small chopped
• Red Chillie powder: 1-1.5 tspn (per your taste)
• Coriander powder: 2 tspn
• Bay Leaves     : 1-2 small
• Ghee               :1-2 tbspn
• Coriander        : Finely chopped to garnish
• Oil                   : 2 tbspn (To Cook)
• Aamchur (Mango Powder) : 1 tspn
• Lemon             : 1 medium (for juice)

Method:

• Soak Chickpeas overnight. Remove water and pressure cook the chickpeas along with tea bag (optional), black & white salt. Ensure that the chickpeas are not overcooked but well boiled
• If you use tea bags, remove it after boiling the chickpeas. Strain the water and keep it aside.
• In a kadai, dry roast all masala mentioned under "Ingredients -> Dry Masala". Roast it till it becomes dark such that it gives a darker shade to the cooked channa. Make a nice powder of this
• In a kadai (or same pressure pan), add oil. As soon as it heats, add bay leaves. Then add chilly, ginger, onion and fry till golden brown
• To this add garam masala and tomatoes. Cook for 2 mts till it mixes well with all masala
• To this add the grounded masala powder. 
• To this add aamchur, salt, coriander powder, chillie powder and enough water to cook the chickpeas (you can add water as rqd. Some prepare this as semi-gravy while some make it solid)
• Mash some chickpeas to make it a bit thicker
• Allow this to cook for 5-7 mts in medium flame
• Add some ghee and then garnish with coriander leaves
• Remove from fire and add lemon juice before serving

Serve it with rotis, pooris, white rice etc. Btw, I forgot to mention a key point. My Little princess who otherwise is a bit finicky with her food loved this. She in fact requested it to be saved for her dinner as well:))

Achari Jeera Soya Rice

Jeera rice is a staple north indian main course; a delicious yet easy to cook variety rice. But isn't variety the spice of life, so I decided to add a twist to an otherwise non-spicy jeera rice. 

Ingredients:

• Basmati or any rice : 1 cup (Soak it for ~ 30 mts at least)
• Soya Chunks          : ~ 10 (I used the round variety; soaked in water)
• Jeera                      : 2 tspn 
• Potato                    : 1 big (Diced into cubes) -- Optional
• Green Chillie          :1-2 slit (optional)
• Garlic                     : 1-2 pods sliced
• Onion                     : 1 big (sliced length-wise)
• Curd                      : 2 tbspn
• Achari (Pickle) Masala : 1-2 tspn (per your spice preference)
• Turmeric powder   : 1 tspn
• Coriander leaves    : Freshly chopped for garnishing            
• Salt                        : Per taste 
• Oil                         : 2-4 tspn (2 tbspn)
• Bay leaf                 : 1-2 small

Preparation:  (20 mts)

• In a cooker or a mud pot (like the one I used), add oil. 
• As it gets warm, add a bay leaf. Then add Jeera
• As soon as jeera turns brown, add garlic. Saute for some time and then add onion. Fry till its golden
• Add green chillies, potatoes and saute it for some time
• Add the mix of curd with achari masala (ensure this masala is well mixed with curd)
• Saute it for a minute or two. 
• Remove the soya from water and squeeze water. Add these pieces (dice it if rqd) to the above mix
• Add turmeric powder, salt (regularize as achari masala will also have salt)
• To this add rice and fry it for a minute
• Add only enough water to cook such that it is not over boiled (~ 1 cup of soaked rice : 1.5 cups water). Since this will be steam cooked, you can check the water level in between
• Cover and steam cook. Once in a while, I do stir and check its readiness. Spray water if rqd and allow it to cook
• Garnish with coriander leaves and remove from fire

Serve it hot with any raita! 

Tip: You could prepare the same with left-over rice too.

Dhal Powder : Parupu Podi

Indian food is a blessing for all as it can satisfy any type of taste budz :) Also, it has infinity varieties that we can pick and choose from and treat ourselves. One such very old recipe is "Parupu Podi" (Dhal Powder), ofcourse from our granny's kitchen.

This is a very famous Andhra recipe but is a staple in other states such as Tamil Nadu as well. It's protein rich (we use all dhals) and can be made less - medium - high spicy as you like it. Easy to make, ready to consume once made and can be stored for a longer period, so its a boon for you :)

Ingredients:
Tuvar dal (Arhar dal) Pigeon / Red Gram : 2 cup
Channa dal (Split bengal gram)                 : 1/2 cup
Uradh dal (skinned black gram)                : 1/4 cup
Red Chillies                                              :10-12 (as spicy as you need)
Black Pepper                                           : 1-2 tspn
Hing                                                         : 1-2 tspn
Curry Leaves                                            : 1 handful (should be dry)
Salt                                                           : To Taste

Method:

• Dry roast each dal separately till it turns reddish. Allow them to cool a bit
• Dry roast the red chillies, pepper and hing (if you are using the whole hing and not the powder)
• In a dry mixer, first grind the chillies and then add the pepper and hing. 
• As soon as it grinds  nicely, add all dal and grind it to a less coarse powder
• Remove it to a bowl/ plate and allow it to cool
• Add required amount of salt and mix it well
• After it cools, store in an air-tight container

Typically, we mix hot rice with dhal powder, add some ghee or oil and consume it. It tastes real yummmmm, believe me. You could also have it with Dosa / Idlis etc.