Latest Recipes - Page 10 of 15 - Cooking by Instinct

Posted on July 8, 2014 February 27, 2015

Dabka Kadhi Bengal Gram Dumplings in Yogurt Soup

A long break between two blog posts- reason being extremely busy with renovation and guests, but ultimately happy to have my kitchen back all done up! The choice of item for today’s blogpost stems from the firm belief that your diet and discipline can lead you to living a very long life. On a personal note, my grandmother recently just passed away, one month short of completing 102 years. She served as an exemplary role model of how to live with a purpose in life, almost surviving half a century as a widow and witnessing deaths of two of her children during her lifetime. Extremely sharp, fluent in conversations and totally mentally agile even at the senior age of 100, has to have its roots on what one eats, and the discipline one follows in life. She was a staunch Jain follower, never tasted any roots, ate everyday before sunset, resorted to religion to help her sail through the ups and downs of life and never ever gave up on her faith. Medicines were also avoided as far as possible. as they are often based from some animal products. Mental strength comes from your unfettering devotion in the faith you follow, which gives you a kind of blanket that shields you from unnecessary stress that gets created when facing unwanted situations. As a salute to my grandmother for all the values I learnt from her, I present another Jain Cuisine item for this blogpost. People familiar with Rajasthani cuisine will relish this item, as it is quite similar to the famous Gatte ki Sabji or even Pithod which is of softer texture than Dabka Kadhi. Dabka is the Bengal Gram Dumpling and Kadhi is the Yogurt Soup. This is quicker than Gatte kie Sabji and can be easily enjoyed as Indian dumpling soup for someone in the mood of trying something new! Dabka Kadhi-Bengal Gram Dumplings in yogurt soup is a popular meal item when you want to observe the religious days of Aatham , Chaudas and you are focussing on protein rich foods.

Recipe makes for 2-3 people

Cooking time : 20 min Prep time : 5 min

Ingredients

For the Kadhi Yogurt Gravy

1 1/4 cup full fat yogurt
3 3/4 cup water
2 tbsp bengal gram flour
2 tbsp water
1 1/2 tbsp oil
1/16 tsp asofoetida
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
salt to taste

For the Dabka Bengal Gram Dumplings

6 tbsp bengal gram flour
1 tsp oil
4 1/2 tbsp water
pinch of asofoetida
salt to taste
1/2 tsp red chilli powder

Method For the Yogurt Gravy

Beat/mix the yogurt and water in a deep pan, making sure there are no lumps.
Mix bengal gram flour and two tbsp water in a separate bowl.
Heat the oil in a deep pan on a medium flame
Add asofoetida
Add the dissolved yogurt and water to it.
Stir on low flame for 3 min.
Add the bengal gram paste to the warm yogurt/water.
Add salt to taste.
Simmer on low- medium flame for 10 min.

For the Dumplings

Mix bengal gram flour,oil, water, salt , chilli powder, asofoetida and turmeric powder in a bowl.
Stir well.
The paste should be firm but easy to lump when being dropped from a spoon.

Cooking the dumplings

When the yogurt curry starts boils over, simmer on a medium flame.
Using your four fingers and thumb, scoop some bengal gram paste in your hand.
Release a small amount via your thumb, so that a pearl drop is formed while being released into the curry.
Wherever you see the kadhi or curry boiling, drop these pearl shaped dumplings into the curry.
Continue doing this, till all bengal gram paste for dumplings is over.
Add 1/2 tsp red chilli powder
Simmer for about half an hour on low- medium flame, till the curry is reduced to almost half its original quantity.
Serve hot with paratha or roti.

Dabka Kadhi shown in the bowl in the image

The second item is Drumsticks in bengal gram flour gravy or better known as Sargavanu Shaak

TIps: Yogurt should not be too sour, or else it will spoil the taste. The dumpling paste should not feel to firm to release , or tension when releasing from your fingers. If that is the case, add a few drops of water to make it softer. Its best to add water in little measurements when making this paste. Instinct Factor If the shape is not the perfect pearl, that is fine, as that will come with practice, and even I am in the process of improving. If the paste is too thin, you will not have a firm shape but it will become flat. Also too thin a paste, will have long thin lines on the top of the dumpling. You will know when and how much to release it with practice. More like the art of making bhajjis or fritters, so trust your instinct on shape and quantity of paste, as well as consistency of paste. Feel Factor Dabka Kadhi Bengal Gram Dumplings in Yogurt Soup looks and tastes like another version of famous Rajasthani Gatte ki Sabji! Both use bengal gram flour and are made in yogurt curry. This is more healthy, as it uses less amount of oil and is less time consuming. The curry over here is slightly thicker, and is also simpler to make as it uses less amount of spices. The taste of a nice steamed dabka bengal gram dumpling that is chunky enough to bite, in a mildly spiced yogurt curry, gives a nice warm fuzzy feeling! Its almost like a Yougurt soup with Bengal Gram Dumplings that are perfect for a chilly evening! This goes well with a Paratha or Roti. Lentils when combined with Yogurt is ideal for making proteins for the body, and this is one delicious and quick recipe for this. [contact-form-7 404 "Not Found"] [shopeat_button]

Posted on June 6, 2014 February 17, 2015

Double churned vanilla bean eggless ice cream

Double churned ice cream , a phrase one would safely assume as something that has been churned twice! But the ice cream manufacturers have a totally different twist to the meaning of :double churn”. Interesting enough, I did not know of this till I did some research on what does double churn mean in the ice cream language. And I was disappointed to know that double churn, slow churn are all part of the light ice cream series that refers s to a process called low-temperature extrusion, which significantly reduces the size of the fat globules and ice crystals in ice cream. For more information refer http://www.nytimes.com/2006/07/26/dining/26cream.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

Readers maybe interested in the above New York Times article on what makes the ice cream creamy! Per this article, through the use of yeast fermentation and in some cases through the use of a protein from arctic ocean’s eel like ocean spout, extra creaminess is achieved. And I would have never guessed such an ingredient in a commercial ice cream.

So for those, who would like to avoid such possible inclusions, I am very delighted to share this homemade vanilla bean double churned (and here churn means churned twice- plain and simple!) that can be easily made in an hour and ready to relish with 5-6 hours of cooling.

While making this, I almost had the same excitement as a science student in the laboratory, only my lab was the kitchen lab, as I was about to discover the how and why and what of a Vanilla Bean. I was curious to know how a vanilla bean looks like and I was excited to go shop for one. I could not wait to see how it tastes as a bean and also when used in an ice-cream. I was totally not expecting a black color of the bean, as the vanilla flavour is traditionally white! So in my traditional “vanilla white” ice-cream the vanilla bean is visible through the black spots in the vanila ice cream. To me the delight of making and eating this ice cream was doubled coz it was truly successful and delicious science experiment, that brought so much sweetness to everyone who enjoyed it.

The texture of the ice cream, because of double churn was creamy and white with black flakes, akin to a white moon with some dark spots! The vanilla bean flavour was clearly distinguishable, even though the vanilla essence was used too.

This summer enjoy in the comfort of your home, along with the comforting thought that you avoided protein from animals and eggs found in commercially sold ice creams. This ice cream will have extra sweetness as it is made at home, using fresh vanilla bean and you many also enjoy the journey of shopping and using vanilla beans that will leave a lasting impression, even if you did not have a curiosity of where does vanilla essence originate from? This Double churned vanilla bean eggless ice cream is a sure way to beat the heat this summer!

Recipe makes 1 quart ice cram

Ice cream churn time 45 min

Prep time : 5 min

Chilling time : 7-8 hours.

Ingredients

1 cup whole milk
2 1/4 cups heavy cream
2 tsp vanilla essence
1 1/2 vanilla bean, sliced vertical and tiny black beans scraped with a knife.
3/4 cup plus 1 tbsp sugar( moderated to your taste of sweetness)

Method

Chill the ice cream container as needed
Pour the milk, and switch on the ice cream maker.
Add 3/4 cup sugar, heavy cream, essence and scraped vanilla beans
Churn for 20 min.
Remove the mix from ice cream container, and add the whole vanilla bean that has been scraped off.
Add extra sugar to enhance sweetness if needed
After 5-7 min, re churn the ice cream for another 20 min.
Remove the whole vanilla bean added to the ice cream, before freezing.
Remove from the ice cream maker into freezer safe containers and chill for 7-8 hours.
Serve in a cone, cup, top this double churned vanilla bean ice cream with toppings of your choice.

Tips:

If you need creamier flavour, using whole milk and heavy whipping cream will be better.

Level of sugar needed will vary with the light or heavy milk you are using.

Instinct Factor

Vanilla bean is like any other pod having beans- so slice it and scrape the tiny black vanilla beans into the mix.

Feel Factor

Truly delicious because of the extra flavour released by the vanilla beans and the double churn leading to a creamier texture of the ice cream. The ice cream was creamy but felt light and cooling, a perfect summer evening dessert for the family. The black beans against a “vanilla white ice cream” , was creating a lot of interest for all who ate and enjoyed this home made Double churned vanilla bean eggless ice cream.

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Posted on June 1, 2014 February 27, 2015

Smoked Eggplant Baingan Bharta

Fresh Eggplants ripe this summer can be enjoyed the best when its a fresh from the farm and straight to the table. At my previous home, we used to pluck eggplants in the neighborhood farm and the task of cooking them would be an under ten minutes job. I have yet to replicate the sweetness of these eggplants at any other restaurant! Presently, I do miss the proximity of such farms as available at my previous home. My experience says that the sweetness of these vegetables is even higher than what one gets when buying organic.

With summer almost in full swing, the outdoor grills are out in my neighborhood and neighbors and friends are enjoying grilling various vegetables. Eggplant baingan bharta is also made by grilling the eggplant. Many do this over a gas flame or microwave, but I wanted to approach this a little differently, keeping some of my Jain philosophy in place. Grilling a vegetable as a whole, is a no-no in Jainism , as there are chances of some worms inside the vegetables, which might get accidently grilled or burnt in the process. Hence we normally slice and steam it. And Jains will not also grill it for you may accidently kill some insects. But I still wanted to have the smoke flavour in my Eggplant Baingan Bharta.

So I decided to use a smoking box and insert this with lighted wood chips/coal amongst the vegetables and cover the vegetable to get the smoky flavor and the result was truly delicious and mouth watering. I was reminded of my home state in India where this is also known as Ringana No Oro- and is considered a rural village delicacy , expertly cooked by farming community and served with other rural food accompaniments as Khicchadi Rice Lentil Entree and Bajri Rotla Millet Bread.

In the Northern India, this is often made without the skin, but I make it with the skin , as I like the eggplant for its rich purple color too, and I am of the firm believer that the skins of the vegetables hold the maximum nutrients and besides it gives the cooked vegetable a nice rich color of a night shade. The eggplant skin holds a lot free antioxidants that are also helpful in better skin and I also found on research that eggplants help in reducing triglycerides.

The smoked eggplant baingan bharta can be used a spicy dip and enjoyed with a pita bread or simple bread or you can relish this soft pulpy spicy textured entree with Roti, Paratha or Puri. Enjoy this also with any yogurt accompaniment in form of raita or lassi. If you have trouble finding a smoking box, you can experiment by putting the chips/coal in an aluminum foil , light it and insert this in the vegetable and cover it with a lid.

If you are not an eggplant fan, I am pretty sure this smoked eggplant bharta will make you one!

Recipe Makes for 4 people

Cooking time 35 min

Prep time 10 min.

Smoking time : 60 min.

Ingredients:

2 large eggplants
4-5 vine tomatoes ( campari tomatoes preferred)
2 1/2 cups medium diced yellow onions
3 inches ginger with skin peeled off
4 hot green chillies grounded into paste
3/4 cup oil
salt to taste
1 tbsp sugar(optional)
1/8th tsp asofoetida
coriander to garnish

For smoking the eggplant baingan bharta

3-4 coals or wood chips ( hickory or sugar maple) I used sugar maple chips
Ghee Clarified butter for soaking coal/wood chips
Smoking box or aluminium foil
Match sticks to light

Method

Slice the eggplants and put to steam in a cooker adding 3 cups of water .
Remove from flame after 4 whistles.
On another flame put oil to heat in the broadest thick bottom pan you have
When the oil heats, add asofoetida and chill ginger paste and saute for a couple of minutes.
Add diced onions and saute on medium flame to nice golden brown color.
Once the cooker cools, remove the eggplant and drain and save the cooked water.
Remove the skin from the eggplant and grind it in a mortar pestle.
Add the grinded eggplant skin, tomatoes, salt, turmeric and drained cooked water to onions .
Simmer for 10 min.
Add the boiled eggplant plant, sugar and simmer for further 20 min.
Soak the coal or wood chips in melted ghee for a couple of minutes,
Put the soaked coal/wood chips in the smoking box /aluminium foil and light it.
Put the lighted coal /wood chips in the middle of the vegetables.
Let the flame burn for a two burn minutes.
Cover the vegetable with a lid and put weight on it if need be so that no smoke is released .
Remove the lid only at the time of serving, after keeping it covered for an hour or so.
Garnish with coriander , heat and serve with Roti Paratha, Pita or Bread Slices.

Tips

Microwave the ghee and then soak the wood chips in it, for an even coating and easy lighting.

Make sure the coal/chips are dry for it to catch flame.

Instinct Factor

In US, it is better to use wood chips than coal, as most coals are soaked in kerosene fuel and do not give a very appetizing fragrance.

Feel Factor

Rich in dark color, with a bit of tangy taste to the pulp of eggplant and there is depth in taste due to smoked wood chips. Smoked eggplant baingan bharta is an entree that is simple yet rich and while devouring it and licking my fingers, I felt as if I was back in India, just enjoying this rural delicacy along with its traditional accompaniments.
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Posted on May 20, 2014 February 27, 2015

Khaman Dhokla Gram Lentil Steamed Cake

People in India and around the world are filled with curiosity about Mr. Narendra Modi, India’s Prime Minister elect, on account of the sweeping victory claimed by him and his political party. So even I decided to join the club and do some more research about him, to know more about him as a person. Food being my passion, any information related to that sparked my interest. I came across this NDTV weblink on the top 5 favourite food of Mr. Narendra Modi at http://cooks.ndtv.com/article/show/narendra-modi-s-top-5-favourite-foods-525352. Needless to say they are all from Gujarati cuisine- Khili Khichadi, Khandvi, Dhiokla, Mango Chhundo( Chutney) and Badam Pista Shrikand.

The state of Gujarat has something in its soil , for it is the state from where stalwarts like Mahatma Gandhi, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, JInnah, and now Narendra Modi to have risen to political ranks of the country. Besides these, Gujarat has also been the state from where business man Dhirubhai Ambani and the Patriarch JRD Tata have originated. And the foodie in me, will want to also say , that, there must be also something in what you eat that makes you rise to top!!

Taking a cue from Mr.Modi’s five favorite foods, I am glad to share the recipe of instant khaman dhokla gram lentil steamed cake using Instant Mix. I have found this to be very easy, consistent and tastes delicious. This is often a breakfast item in our home , and is easily cooked in 15-20 min. There are many different brands of instant packs available, of which this is definitely very reliable and we have been using this for almost past ten years or so.

The khaman dhokla gram lentil steamed cake is soft, spongy, with a nice spicy garnish in the top. This is known for its sponginess hence, the comparison to a cake! And the good part of this is, if it does not turn out well, just crumble it and make it a Khaman mix with garnishes! So it is very forgiving dish for a new person trying it out. This is so popular that Gits has come with two varieties Khaman and Nylon Khaman. I prefer the Khaman Dhokla Mix.

The garnish on the Khaman Dhokla Gram Lentil Steamed cake could be red chilli powder, black pepper or even powdered roasted cumin seeds. Recipe of Khandvi , another delicacy enjoyed by Mr. Modi, can be found on this blog at http://cookingbyinstinct.com/khandvi-bengal-gram-rolls/

I am sure we will be seeing a lot of Khaman Dhokla Gram Lentil Steamed cake and Tea at Prime Ministerial State breakfast and that is something international dignitaries will get a good share of!! Seeing its well acceptance and appreciation by m international friends and my daughter’s classmates, Khaman Dhoklas are going to be very much in demand now!

Recipe makes 20 pieces

Cooking time 15 min

Prep time 5 min

Cooling time 10 min

Ingredients

1 pack Instant Khaman Dhokla mix ( Gits Brand)
2 tbsp oil
1 cup plus 60 ml of water

For Garnish

2 tbsp oil
2 tbsp chopped coriander
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
5-6 curry leaves
2-3 tbsp grated fresh coconut ( optional) I use the frozen grated coconut
Special equipment needed- Dhokla cooker with deep plates. Alternatively you can make your own dhokla cooker, with a broad deep pan and a deep dish, with a lid to cover.

Method

Put about a liter of water to boil in the dhokla cooker.
Grease the dhokla plate with some oil.
In a prep bowl, empty the contents of the instant mix
In a separate bowl, mix water and oil,
Mix in the water oil mix into the Instant mix, so that no lumps are left, and stirring constantly while mixing in the water/oil.
Once the water is emptied, hold the prep bowl with one hand, and vigorously stir the mix with your hand for about 20 sec.
The mix will rise a bit. As soon as it rises, empty the mix into the greased dhokla dish.
Sprinkle red chilli powder or black pepper or roasted cumin powder if you desire. You can also leave it plain.
Insert the dish into the dhokla cooker, cover the lid and steam on fast flame for 15 min.
Switch off the flame after 15 min and let it cool for further 10 min.
While its cooling prepare the garnish.
Put 2 tbsp oil to heat.
Add mustard seeds to it.
Once mustard seeds crackle, add chopped chillies.
After 5 seconds, add cumin seeds
Add curry leaves.
Once cumin seeds become light brown, take off from flame.
Spread this garnish over the cooked Khaman Dhokla Lentil Steamed Cake.
Make diamond pieces by making dividing the dhoklas into four parts.
Then turn the dish a bit and make further 4-5 lines.
Garnish with fresh coconut and coriander.
Serve warm with Green chutney or ketchup or just enjoy plain.

Tips

The trick to softness , lies in the vigorous stirring of the mix.

If it does not turn out well, crumble the cooked dhokla and mix in the oil garnish as well corainder and coconut. Add an extra layer of sev ( thin gram noodles ) and serve.

Instinct Factor

Check if the dhokla is cooked by inserting a fort/knife to see that it is not liquidy in the middle.

Feel Factor

Soft and yummy, spicy and colorful, healthy and nutritious , and soon to be a popular on an international level! A very healthy breakfast, appetizer that can be enjoyed with ketchup or green chutney.

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Posted on May 16, 2014 February 27, 2015

Besan Ladoo Gramflour Sweetballs

Besan ladoo a dessert delicacy that is enjoyed very highly in many homes, especially in the families in Rajasthan. The home environment is in the mood of celebration with the election results in India favouring the candidate of our choice. The prime ministerial candidate coming from my homestate and belonging to a political party to which my family aligns with, so double reason to celebrate. Sweets and desserts make joyous occasions, more joyful, and also chase away the gloomy moments. So presenting Besan Ladoos for all those watching the Indian election and are celebrating or otherwise.

The texture of the besan ladoo is soft yet you can taste the granular feel of the coarse bengal gram flour, which is nicely roasted and mixed with clarified butter(ghee), sugar and cardamom powder. The use of microwave in roasting the besan or bengal gram flour, removes one of the central hurdles in making this at home. As otherwise, a lot of effort and time in required to roast this over the flame that needs, extreme vigilance and efforts. So if you want to try making it , I would strongly recommend you give this microwave based recipe a shot first. It does require you to attend to it by frequent stirring, but the end result and the ease of it is worth the effort.

When rolling the ladoos sweet balls, I travelled back to the experience of making sand castles !! When you take the besan mixture in your hand and make a ball out it, the texture/feel is similar to the sand creations.

Besan Ladoo Gramflour Sweetballs can be made well in advance and used for a longer time period over a 10-15 days. This dessert is mainly consumed during winter, as Gram Besan flour provides heat to the body in the winter climate, along with the extra calories through the sugar in it!. If you want to go hiking,long trips, this can be a handy calorie snack on hand!!

And the celebration is in full swing as at every 100 seat winning, 1 ladoo sweetball is being consumed as the winning party looks like clearly sweeping the elections!

Recipe makes 10-12 Besan Ladoos Gram Flour Sweetballs

Cooking time 30 min

Cooling time : 60 min

Ingredients

1 cup Besan Ladoo Flour (Coarse GramFlour)
3/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup ghee(unmelted) clarified butter
1/2 tsp cardamom powder

Method

Take a broad thick bottom microwave cookware and set the microwave to the highest setting.
In the microwave container, mix the Besan Gram Flour and Ghee with hand. Mix the ghee well into the flour.
Put this mix to cook for 3 min.
Remove from microwave and stir for 15 seconds.
Put again to cook for 2 min.
Repeat cooking for another 2 min and stir.
Cook further for another 1 min and stir.
Cook for further 1 min and stir
Cook for another 1 min and stir,
Cook for another 5 minutes, removing every 30 seconds and stirring it.
Total roasting time of besan gram flour is 15 minutes.
Remove from microwave and let the mixture cool for about an hour.
Mix in sugar and cardamom powder into the cooled roasted besan gramflour.
Take about 2 tbsp mixture into your palm and press it to compact it into balls.
Give the balls a finished shape by rolling them between two palms,
Enjoy these textured sweetball as a dessert, snack or when in need of instant energy . Flash has made the ladoos lighter than actual color in the picture below,

Tips

Sugar to be reduced at least to half for readers in India, as the sugar is more sweeter in India than USA.

You can speed up the cooking by letting it cook for longer period in microwave, but make sure that the besan gramflour does not burn out.

For the change in color, see the variation in shade from plain coarse flour to the final roasted flour.

Instinct Factor

The aroma of roasted gram flour will fill your kitchen to indicate its done. The color of besan gramflour is very close to yellow ochre( in case you are into painting). Beyond 8-9 min you need to be extra careful, as gram flour can burn in a few extra seconds.

Feel Factor

According to my husband, the biggest fan of besan ladoo gramflour sweetballs, the grainy texture of the roasted besan gram flour where you can savour each grain, yet bite into a soft ball, is something that can be devoured in multiples. I like the look of a ball, feel of the grainy texture and loaded with sugar and cardamom. Well roasted besan ladoo were mainly a grandma’s way of capturing the heart of the grandkids and we continue to see this in many places.

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Posted on May 7, 2014 February 27, 2015

Fresh Strawberry Ice cream

Summer is almost here and so is also the season for ice creams. And “I scream” loud for homemade eggless fresh ice cream!! Strawberries this time of the year are juicy, red, sweet and irresistible and so was the first flavour of this season. My journey to ice cream making started about 6 years ago when I started experimenting and created new flavours and version including cinnamon strawberry, fresh rose petal ice cream, blueberries with coconut to name a few. Hopefully I will revisit all of them this season and am able to share all the delicious recipes with all!

This year’s ice cream season started with fresh strawberry ice cream. If you have invested in an electric ice cream maker, then you can easily have a new flavour every second day!! I have found the electric ice cream maker very easy to use and dependable. Alternatively, I would suggest experimenting by using a hand blender and mixing it in a container, surrounded by ice. And then freeze it for at least 14-15 hours before serving it. This approach in my view should work, but easiest is if you can find a good electric ice cream maker.

Fresh strawberries, with some chunky pieces to bite on and some pureed with a dash of lemon, some, cream , milk, sugar and slight hint of vanilla essence are the ingredients for it. “WOW” is simply the word for this utterly delicious combination that looks tempting and tastes light and refreshing!

We often wonder how is ice cream made at home ? In my view in a jiffy with just a little bit planning needed in chilling the container ahead! A dessert that you can make way ahead of time and enjoy for many many days! Just mix and let the ice cream maker do all the effort! And when you serve this in a sugar cone you sure are going to receive many brownie points from one and all!!

Recipe makes 1 quart cup of frozen ice cream

Cooking Time: 50 min

Chilling Time : 12 hours

Pre Chill Time – 24 hours

Ingredients

1 1/2 cup strawberries chopped into medium size pieces
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tbsp sugar for strawberreis
1/2 tsp lemon
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla essence

Method

Mix the strawberries and lemon and crush it with a spoon or blender so that there is some puree and some pieces .
Set the container in the ice cream maker and start the machine.
Once it starts revolving, put milk, sugar , essence, crushed strawberries,
Then add heavy cream ,
Let the ice cream maker churn for 4o min,
At the end of the 40 min, the ice cream bowl would be almost scrape free clean and the mixture would be all mixed into one huge scoop.
Empty this into freezer safe container and chill to set for about 12 hours minimum.
Serve chilled topped with some chocolate syrup and slices of fresh strawberries, or just plain strawberry ice cream is delicious.

Tips

Toppings can be some chocolate syrup, sprinkles, some fresh slices of strawberries

Instinct Factor

If the color is not pink enough, you need to add a little bit more of strawberry puree, and this can be mixed in while it is being made.

Feel Factor

Light and refreshing , fresh and delicious, colorful and chilled, with some fresh strawberry pieces in it, you are sure to have more than one helping of this!! Once in a cone, once in a cup and once in a waffle bowl!!

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Posted on May 5, 2014 February 27, 2015

Palak Paneer with Layered Paratha ( Spinach and Cottage Cheese with Bread)

Palak Paneer the quick way – ready in under half hour and still retaining its green color along with all its nutrients. With the ease of readily available frozen paneer cubes of Nanak ( my preferred brand) , whisking this very appetizing entree in a jiffy is a breeze. Specially needed when you are wanting something like a restaurant food but made at home, to cheer up your spirits. You are just too lazy to go out, but still want something tasty without much efforts.

Combination of Palak and Paneer or Spinach and cottage cheese is a very delectable one,, often found in samosa, pies, calzones, artisan pizzas-to name a few so am not surprised that this is also a very popular dish in the Indian menu and liked by all including those trying out Indian cuisine for the first time.

Healthy dose of calcium, folate and vitamin c will chase those blues away for sure! And when accompanied by fancy layered paratha, the combination is suddenly more appetizing. If you do not have the time, opt for the Malaysian Parathas or Kawan Parathas and your meal is ready to enjoy! When I was able to get a layered look, closely resembling the Kawan Paratha look, I felt good in being able to “crack the layer” in the layered paratha and on cooking, the paratha remained soft, even though it was made of whole wheat flour.

Soft Parathas with Palak Paneer or Spinach and Cottage cheese and you evening meal is quick, satisfying . A feel good meal as you savour the cottage cheese paneer with the slightly leafy grainy texture of Spinach with ginger and chillies .giving it a fulfilling taste.

Recipe makes 1-2 people

Cooking time 30 min

Prep time 5 min

Ingredients

For Palak Paneer

1 bunch of Palak (Spinach)
5-6 Paneer Cubers ( Cottage Cheese)- Nanak brand preferred
1 inch ginger
1-2 green chillies
pinch of asofoetida
1/2 tsp tomato paste
1 1/2 tbsp oil
salt to taste

For layered paratha

1 cup whole wheat flour
pinch of salt
water about cup to cup and a half
ghee (clarified butter) approx half a cup

Method

Bring about a liter of water to boil in a deep pan on a medium high flame.
Medium chop the Spinach and wash in plenty of water and drain.
As the water boils, add spinach and cook for 5-6 min.
Using a tea strainer, remove the boiled spinach immediately from the water and let it drain.
Grind the chillies and ginger in a mortar pestle
Put the oil to heat in abroad pan.
Once the oil heats, add the ginger chillies paste and saute for a minute on a medium, stirring and making sure it does not burn.
Add the boiled spinach/ palak /tomato paste to the seasoning.
Cook on medium flame for 6 min.
Put a bowl of water to heat in a microwave for 2 minute
Add the frozen paneer cubes or cottage cheese to the boiled water.
Let the paneer soften for 5 min.
Remove and make even square pieces, if the cubes are too big. Otherwise, just toss the warm paneer cottage cheese into the palak spinach and cook for 3-4 min on a medium flame.
Serve hot with layered Paratha or bread of your choice.

Layered Paratha

Take a quarter cup size round ball of dough
On a rolling board, make a flat round about 8 inches wide.
Grease the top with ghee, spread evenly all around.
Start rolling inwards from the top of the flat circle .
Once you finish rolling, make a spiral circle out of the this.
This spiral circles will make layers when cooked.
Roll again to an 8 inch wide flat circle.
Grease a thick tawa or griddle.
Lay the rolled side down onto the tawa to cook on a medium flame.
Once golden spots appear, flip it over and grease with some ghee.
Cook the other side similarly until you see some layers in the paratha.
Serve warm with Palak Paneer or Spinach and Cottage Cheese.

Tips

If the dough is too stiff, the paratha will become crispier. A softer dough will help the paratha bread to turn out softer.

To match the taste and texture of restaurant or malaysian parathas, use plain flour instead of wheat flour

Instinct Factor

Layered paratha bread is little tricky to cook, but trust your instinct in knowing it right. Medium flame and soft dough will give you the best results.

Feel Factor

In the Palak Paneer with Layered Paratha, The crispy look with soft taste of the layered paratha bread with the colorful green palak paneer or Spinach and Cottage cheese is a mouth watering combination .This is a visually appealing and highly appetizing meal that fulfills your appetite and cravings for a tasty yummy meal! The spice of chilli ginger in Palak Paneer or Spinach Cottage cheese gives it just the right zing to make it an appetizing entree and when you are successful in cooking the layered paratha correctly, you just raised the bar!

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Posted on April 27, 2014 February 15, 2016

Seeraa Warm Jaggery Pudding

Time for Dessert on account of two reasons! Reason 1- When you have not posted for almost a month because of an extremely busy schedule, and you have secured likes during that period, you certainly need to celebrate and feel grateful for the encouragement you have got from the recent people who have liked CookingbyInstinct! Reason 2- Feeling low on energy.

A pudding out of Jaggery, Flour and Clarified butter is an ancient Indian tonic for instant energy, iron enrichment and strengthening of immunity. Seera is more well known as an easy often made dessert at home, specially in the states of Gujarat and Rajasthan, whose cuisines I am more familiar with. It is often also known as Halwa, Atta ka Halwa too.

Folklores are built around this dessert, many mentioning it as the dessert you often ate over a vacation at your grandmas’ house and returned to your parents place gaining those extra pounds that also enabled you to build your immunity. The sudden urge to cook and write on this, came as I was just physically exhausted, in need of comfort food that was quick and gave me energy. I decided to resort to my mother’s handy dessert that she often makes in such situation and instant energy is something that I was in strongly need of. In fact this was a whole lunch meal by itself for two days, and I can totally rely on it to get me up on my feet, beating the exhaustion and spring allergy season during this time of the year. If only the spring weather was without the pollen allergies, but wishful thinking it shall remain..

This was cooked in two different shades over two days to ensure the color of the pudding matched the way it is eaten in the states of Gujarat and Rajasthan respectively! What I immensely like about it, other than the taste of it, is that after cooking, it fills your home with the aroma of flour roasted in clarified butter, mixed with the fragrance of cardamom, spreading the warmth in the entire home!

Ready in under ten minutes, this dessert is smooth and soft and the taste is sweet flavoured with cardamom, and because it is eaten hot/warm it is a comforting meal, specially when you are not feeling too well. This is often a prescribed home remedy post any dental surgery/extractions too. Often cooked during winter weather to give extra immunity to the body to fight the chill and also relish the warm pudding on a cold winter day!

Recipe Serving for 1-2 person

Cooking Time 10 min

Ingredients

1/4 cup jaggery
1/4 ghee (clarified butter) unmelted
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
4-5 Whole cardamoms finely crushed along with skin
1 cup water

Method

In a broad heavy bottom pan, put the clarified ghee to melt on a medium flame.
On another burner, put water and jaggery to boil on a medium high flame.
When the ghee melts, reduce the flame to slow and stir in the flour, and keep stirring for 3-4 minutes.
When the color becomes either caramel colored remove flame and the burner.
Seera color as eaten in Gujarat
If you prefer a dark color of the pudding you can cook the flour for a minute more.
Jodhpur- Rajasthani preference of color of Seera
When the jaggery is completely melted and the the water has evaporated to about half a cup, remove from flame ( In about 4-5 min approx)
Use a tea strainer and strain the boiling water into the roasted flour and mix well.
The flour will instantly absorb most water.
On a slow flame, cook the pudding for about 4 min till you see ghee separating out on the edges
Mix the crushed cardamom into the pudding.

Serve warm

Tips

When roasting the flour keep the flame to the minimum and ensure that the flour does not burn, as that will give a bitter taste to the pudding.

When pouring water into the flour again reduce the flame to minimum as hot water drops may splash outside the pan.

A combination meal on this would be Seera/Halwa with Puri (Bread) and Aloo Sabji( Potato Vegetable)

Instinct Factor

Look out for the fragrance arising out of the cooked flour, to ascertain if the flour is roasted well enough!

Feel Factor

Extremely easy, healthy, very quick and comforting seera jaggery pudding , that also happens to be an Indian Grandma’s medicine to all that is ailing!! Seera for the Body and Seera Jaggery Pudding for the upliftment of Spirits!. Seera is a Caramel Color Dessert that is a very unique warm sweet soft dessert that is enjoyed and is comforting to a baby and definitely even a grandma in India!

Posted on March 31, 2014 February 27, 2015

Onion Upma ( Semolina with Onions and Peas)

My journey to cooking began with this Onion Upma, in March 1997 in Melbourne, Australia. I was born and raised in India, with ample affordability of servants and cooks. I did not have to handle any household work, but concentrate on studying and career. Then came the task of leaving these comforts and charting new territories. My husband and I decided to explore overseas opportunities, and the first one that came along was an assignment in Melbourne, Australia. I fell in love with Melbourne, and it till today, even after travelling across the globe a fair amount, still retains a special place in my heart. I still consider this as the best city in the world to live in, for the comfort, beauty, weather, arts, food and all things good it has to offer! I have fond memories of South Yarra river meandering through the town, tram railroad, the British Accent in people and their love for Indian Food. Indian cuisine was as popular, as Chinese and Pizza in USA. I felt at home very easily over there because of this.

What has Onion Upma do with Melbourne? We were sharing an apartment at the company guest house which was mainly housed by bachelors. We experienced fellow Indian hospitality. Our roommate Surya, made us this Upma for breakfast, and I was totally amazed by his skills. Here was I, with no cooking skills, and in front of me, was this yummy Upma made by a total stranger and that too a male! In our culture, cooking by men in the family is a RARE sight! So I decided that day, to start learning how to cook, and the first item I learned was how to make this delicious upma from him. And that’s where my cooking journey began. I was so happy with my achievement, that the I brought over the measurement spoon from Surya, all the way to USA, as my Good Luck charm and may just be passed on as a legacy to my daughter!

Upma being such a popular breakfast item in South India, has many versions. This version of Upma, consists of onions, peas, spices and has the consistency of it being soft and crumbly texture. which is different then the paste like texture at many places. Onion Upma bears some resemblance to Grits, but is spicier and has added nuts. I only thought it befitting to share a southern Indian recipe, and celebrate and wish Happy Ugadi to All for a prosperous beginning of a new year, new season, new hobby and a new spring in the step!

Recipe makes for 3 people

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups Upma Rava (Semolina)
1 medium yellow onion lengthwise sliced
1/2 cup shelled sweet peas
1 tsp mustard seeds
2 tsp urad dal ( split black lentil without skin)
1 tbsp cashew nuts
6 green chillies
8-10 curry leaves
1 1/2 tbsp chopped coriander to garnish
3 tsp oil
Salt to taste
1 1/2 tsp ghee(clarified butter)

Method

In a broad pan, heat the oil on a medium flame
Add mustard seeds, wait for it to crackle.
Add green chillies, cashews,urad dal (black lentil split), curry leaves and saute until cashews are golden brown.
Mix onions and add cover and cook for 6 min until onions are golden brown, on a slow flame.
Add 2 1/2 cups of water, peas, cover and let it simmer on medium flame for 8 min .
While this is simmering, on a shallow flat thick bottom pan, roast the upma rava to mild pinkish tint for about 5 min, on a medium flame.
Remove the lid, and stir in the roasted upma to the onion mix, making sure no lumps are left.
Add ghee, stir well, cover and cook for further 4 min on slow flame.
Garnish with coriander and serve.

Tips

Pre roasted Semolina or Upma Rava is also available in Indian Grocery Stores, which will be less time consuming.

Using Yellow Onions, will make it sweeter and less pungent than the Shallot onions

When you stir in the upma, all water should be used, which will enable it to have a crumbly texture.

Instinct Factor

Roast the upma, till you have the aroma of Roasted Semolina.

Feel Factor

Comfort, feel good breakfast that I can never tire of! Upma in any form is welcome breakfast any morning. The softness of semolina, flavored with the sweetness of cashews, spice of green chillies and crunchy black lentils gives it a nice aromatic fragrance, that wakes up your senses for sure! For a western comparison this is similar to Grits but drier and spicier.

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Posted on March 28, 2014 February 27, 2015

Cabbage Tapioca Puffed Rice Mix

Cabbage Tapioca Puffed Rice mIx , in my native language of Gujarati, is knowns as Kobich no Chevdo”. Chevdo is more a snacky item akin to a trail mix, or a broken puffed flakes/rice bar with nuts in it. So this is more like an Indian version of the nuts trail mix, with added cabbage and tapioca pearls, but served warm. This is a quick brunch, heavy breakfast menu item. It has the crunchiness of roasted peanuts, cashews and bengal gram dal and it also the softness of tapioca pearls and rice flakes. Chevdo in Gujarat is a handy snack, made out of rice flakes, corn flakes and mixed with nuts. Typically the flakes are fried and mixed with nuts. In my opinion, this is a more healthy version of a Chevdo and nutritious too, with the added cabbage in it. The green of the cabbage and spice of green chilies gives it a nice zing to this unusual mix. Another way to look at it is , it will have a bit of flavour to appeal all kinds of tastebuds, salty, sweet, spicy,sour, soft, crunchy and overall still very colorful. Almost feels like you are having a hot bhel, with so many ingredients mixed together, and gives the similarity to bhel.

Recipe makes servings for 3 people

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups Sabudana Tapioca Pearls
3/4 cups rice flakes
5 cups cabbage thinly sliced
1/3 cup chopped coriander
1/4 cup peanuts
1/8 cup yellow skinned bengal gram dal (Daaliya ni daal)
1/8 cup cashews
6 green chillies medium chopped
8 curry leaves
2 tbsp sugar
1/2 lemon’s juice
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 cup fresh/dried coconut
1/3 cup oil
salt to taste

Method

Wash the Tapioca pearls gently, three times in water, and then soak it in water for 2 hours and cover.
Wash the rice flakes , gently, thrice in plenty of water and soak it for twenty minutes.
In a broad pan, heat the oil.
Add mustard seeds, green chillies, peanuts, cashews, split yellow bengal gram lentils, and curry leaves.
Saute on medium flame, till peanuts, cashews are golden brown.
Add shredded cabbage and mix well.
Saute cabbage for 8-10 min till almost cooked.
Add salt,sugar, soaked tapioca pearls, sabudana and rice flakes.
Mix well and cook for 7-8 min until tapioca pearls have become soft.
Add lemon juice, garnish with coriander, dried/fresh coconut and serve.