FLAX SEED ( ALSI ) KI BARFI

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup golden flax seed powder or meal
• 1/2 cup coarsely ground walnut
• 1/2 cup coarsely ground almonds
• 1/2 cup coarsely ground cashews
• 1 teaspoon crushed cardamom about 8 cardamoms
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup water

Method

1. Grease the 8 inch plate and set aside.
2. Dry roast flex seed, over medium heat for about 1 minute. Add walnut, almond and cashew powder. Dry roast for about 2 minutes stirring continuously. Do not over roast the nuts, nuts will become oily.
3. Turn off the heat. Add cardamom mix it well and take out in a bowl. Set aside.
4. In same sauce pan boil the sugar and water together over medium heat. After syrup come to boil lower the heat to medium and let it boil for 1-2 minutes. To check the syrup put a drop over dry surface and check with finger syrup should be just sticky. On candy thermometer it should show 205 degree Ferranti.
5. Turn off the heat. Add the nuts mixture to the syrup. Mix it well and quickly spread over the greased plate by pressing from all sides to keep 1/4 inches in thickness and the edges clean.
6. Cool for a few minutes and cut them in about 1-1/2 inch square shape

PEANUT CHIKKI

Ingredients:

• 500 gms shelled, skinless peanuts
• 300 gms jaggery, cut into small pieces/ 300 gms soft brown sugar
• 4 tbsps ghee/ clarified butter (see recipe below)

Preparation:

• Heat a pan on a medium flame, and gently roast (stirring frequently) the peanuts till aromatic. Remove from heat and cool.
• Grease a large, flat plate with some ghee and keep aside.
• Put a deep, heavy-bottomed pan on the fire (medium heat) and add the jaggery/ brown sugar and ghee to it. Allow to melt and cook (stirring almost continuously) till it turns dark brown. Test for doneness now and often till ready. You will know it is ready when a drop of it put onto a clean surface, cools to harden to a brittle consistency.
• Turn off the heat and add the roasted peanuts. Fold in so the peanuts are fully coated. Immediately pour this mixture onto the previously greased plate and smooth with the back of the spoon to form a flat, 1/2" thick layer. Allow to cool then break into bite-sized pieces.
• Shengdana Chikki can be stored for a couple of days in an airtight container, in a cool, dry place.

KALAKAND MITHAI

Ingredients:

• 8 cups or 2 quart milk
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 to 3 tablespoons lemon juice (for making paneer)
• 1 tablespoon sliced almonds or pistachio for garnishing

Method:
Making Paneer:

1. Mix lemon juice in ¼ cup of hot water and put aside.
2. Boil the 4 cups of milk in a heavy bottomed pan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, making sure not to burn milk.
3. As the milk comes to a boil, add the lemon juice gradually and stir the milk gently. The curd will start separating from the whey, turn off the heat.
4. Once the milk fat has separated from the whey, drain the whey using a strainer line with cheesecloth, or muslin cloth.
5. Wrap the curds in a muslin cloth, rinse under cold water, and squeeze well. This process takes out the sourness from the lemon.
6. To take out the excess water, squeeze the wrapped paneer. Do not knead the paneer.

GAJAR KA HALWA

Ingredients for carrot halva:

1 kg Carrots
1 litre Milk
1 teaspoon Cardamom seeds
3/4 cup Water
3 tablespoons Ghee
2 tablespoons Raisins
2 tablespoons Almonds
2 tablespoons Pistachios
450 grams Sugar 

 

 

Preparation of carrot halwa :

• Wash and grate the carrots. Soak the raisins in water for 30 minutes. Blanch and shred the nuts.
• Put the water to boil, when it starts boiling add the grated carrots. Cook for 5-7 minutes.
• Add the milk. Cook on a low flame for 1 hour stirring occasionally. Add sugar, mix well and cook till the sugar has dissolved and all the milk has been absorbed.
• Add ghee and simmer for 2-3 minutes. Add the slightly crushed cardamoms and the raisins. Mix well.
• Remove the gajjar halwa from heat and arrange in a serving dish. Garnish with almonds and pistachios. Serve cold, hot or at room temperature.

Mutton Biryani

Ingredients

• For the rice:
  
  1 star anise
  
  500 gm basmati rice, washed & drained
  
  2 bay leaves
  
  2 black cardamom
  
  2 tsp black cumin seeds
  
  6 black peppercorn
  
  6 green cardamom
  
  2 cinnamon sticks
  
  6 cloves
  
  1 tsp fennel
  
  1/4th jaiphal
  
  1 javitri
  
  3 tsp salt
  
  
  For mutton marination:
  
  1 kg mutton, cut in 2 inches pieces, preferably front leg part and avoid shoulder cut
  
  1 Tbsp garam masala
  
  1 Tbsp garlic paste
  
  1 Tbsp ginger paste
  
  3 Tbsp raw papaya paste
  
  4 Tbsp hung curd
  
  Juice of 1 lemon
  
  1 Tbsp red chilli powder
  
  1 tsp salt
  
  
  Other ingredients:
  
  4 onions, thinly sliced
  
  2 tomatoes, chopped
  
  1/4 th cup milk, warm
  
  Ghee
  
  Saffron strands
  
  Oil
  
  Rose water
  
  Kewra essence
  
  4 green chillies

Method

Marinating the mutton:

To the mutton add the beaten curd, ginger-garlic paste, raw papaya paste, chilli powder, salt, lemon juice, garam masala.

Allow the mutton to marinate for 3 hours.


Making fried onions or Barista:

Slice 2 onions very thinly. Separate the slices.

In a pan or kadai add oil and fry the onion slices till nicely brown.

Take care not to burn them. Fry in small batches. Do not put all the slices at a time, that will lead to lumpy messy onions.

Make sure all the onion slices frying are dipped in oil, if needed add more oil. Keep stirring continuously but gently for an even brown color.

Take the fried onions out with a slotted spoon or ladle.

Keep them on a paper-towel lined plate. This crispy brown fried onion slices are called Barista.


Cooking the mutton:

Heat ghee in a thick-bottomed pan.

Add remaining sliced onions and green chillies. Cook, stirring continuously, till onions are light golden brown.

Add ginger paste and garlic paste and mix well.

Add marinated mutton and cook on high heat for seven to eight minutes.

Add coriander powder, cumin powder and red chilli powder. Mix thoroughly.

Stir in three cups of water, bring it to a boil, reduce heat and cook covered till mutton is almost cooked.

Add tomatoes, salt, garam masala powder and fresh coriander leaves.

Cook for 15 minutes on medium heat, stirring occasionally. The ghee would be separated from the spices and there should not be any watery gravy to the meat.


Preparing the rice:

Use only good quality long grain Basmati rice. Soak the rice for 20 minutes in water. Wash well till the water runs clear. Drain all the water.

In a small piece of cloth take cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, javitri, jaiphal, black peppercorn, shahi jeera, star anise and tie a knot to make a bag (potli).

Bring 750 ml water to boil, add rice, bay leaf, salt and potli, cover and cook till rice is done 1/3rd.

Drain the water & remove the whole masala potli.


Preparing the saffron-milk:
Take 1/4th cup warm milk in a cup and dissolve saffron strands in the milk.

Cover and wait for 20 minutes. Add rose water and kewra essence in the milk. Mix well and cover. Keep aside.


Layering the biryani:

Take a large heavy bottom pan with tight fitting lid.

Add 2tbsp ghee to the pan. Melt the ghee on low heat. Turn and rotate the pan carefully so the ghee can coat the bottom and sides of the pan. Switch off the heat.

Add a layer of cooked rice, then cooked meat pieces, sprinkle saffron water, add fried onion slices and ghee.

Again add a layer of rice, then meat...go on like this till you are done. Top and bottom layer will be of rice.

Cover with chopped pudina and coriander, fried onion and slit green chillies and juice of half a lemon.

Put the lid on. Seal the pan with flour dough or aluminium foil, then put the lid. Keep the heat to lowest. And cook the Biryani in this 'Dum' process for 40 minutes.

Make sure your pan is heavy-bottomed or the rice will burn. Or you can place a flat tawa then keep the pan on that tawa.

After 40 minutes switch off the heat and let the biryani stand for another 10 minutes. Transfer to a serving bowl.

Serve with raita and salad.

Laung Lata

Ingredients

For the outer covering:

4-5 cup flour

2 Tbsp oil

Water, to knead


For the stuffing:

300 gm khoya

2 Tbsp sugar

2-3 tsp cardamom powder

A handful of roasted chironji seeds

Cloves

For the sugar syrup:

1 cup water

1/2 cup sugar

Method

For the stuffing:

In a wok/ kadhai add the khoya and keep stirring it on medium-low heat till its completely cooked out. This takes about 20-25 minutes. Take it off the heat and let it cool.

Add cardamom powder, chironji seeds, sugar. Mix it well.

The stuffing is ready.


To make the outer covering:

Knead the dough with oil and water till soft and elastic.

Make flat round rotis with this dough.

Stuff it with about 1- 1/2 Tbsp stuffing.

Fold it from two sides. Bring the other to sides together, making a loop and seal it with a  clove.

Deep fry them on medium heat, till golden. Drain them and let them cool.

Once cool, immerse them in the sugar syrup.

Serve warm.


For the sugar syrup:
Boil together the water and sugar till the sugar completely dissolves.

Strawberry Cheesecake

Ingredients

• For a 750 gm cake
  
  250 gm strawberries
  
  200 gm glucose biscuits
  
  3 tbsp melted butter
  
  3/4 cup sugar
  
  1 cup hung curd
  
  1 cup cream
  
  1 tbsp gelatin
  
   4 tbsp water
  
  6-8 fresh strawberries - for garnishing

Method

Grind the biscuits and mix in the melted butter with it. Line the base of the serving dish evenly and smoothly with the biscuit mixture. Put in the freezer to set.

Puree the strawberries and sugar together in a mixie. Add the hung curd and cream, blend well to make a smooth mixture. Pour it into a bowl.

Add 4 tbsp of water in the gelatin. Then pour the gelatin slowly into the strawberry mixture. Keep stirring continuously.

Now pour the strawberry mixture onto the set biscuit base. Cover and put in the fridge to set overnight.

Garnish with sliced strawberries and serve cold.