ZAAFRAANI ZARDA

ZAFRANI ZARDA

ZAFRANI ZARDA......is a festive dish made of boiled rice (golden sehla variety). It looks like a pulao, and is mildly sweet with a heart warming aroma of kewra.  The dish is typically Awadhi and has a very strong influence of Persian cooking in terms of the aroma and liberal addition of dry fruits, also the dum style of cooking. As the name suggests it gets it’s aroma and the festive yellow colour (zard means yellow) from zafran (saffron). Zarda is typically served during a meal or distributed during special religious occasions. One can serve it as a part of the meal spread by itself or as dessert accompanied with rabri. Zarda is served warm, making it appropriate to be eaten in winters.

Serves: 6-8

Ingredients

• 2 cup  Golden Sehla Rice (soaked for 2 to 3 hours)

• 1 ½ cup Sugar

• 6 to 8 Pistachio (chopped)

• 6 to 8 Almond (chopped)

• 2 tsbp raisins soaked in warm water

• ½ cup candy fruit

• 8 Cloves

• 2 tbsp Desi  Ghee (clarified butter)

• 6 Green cardamoms (Choti Ilaichi)

• ½ cup Milk

• ½ tsp saffron strands soaked in ¼ cup of warm milk

• 1 tsp kewra water

• Few petals of red Indian rose for garnish

Method:

·         Boil 1 litre water.

·         Add rice to the boiling water and cook with 4 cloves and 3 cardamoms for 15 minutes.

·         drain all the extra water when the rice is cooked

·         Put the boiled rice in a large bowl. Add milk, saffron, sugar, dry fruits and candied fruits and mix it well.

·         Heat ghee in a pan, fry the balance cloves and cardamom, when they turn slightly brown and an aroma starts to infuse, add rice and mix it well and then put on dum (cover with a tight lid and seal the edges with dough, so no steam is allowed to escape- this process helps retain the aroma) for 5 min on high heat. put it on slow heat for a further 15 mins

·         Sprinkle the kewra water on the warm rice before serving.

·         Garnish with rose petals.

Kewra water is available at all leading food stores. Kewra water can be substituted with rose water.

Nutrition value: the dry fruits provide essential nutrients and an array of health protective bioactive ingredients, making them valuable tools to both increase diet quality and help reduce the risk of chronic diseases.

Papaya Leaf Remedy for Dengue

It is a good, not so wintery day. I have been away for a long time and feel good to be back. The reason of my chhutti was my son’s coming down with dengue. The dreaded disease had taken epidemic proportions in the last few months all over the country. The following is a home remedy to bring up the platelet count. It helped my son in recovering well. Accompany this with the prescribed medication and lots and lots of fluids. Daabh (tender coconut water), soups, juices, nimbu paani consumed by the litres is very good. Colas and other aerated drinks should be avoided, so should be any food with preservatives.

RAW PAPAYA LEAVES – This is a natural cure for dengue fever. The juice of Papaya leaf is a sure cure for platelet deficiency. Research shows, papaya leaf juice helps increase white blood cells and platelets, normalizes clotting, and repairs the liver. There is a condition to this remedy; however, the papaya leaf juice will not be as effective during the final stages of dengue fever since, by then, the patient’s organs are already badly affected by the disease.
 

PREPARATION: -You need 2 pcs. Of tender raw papaya leaves - Wash thoroughly, pound and squeeze with filter cloth. - one normally gets 1 tablespoon juice per leaf. The standard dose is 2 tablespoons which should be administered once a day. - Do not dilute,  cook or rinse with  water, it will lose its curative value.-stop it once the platelet count is satisfactory 

 

DISCLAIMER: This information IS NOT INTENDED TO PROVIDE MEDICAL ADVICE. Before undertaking any course of treatment, the reader must seek the advice of their physician or other health care provider

"GOLI"

Namaste to all of you.

The dish we’ll be talking about today was made on popular demand by my late sister in law. We were very eager to eat but always reluctant to learn how to cook this delicacy.

I am glad that i did give in to her and learnt how to cook it. The delectable little globs ostensibly called ‘goli’ are akin to a kofta , eaten dry as a snack or  as a side dish....or a meal in itself with onions and tandoori roti

RECIPE FOR GOLI

Serving : 6

Prep time : 25 minutes

Cooking time : 25 minutes

Ingredients required

Keema ( minced mutton)                    ½ kg

Onions (finely chopped)                     1 cup

Onions ( finely sliced)                         1 ½ cups

Garlic     (finely chopped)                   100 gms               

Ginger  (finely chopped)                     100 gms               

Green cardamom                               6 nos

Cloves                                               6 nos

Black cardamom                               1 whole

Bay leaf                                             2 whole

Cinnamon                                          1 1/2” stick

Black peppercorns                            10 nos

Nutmeg                                             ½ cm piece

Ghee (clarified butter)                        3 tbsp

Red chilli powder                              1 tsp

Yoghurt                                            ½ cup

Chaat masala                                    1 tsp

Lemon juice                                       1 tsp

Salt                                                   to taste (I usually add 2  tsp)

Green coriander                                for garnish

Method:

• Ask your butcher to grind the mince fine. Alternatively, you could do it in the food processor
• Keep the bay leaf aside. Dry roast all the whole spices on a hot girdle for a minute
• Crush to a coarse powder
• Take the mince in a bowl. Add finely chopped onions, finely chopped ginger and garlic, ground spices, red chilli powder, lemon juice, salt to taste. Mix thoroughly.
• Form 1” balls.
• Heat a wide heavy bottom skillet.
• Lower flame
• Place all the golis in bottom of the pan in a single layer
• Take care to keep space of 1 cm in between the golis
• Mix ½ cup water to the yoghurt
• Sprinkle this yoghurt on top of the golis
• If your utensil cannot accommodate all the golis in one layer. You can make it in different batches. Dividing the yoghurt mixture equally for all the batches.
• Cover and cook on low heat for 20 minutes
• Heat ghee in a wok
• Add bay leaf and sliced onions. Brown the onions
• Add the golis, stir to cover with onions
• Add chaat masala
• Serve garnished with finely chopped coriander leaves

Alternatively, you could make a spicy onion / tomato gravy and add the golis to it to be served as main dish.

The golis can be cooked and frozen to be used later.

The golis can be served as a snack or a side dish. 

THANDE MASALE KI ROHU

Thanda masala is a unique spice blend, used extensively in kayastha families of eastern UP and some parts of Bihar.Thanda masala, as the name suggests, is devoid of all the spices clubbed under the header of garam masala......Rohu is a fresh water fish of the carp family.. considered to be a delicacy in eastern UP, Bihar, Bengal and Orrissa.

This fish curry is an all season and any occasion delicacy....usually a lunch time treat. This rohu curry is served with boiled rice and a kachumbar salad on the side. This is a hot and sour curry with a pungent/sour taste lent by freshly ground yellow mustard seeds.

The head of the fish is the most delicious piece. It was always given to the most important person on the table and if not that, then was a bone of contention amongst the kids

Hope you enjoy this recipe as much my family and i do.

THANDE MASALE KI ROHU

Serves 6

Time

Prep:  15 mins

Cooking: ½ hour

Ingredients:

Rohu fish                                                             1 kg

(Scaled and cut into 3” pieces, including the head)

Yellow Mustard                                                  3 tbsp

Garlic cloves                                                       25 gms (1 whole pod of 1 ½ inch width)

Whole red chillies                                                6-8 nos

Coriander powder                                              2tbsp

Raw mango powder                                           1 tbsp

Methi seeds                                                       ½ tsp

Mustard oil                                                         1cup

Turmeric powder                                                1tsp

Onion                                                                 1 small

Lime juice                                                           1 tbsp

Tomatoes (peeled and chopped)                         2 cups

Green coriander                                                 2 tbsp

Salt                                                                     to taste

Method:

§  Ask your fishmonger to scale, clean the guts and cut the fish into 3” pieces.

§  Marinate the fish in salt, turmeric powder, ½ tsp lime juice

§  Soak mustard seeds and whole red chillies in 1 cup tepid water for 10 mins

§  Grind onions,garlic,mustard and redchillies to a fine paste

§  Add coriander powder,raw mango powder and salt into this spice mix

§  Add enough water to make a thick paste

§  Heat mustard oil to smoking point

§  Fry the fish ,on high flame, few pieces at a time, 1 minute a side

§  Drain and keep aside

§  Add methi seeds to the remaining hot oil.

§  After ½ minute add the spice mix.

§  Stir to bhunao.

§  Add ½ cup hot water once oil floats on top of the spice mix

§  Repeat process 4 times.

§  This process will increase the volume of the spice mix and enhance all the flavours

§  Add peeled and chopped tomatoes

§  Cover and cook till tomatoes become mushy and a homogeneous sauce is formed

§   Check that the sauce has oil floating on top

§  Add fried pieces of fish

§  Stir gently to coat all the pieces with the sauce.

§  Take care not to stir too much, otherwise the fish will break

§  Cover and cook for 5 mins

§  Stir once more

§  Add 2 cups of hot water to make a thick gravy

§  Cover and cook for 3 mins

§  Add lime juice and check for seasoning

§  Garnish with chopped coriander leaves

§  Serve with boiled rice and kachumber salad on the side

§  

ENJOY !!!

Nutritive Value:

The key ingredient of the spice mix "mustard sees" - Generally perceived as health benefiting spice, mustard seeds are very rich in phyto-nutrients, minerals, vitamins and anti-oxidants.

PHARA (rice flour dumplings with chickpea filling)

Monsoons demand hot and spicy snacks. Phara (rice flour dumplings with spicy chickpea filling) is just the snack, which hits the spot in rainy evenings, served with steaming cups of chai. This dish needs some planning, but is well worth the effort. 

PHARA

(rice flour dumplings with chickpea filling)

Serves  6

Time:

Preparation: 3hrs(soaking time) + 10 mins

Cooking time: 20 mins+20 mins + 10 mins frying

Ingredients

Rice flour                                             250 gms

Gram dal ( split chickpeas)                   200gms

Green cardamom                                 2nos

Cloves                                                 2nos

Pepper corns                                       8 nos

Bay leaf                                               2nos

Cinnamon                                            ½”pc

Turmeric pdr                                       ½ tsp

Green chillies                                      4 nos

Fresh green coriander                         2tbsp chopped

Lime juice                                           1 tsp

Salt                                                     to taste

Cold water(to knead rice flour)           1/3cup

Water for boiling                                 1 ½ ltr

Vegetable oil for shallow frying

Method

Ø  Soak gram dal for 3 hrs

Ø  Drain

Ø  Heat 1 tbsp oil.  add whole spices. Add soaked dal. Add turmeric and salt to taste.

Ø  Stir for 1 minute on med flame

Ø  Add enough warm water to cover the lentils

Ø  Cover and cook on low flame for 20 mins or till dal softens and the water dries

Ø  Mash with the back of a wooden ladle when soft

Ø  Allow to cool slightly

Ø  Add chopped green chillies, green coriander and lime juice...check seasoning

Ø  Knead rice flour with ½ tsp salt and cold water to a soft dough

Ø  Put water to boil in a large pan. add 1 tbs salt and 2 tbsp oil.

Ø  Divide dough equally into 1” balls

Ø  Apply oil lightly on palm

Ø  Press to make a 2” wide, 1/4 cm thick disk

Ø  Take 2 tsp mashed dal , put in centre of disk, fold rice flour into a half moon crescent shape by bringing edges together.

Ø  Press edge to seal well. check for any gaps in dumpling. press well to seal.

Ø  Finish the dough and lentil mixture in same way, by making dumplings

Ø  Gently drop in boiling water

Ø  Boil for 15 mins. Scoop out dumplings with slotted spoon ,once they float on top

Ø  Heat pan , add oil for shallow frying

Ø  Cut dumplings in 2 cm thick slices.

Ø  Shallow fry to a golden crisp on both sides

Ø  Serve hot with green coriander chutney

nutritive Value:  Phara is a low fat snack. can be had without frying to make it fat free.

little cheat: Chickpeas can be swapped with fresh green peas for variety.

DAL – PEETHI (WHOLE WHEAT DUMPLINGS IN LENTIL SAUCE)

Monsoons were a time when green vegetables were not easily available. It was a trying time for a housewife-mother. She found it challenging to put delicious and nutritious food on the table. It was on such times, when the pantry was searched for different types of lentils. This recipe was born out of necessity and shows the resourcefulness of the woman of the house. That was then, now, this is a much in demand monsoon dish, relished by my family. We serve it hot ,while it’s pouring outside, with onion fritters, papad and pickles.

Dal-peethi : dal (lentils); peethi (dumplings)

SERVES-6

TIME:

PREP:30 MINS

COOKING:1  Hr

INGREDIENTS:

Chana dal                             50gms

Arhar dal                              50gms

Kali masoor dal                    50gms

Dhuli masoor dal                  50gms

Moong dal                           50 gms

Urad dal                              50gms

Whole wheat flour                375 gms (3 cups)

Ghee (clarified butter)           60 gms(4 tbsp)

Green cardamom                 4 nos

Cloves                                4nos

Bayleaves                             3

Cinnamon                            1”pc

Cumin seeds                        1 tsp

Whole red chillies                4nos

Red chilli powder                1tsp

Turmeric powder                1tsp

Garam masala powder         ½ tsp

Asafoetida powder              ½ tsp

Garlic                                  8 cloves

Ginger                                 1 ½ pc

Onions                                100 gms

Tomatoes                            100 gms

Green chillies                       2 nos

Vegetable oil                        30gms (3 tbsp)

Salt                                      3 tsp (according to taste)

METHOD:

·        Wash all the pulses together and soak in room temperature water for ½ hr.

·        Peel the onion, garlic and ginger , chop them finely

·        Chop the tomatoes and green chillies

·        Take a pressure cooker (5lt capacity)

·        Heat the vegetable oil

·        Add whole spices (cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, bayleaves)

·        Drain soaked lentils, add to the whole spices after about 30 secs

·        Stir for a minute. Add turmeric powder and salt.

·        Add 1 ltr of hot water.

·        Cover and cook under pressure for 20 mins

·        In the meanwhile knead the whole wheat flour with 1 tbsp ghee, salt and 1 ½ cup water.

·        Open the lid of the pressure cooker. The lentils should have been cooked by now. Mash the lentils very lightly with the back of a wooden spoon

·        Put the lentils back on low fire

·        Fashion dumplings (max thickness ½ cm) in interesting shapes, out of the flour

·        Drop them one by one in simmering lentil mixture

·        Keep stirring after every 2-3 mins

·        The dumplings would have cooked in 15 mins time.check

·        The consistency should be of cream soup. If you feel it’s too thick, add some hot water

·        Take off flame

·        Heat ghee in a pan, add cumin seeds, asafoetida powder, chopped, ginger,  garlic, onions and green chillies

·        Stir till caramalised

·        Add the coriander powder, chilli powder and chopped tomatoes

·        Cooked till tomatoes soften. mash well

·        Temper the ‘dal-peethi’ with the onion tomato mixture

·        Sprinkle garam masala powder. Mix well. Serve hot.

NUTRITIVE VALUE : lentils a great source of proteins and roughage. 

little cheat : if you cannot find so many lentils in your pantry , feel free to use as many as you have and you can happily substitute one for another. just ,take care about the total measurement.

NIMONAA (GREEN PEA CURRY)

Winter season begins in late October, early November in north India. With that come fresh peas, sweet, soft and luscious green. The markets are laden with mounds of this farmer’s bounty. One found womenfolk sitting around a mound and shelling the pods while indulging in cheerful banter,soaking the soft winter sun. Children were always found running away with fistful of these green pearls, chided happily by the elder women. “Nimonaa” was a dish which would herald the advent of winters. Hot nimonaa on rice is still a favourite winter lunch dish, much enjoyed by my family.

Little cheat – if you’re feeling lazy and do not wish to shell peapods, you can gladly open a packet of the frozen ones, defrost and make the dish.In which case you need not wait for the winters to enjoy this dish.

 

Recipe for NIMONAA ( green pea curry)

Serving :6

Prep time: 45 mins

Cooking time : 45 mins

Ingredients:

Fresh green peas             ½ kg

Onions                            200 gms

Garlic                              50 gms

Ginger                             50 gms

Tomatoes                        150 gms

Badi*                              50 gms

Bay leaf                           2 nos

Coriander powder           2 tsp

Red chilli powder             2 tsp

Turmeric powder             1 tsp

Green coriander               2 nos

Cloves                             3 nos

Cinnamon                        1” pc

Nutmeg                           ½ cm pc

Whole red chilli                2 nos

Mustard oil                      75 ml (1/2 cup)

Ghee (clarified butter)       1 tbsp

Hot water                         3 cups

Sugar                               ½ tsp

Salt                                   to taste (approx 1 ½ tsp)

Method:

Ø  Shell peas

Ø  Put away a fistful and grind the rest of the peas to a coarse paste (do not add any water) this can be done in a food processor.

Ø  Grind the onions into a fine paste

Ø  Grind ginger garlic to a fine paste

Ø  Dice  tomatoes

Ø   Dry roast the whole spices (Green coriander, Cloves, Cinnamon and Nutmeg) in a pan and grind to a fine powder

Ø  Heat a heavy bottom pan

Ø  Add mustard oil. Heat to smoking point

Ø  Lower heat.Break the badis* into large chunkks. Add broken badi*. Fry till golden brown. Drain on paper towel.

Ø  Add bay leaves and sugar

Ø  Add ground onion as soon as the sugar starts caramelising

Ø  Fry on medium heat till the onion paste dries and changes colour to light brown.

Ø  Add diced tomatoes.fry till they turn into a paste and oil floats on top

Ø  Add ground peas

Ø  Fry on low heat, covered. Keep stirring every 2 mins.( the mixture tends to stick to the bottom of the pan. Keep scraping the residue. This will lend a beautiful roasted aroma to the dish) this process will take 20 mins.

Ø  Add ginger garlic paste. Coriander powder, chilli powder. fry for another 5 mins

Ø  Check if the paste has oil residue on the sides.

Ø  Add whole peas and fried badi*

Ø  Fry for 2 mins.Add salt to taste

Ø  Add hot water

 Ø  Boil. Lower flame.Simmer for 10 mins

Ø  Add the ground whole spices. Simmer for another minute and take off from flame.

Ø  In a pan heat the ghee ( clarified butter) add whole red chillies. Temper the Nimonaa. Close lid immediately.

Ø  This dish is best served with plain boiled rice.

*Badi - is a sundried condiment, made of urad (blackgram) dal,with spices. Badi is easily available at local grocery stores. 

Nutrition value

Peas are high in fiber, protein, vitamins, minerals, and lutein. Dry weight is about one-quarter protein and one-quarter sugar.

Gosht ka Do-Pyaza

Summers were always spent on our farmland in Azamgarh.....it used to be time spent with extended family, where uncles were busy collecting fruits and vegetables to be eaten fresh, aunts would be cooking under grandmother’s hawkeye and us cousins would be found perched on mango trees or in the country pool next to the tube well soaking in cool water with a mango in each hand.....

And ...once in a rare while our grandfather would cook his, now famous “gosht ka do pyaza”.....which needed much less supervision than us, kids.

Recipe for “Gosht ka do-pyaza”

Servings: 6

Prep time: ½ hour

Cooking time: 1 ½ hour

Ingredients Required:

Gosht (mutton of goat)                    500 gms                on the bone,cut in 2” pieces (middle

                                                                                                 neck,best end /shoulder)

Onions                                           750gms                 cut in thick slices

Garlic                                             100 gms                cloves peeled and left whole

Ginger                                            100 gms                thinly sliced

Green cardamom                            6 nos

Cloves                                            6 nos

Black cardamom                             1 whole

Bay leaf                                          3 whole

Cinnamon                                       2” stick

Black peppercorns                         10 nos

Dry red chillies                                4 nos

Nutmeg                                           ½ cm piece

Ghee (clarified butter)                      3 tbsp

Red chilli powder                            1 tsp

Salt                                                  to taste (I usually add 2 ½ tsp)

Method:

Ø  In a pan ,dry roast all the whole spices (green cardamom, cloves, black cardamom, cinnamon, bay leaves, black peppercorns, dry whole red chillies, nutmeg)

Ø  Pound with a pestle to break into large pieces

Ø  Divide chopped onions ,chopped ginger,  whole garlic, the ground spices, into 3 equal portions

Ø  Divide mutton into 2 equal portions

Ø  Take a heavy bottomed ‘handi’ (iron skillet)

Ø  Line bottom of the pan with one portion onion, ginger, garlic and ground whole spices.

Ø  Lay one portion mutton in a single layer over the onions

Ø  Cover with another portion of onion, ginger, garlic and ground whole spices.

Ø  Repeat layering with second portion of mutton

Ø  Cover with third portion of onion, ginger, garlic and ground whole spices.

Ø  Sprinkle red chilli powder and salt

Ø  Cover with tight lid and put on medium flame (originally this was cooked on wood fired country stove)

Ø  Stir once after every 15 mins

Ø  After about an hour the onions would have become integrated into a pulp and begun to stick at the bottom of the pan

Ø  Add ghee (clarified butter)

Ø  Keep stirring every 3 mins and cook uncovered on low flame till ghee separates and floats on top

Ø  The dish would be rich mocha in colour with gloss

Ø  Check for seasoning...the onions lend their sweetness to the dish. So, more chilli powder can be added, if one wishes to make the dish slightly hot.

Ø  Best served with Roti (Indian flat bread) and onion salad on the side.

Nutritive value:

Mouton :  Lower in total fat, saturated fat, calories and cholesterol than traditional meats.  Additionally goat meat has higher values in iron, potassium, and thiamine together with less sodium than traditional meats.  50% less fat than beef, 45% less fat than lamb, 15% less fat than veal, yet a great taste. What is there not to like in goat meat?

Be it a hot summer afternoon in the orchards or a chilly winter night spent next to the bonfire under starry skies....this dish is sure to hit the spot.

Atte Ka Halwa (Wholewheat Flour dessert)

My Grandmother loved cooking for family and guests. Food was pretty much the center of all social interaction. Halwa is a nutritous and simple dish which is made on most all occasions in a typical Kayastha household. The simplicity of this dish makes it even more delicious

Servings: 6
Time - Prep: 5 mins
           Cooking: 25 mins

Ingredients Required:

Atta (Wholewheat Flour)                    1 cup (110 gms)
Sugar                                                 1 cup (110 gms)
Ghee (Clarified Butter)                       1 cup (220 gms)
Water                                                2 cups (230 ml)
Kishmish (Raisins, soaked)                 1 tbsp
Badam (Almonds, slivered)                1 tbsp
 

Method:

• Heat Kadahi (thick bottomed cast-iron Wok).
• Dry roast atta on low heat, stirring constantly till it turns a lovely shade of brown and emits roasted aroma (approx. 15 mins)
• Remove roasted atta from kadahi.
• On low flame again, add ghee to the kadahi, heat.
• After thirty (30) seconds or so, add the roasted atta. Stirring constantly.
• Add Kishmish, stir for a minute.
• Add Sugar, keep stirring for 30 seconds.
• Add water. Take care to keep stirring briskly in figure of 8. Ensure that no lumps are formed. [Note: Keep a slow and steady flow of water while stirring constantly]
• Keep stirring till ghee separates on the sides of the halwa.
• Garnish with slivered badam.
• Serve hot.

Notes: To avoid burning of the atta, use heavy bottomed Wok and keep the dish on a constant low flame. The consistency of the halwa should not be runny (closest to a souffle', however, the comparision is certainly amusing to me)

Nutritive value:
Atta - Whole-wheat flour is more nutritious than refined white flour, it contains the macronutrients of the wheat's bran and germ (especially fiber and protein). Whole wheat is a good source of calcium, iron, fiber, and other minerals like selenium.

Your comments and feedbacks are most welcome. I hope you enjoy this dish as much as we do!