Tip of the Day

Wipe your kitchen platform with vinegar, there will be no ants on your platform.

Kayree Panha/ Kachche Aam ka Panna

'Kairi Panhe' or 'Kairi che pahne' is a maharashtrian name for this raw mango drink. Kairi means 'raw mango' in marathi language. 'Aam(mango) Panna' is a Hindi name for this drink.

Did you know?

Green or unripe mango contains a large portion of starch which gradually changes into glucose, sucrose and maltose as the fruit begins to ripe. It disappears completely when the fruit is fully ripe.

The raw mango is a valuable source of vitamin C. It contains more vitamin C than half-ripe or fully ripe mangoes. It is also a good source of vitamin B1 and B2 and contains sufficient quantity of niacin. These vitamins differ in concentration in various varieties during the stages of maturity and environmental conditions. The ripe fruit is very wholesome and nourishing.

The chief food ingredient of mango is sugar. The acids contained in the fruit are tartaric acid and malic acid, besides a trace of citric acid. These acids are utilized by the body and they help to maintain the alkali reserve of the body.

The unripe mango protects from the adverse effects of hot, scorching winds. A drink, prepared from the unripe mango by cooking with sugar and water is an effective remedy for heat exhaustion and heat stroke. Eating raw mango with salt quenches thirst and prevents the excessive loss of sodium chloride and iron during summer due to excessive sweating.

 

Ingredients

1. 2 Raw Mangoes / Ambi

2. 6 Glass of water

3. ½ tsp of salt

4. 1 cup of sugar

5. 1 tsp of cumin powder

6. 2 tsp of dried mint leaves

Directions

1. Wash the raw mangoes and boil them in water, do not remove the peel.

2. When the peel of mangoes becomes soft, it will come off easily.

3. Take off the peel and seed but scrape the pulp with fork or spoon. Careful it will be hot, let it cool down.

4. Now add sugar, salt, cumin powder and mint leaves.

5. Now put the mixture on heat again with 6 glass of water and let it reduce to half.

6. Remove from the heat and transfer it to glass bowl topped on ice tray / bowl.

7. Let it cool down and refrigerate it.

8. Serve these individual glasses with ice cubes and some fresh mint leaves or lemon slices.

-Chitra

Tip of the Day

To keep insects away from suji / semolina/ rawa, roast it slightly in a pan and then store.

Game night Snack

Now you can enjoy the game with these quick combination of drink and snack. Invite your friends over and enjoy your favorite team win. Its quick and healthy snack. Just make it before hand.

Ingredients

1. 1 Bag of Baked Chips any variety

2. Juice of 2 fresh orange juice

3. 1 cup of pineapple juice

4. 2 cups of any lemon drink ( 7up, Sprite or Miranda)

5. 2 tomatoes diced finely (without seeds)

6. 1 onions diced finely

7. 1 small cucumber chopped finely without seeds

8. 1 tbsp of cilantro / coriander / dhaniya leaves chopped

9. 1 tsp of mint leaves chopped

10. Salt and black pepper to taste

11. 1 small lemon, juiced

12. 3-4 thin lemon slices

Directions

1. Mix orange juice, pineapple and lemon drink and stir, keep it in fridge to chill. Use ice cubes if required.

2. In a bowl add tomatoes, cucumber, onions, cilantro and mint leaves. Toss it well.

3. Now add Salt and black pepper to taste and add lemon juice.

4. Serve the salsa in a serving bowl with one lemon slice garnish with bag of baked chips in a bowl.

5. Pour in the drink in two serving glasses with lemon slices.

6. Put together everything in a serving tray with baked chips and enjoy your evening snack in hot summers or while enjoying your favorite game.

-Chitra

Tip of the Day

To keep salad vegetables crisp and fresh, add a little lemon juice to the water in which it is being washed.

Malaidaar Mutter Paneer

Ingredients

1. 400 gms Paneer, chopped into medium sized cubes

2. 4 cups fresh peas

3. 4 tomatoes

4. 4 onions

5. ½ cup crushed cashew nuts roasted

6. 4 tsp ginger garlic paste

7. 1 cup fresh cream

8. 6 tbsp of vegetable oil

9. 2 tbsp poppy seeds

10. 2 tsp masala powder

11. 6 cardamoms

12. 2 tsp red chili powder

13. 1 tbsp of kasuri methi

14. 1 tbsp of cumin seeds

15. Salt and red chili powder to taste

Directions

1. In a non stick pan heat oil.

2. Grind the onions into fine paste with poppy seeds, cumin seeds and ginger, garlic.

3. Now, pour the onion mixture and cook until it turns to thick gravy for about 10 to 12 minutes.

4. Add salt and red chili powder and kasuri methi.

5. Now add the peas to it and cover the pan and cook for another 4 minutes.

6. Add the fresh cream to the above mixture and cook for 10 minutes.

7. Turn the heat to very low heat and add paneer cubes cook for 5 minutes.

8. Now add the cashew nuts.

9. Stir well and cook without heat. Turn off the gas.

10. Garnish with fresh coriander / dhaniya and serve with naan or pulao.

-Chitra

Tip of the Day

For Home made all spices masala, dry roast the spices like cumin seeds, cardamom, cloves, coriander seeds , dry tej pata / bay leaves, cinnamon  etc. on a non stick pan or griddle. Then grind them in a fine powder. This all spice powder can be used anywhere like in pulao, cooking vegetables, or marinating poultry, fishes or meat.

Tangy Mexican Rice

Ingredients

1. 1 cup of uncooked basmati Rice or any long grained rice

2. 1 tsp of garlic salt

3. ½ tsp of ground cumin powder

4. ¼ cup of chopped red onion

5. 3 tbsp of vegetable oil

6. ½ cup of Tomato sauce

7. 3 tbsp of Tabasco hot sauce

8. 2 cups of vegetable or chicken broth

9. ¼ cup of green peas

10. 1 jalapeno pepper chopped finely

Directions

1. Heat oil in a non stick pan over medium heat.

2. Stir in onions and jalapeno and cook until tender.

3. Now add rice, cook by stirring constantly until golden by shaking the pan do not use the any spoon.

4. While Rice is cooking, sprinkle with salt and cumin.

5. Add peas to rice and toss.

6. Stir in tomato sauce and hot sauce.

7. Add vegetable broth or chicken broth.

8. Now bring the rice to boil and then reduce the heat to low. Now cook with a lid on.

9. In between fluff them with fork. It will be ready in 20 to 25 minutes.

10. Serve warm rice on chilled lettuce leaves with a beans and chilled raita.

-Chitra

Tip of the Day

To remove the odour of fish or onion from dishes wash it with vinegar.

Navratri Kaddu

 

Kaddu ki sabzi is one of the popular recipes prepared on Navratri

Ingredients

1. ½ kg Kaddu (yellow pumpkin/ sitaphal), peeled and cubed

2. Sendha or normal salt to taste

3. 1tbsp of amchoor / mango powder

4. 1 tsp of turmeric powder

5. 1 tsp of methre / methi ke daane

6. 1 tsp of cumin / zeera seeds

7. 1 tsp of sugar

8. 1 tsp of red chili powder

9. ½ cup of Water

10. Oil

11. 1 tbsp of coriander / dhaniya leaves

Directions

1. In a non stick pan or pressure cooker add 2 tbsp of oil

2. Add cumin seeds and methre until they splutter.

3. Now add turmeric powder, red chili powder, salt and amchoor powder.

4. Cook for 1 minute and add sugar.

5. Now add pumpkin to it.

6. Cook it for 3 minutes and add water.

7. Simmer for 10 minutes and cook with lid on.

8. Mash the pumpkin and serve hot.

9. Garnish with dhainya leaves or green chilies.

-Chitra

Tip of the Day

When making stuffed parantha, the mixture becomes sticky due to the presence of the water given out by the vegetables. To remedy this, mix roasted besan to the mixture they will be crispier and better tasting.

Sambar and Rice

 

 

Ingredients

1. 2 cups of tuar / arhaar daal soaked in water for 30 minutes.

2. Salt to taste

3. Different vegetables 3 cups ( carrots,beans, brinjal, kadu, petha, tori, plantain (hara kela), potato, okra /bhindi)

4. 1 Onion chopped

5. 1 big red tomato chopped

6. Salt to taste

7. 4 tbsp of sambar masala (any brand)

8. 1 ½ of amchoor / mango powder

9. 1 cup of kadi pata

10. 2 cups of plain white boiled Rice ( while boiling rice add 2 tsp of lemon juice)

11. 1 tbsp of sarso seeds

12. 2 whole lal mirch / red chili

13. Water

14. Oil

Directions

1. If you don’t have sambar masala you can make your own by roasting some dry spices. Take ½ cup coriander seeds, ¼ cup cumin seeds, ¼ cup chana daal (large split yellow lentils), ¼ cup urad daal (black gram), ¼ cup fenugreek seeds, ¼ cup black peppercorns, ¼ cup dry red chilli flakes, ¼ cup grated dessicated coconut, ¼ cup mustard seeds, 20 dried curry leaves, 2 tbsp tumeric powder, 2 tsp asafetida powder. Roast all the ingredients except the asafetida on a hot griddle till they begin to release their aroma. Cool on a tray. Add the asafetida and grind into a fine powder. Store in an air-tight container.

2. Boil the daal in pressure cooker or pan till it is turned into soup with pinch of salt and turmeric powder and ½ tsp of oil.

3. In the mean time boil water with 1 tsp of salt and add your vegetables to it. Boil them until they are cooked.

4. Till the vegetables are cooking make tadka for sambar. Add oil in non stick tadka pan add sarso seeds, when they splutter add kadi pata, whole lal mirch. Cook for 1 minute and add onions. When the onions turn golden brown add tomato and sambar masala, salt and amchoor powder.

5. Now add vegetables and tadka to the daal . Cook for 10 minutes.

6. Serve hot with white rice with onion rings dipped in lemon.

-enjoy Chitra

Why new Look of my Blog?

  

Hey guys want to share some good news with you all…

My recipe for Vegetarian Soup and Chips got published in “Times of Oman” , “Thursday” magazine on 1st of July 2010, Page 50. It was very amazing experience, very grateful to Times of Oman and my followers for this.

After two wonderful years, it was a new beginning for my blog and my recipes, so thought of starting with a new look, so here I am with new vibrant colors on my blog.

Don’t worry I am same old Chitra Pal, it is just new look of blog but will continue to share different recipes with you. Hope you will like it:)

-Chitra

Tip of the Day

To remove the smell of fish, rub it with gram flour and turmeric powder. Wash it after 30 minutes.