Methiwali Makki di Roti

I used Yellow Cornmeal we get in the US grocery store rather than whitish corn flour, makes excellent colorful Cornmeal rotis and adding the fresh Fenugreek leaves and spices enhances the taste.You can add Spinach chopped,if Methi Saag is not available to you which makes them Palakwali Makki di roti!:D

You need:
2 cups makki da atta (Yellow Cornmeal/flour),1 cup finely chopped fresh Methi(fenugreek) leaves,2 tsp oil, 1 onion very finely chopped, 2 green chillies finely chopped (optional), 1/2 tsp salt or to taste,hot water to knead the flour, 2 tsp cumin seeds crushed slightly,2 tsp lemon juice,1/2 tsp sugar.
Some Ghee/melted butter to brush on the rotis after cooking them and no-stick oil to spray on the foil.
How to make it:
1. In a big bowl,mix all the above except ghee to brush,add enough hot water and knead until you get a stiff dough.
2. Divide in 6 balls,cover and keep it aside.
3. Heat a griddle.Meanwhile,take a ball on a no-stick oil sprayed foil and press with your palm to make a 6" circle.Gently transfer it on to the griddle.
4. Cook both sides until golden,brush little melted butter and serve while warm with Sarson da saag or Palak Paneer.Enjoy.
Note: Another way to make these is to heat 1 1/2 cup water+little butter and salt,add yellow Cornmeal,stir cook until you get a stiff dough.Add little water if it's too dry.When warm enough to handle,make balls,follow above steps.

Punjabi Aloo Tikki with sweet and hot chutney

(Potato patties/cutlets stuffed with savory split peas with sauces)



My eternal favorite snack Aloo Tikkis made Punjabi style that is stuffed with seasoned split peas and served with two sweet and hot chutneys.What more can I say? My kids ate them like Burgers in buns with Ketchup!(Rolling my eyes!):p

To make Tikkis:
4 medium potatoes, boiled and mash, 2 tbsp corn flour, salt to taste, chili powder to taste, 1 tsp cumin powder, 1 tsp garam masala.
Filling:
1/3 cup channa dal, cooked and drained, 1/2 tsp crushed cumin seeds, 2 green chilies or 1/8 tsp chili powder, 1/2" ginger, minced, salt to taste, 1/2 tsp each of chaat masala and garam masala and 1 tbsp minced cilantro.
How to make them:
1. For potato cutlets, mash all the ingredients shown above until you get a smooth stiff dough. Keep it aside.
2. To make filling; soak channa dal for 1 hour,and cook with water until soft but not completely mashed. Drain the water.
3. Heat 1/2 tbsp oil, add cumin seeds, chopped green chilies or chilli powder , ginger, and salt. Add dal and all the other filling ingredients. Take off the heat and cool.
4. Take a ball of the mashed potato and make a shallow cup. Add 1 tbsp of filling in the center and seal well to form a ball. Flatten slightly to make thick patties/cutlets.
5. Heat about 2-3" of oil in a pan for deep frying or shallow frying up to 375 F, add 2-3 tikkis carefully at a time in the oil and fry until golden brown and crisp on both sides.Drain well on paper towel.
6. Serve with sweet tamarind(Mix Juice+salt+sugar+Cumin pd) chutney and hot Mint(Ground Mint+Cilantro+green chillies+salt+Lemon Juice) chutney.

Sardai and Mango Lassi

Almonds are the very nutritious and are often included in many ways in Punjabi dishes.Now you know why they are so strong and sturdy!:)
Of course,Mangoes are every Indian's favorite fruit,why not make it even more delicious the Punjabi way, as Mango Lassi!

Sardai:
You Need:
3 cups 2% milk, about 5 tbsp sugar or to taste.
To Grind:
15 almonds,soaked and skin peeled, 1 tbsp of poppy seeds, 2 tsp melon seeds, 2 cardamoms powdered.(few Peppercorns,powdered is optional)
To make it:
1. Soak almonds and Poppy seeds in few tbsp of warm water for 30 minutes, drain and peel the brown skin, and put it in the blender along with all other ingredients shown above and grind to a very smooth paste using the same water.
2. Add 1/4 cup water to this mixture and strain through a muslin cloth to get a smooth liquid.
3. Add milk and enough sugar, blend again.Chill before you serve.

Mango Lassi
(Mango puree blended with yogurt with optional Cardamom pd)
You need:
1 cup mango puree`, 1 1/2 cups fat free yogurt, powdered sugar to taste,Cardamom pd as an optional flavor.
How to make it:
1. Blend all this in a blender with a whipper blade until well mixed, thick and frothy.Add Cardamom pd if you like.I love the natural Mango flavor and aroma, so I skip adding the cardamom pd.
2. Chill before you serve, serve in tall glasses with a straw.

Sarson Ka Saag

Ingredients:

500gms Mustard leaves
200gms Spinach
200gms Bathuwa
3 Garlic cloves
1 inch Ginger
2 Green chilli
Salt To Taste
1 tbsp Maize flour
1 Pinch Sugar
2 tbsp Ghee
1 Asafoetida
1 Pinch Onions,
1 tsp chopped Red chilli powder
1 Pinch Turmeric powder

Preparation:

• Clean and wash sarson, spinach and bathuwa. Chop the leaves finely.
• Chop ginger, garlic cloves and chillies.
• Pressure cook the spinach, sarson, bathuwa with garlic, ginger and chillies. When cool, grind it to smooth paste.
• Heat ghee in a vessel, add hing and onions. Fry until light brown. Add salt and turmeric powder. Mix well.
• Add the ground saag and simmer the flame. Cook for few minutes.
• Add the maize flour, red chilli powder, sugar and stir well.
• Serve hot with paratha or makki ki roti.

RAJMA (RED KIDNEY BEANS) RECIPE

Ingredients:

2 cups Rajma ( Red kidney beans)
Salt To taste
1 Pinch Turmeric powder
1 Onions, chopped
5 Garlic cloves, chopped
1 inch Ginger, chopped
3 Green chillies, chopped
3 Tomatoes, chopped
1/2 tsp Corainder powder
1 tsp Red chilli powder
1/2 tsp Garam masala
2 tbsp Oil
Handful Corainder leaves

Preparation:

• Soak rajma overnight. Wash and pressure cook the rajma. Keep aside.
• Heat oil in a pan, add ginger, garlic and chillies. Fry until they turn brown.
• Add onions and tomatoes. Cook until masala separates from oil.
• Add salt, turmeric powder and mix well.
• Add the boiled rajma, red chilli powder, corainder powder, garam masala and stir.
• Simmer the flame and cook until a thick gravy is formed.
• Remove from fire. Garnish rajma with corainder leaves and serve hot with chapatis or rice.

        
 Amritsari Kulcha      Makki Ki Roti & Sarson Ka Saag

Bade Bhai ka Brothers Dhaba - No.1 Dhaba in Amritsar

Brothers Dhaba has been awarded No.1 Dhaba of Amritsar by Dainik Jagran for the year 2007-08 in Dhaba and Restaurant category. This huge eatery is located very conveniently at a prime junction in Amritsar and very prominently visible as you return after an elated visit to the Golden Temple from the Ghanta Ghar (Clock Tower) side.
You can boast it to be the best and most authentic original Punjabi food joint. Brothers Dhaba specialities are sarson ka saag and makke di roti, Amritsari Kulcha and chhole and Special Punjabi Thali that includes makhani dal and parathas. The Brothers' also offers vast varieties in food under one roof that include Chinese, South Indian, Pizza, Burger, Chat, Ice Cream- Sundaes, Shakes etc.
Stick to the traditional Punjabi food and you will come back licking your fingers.

Why Brothers Dhaba?

It is the place to go and gorge on everything that is traditionally Punjabi and steeped in Ghee (clarified butter). Brothers Dhaba is a favourite eating joint of young and old. This is Best Dhaba in Amritsar.
You would surely rate Brothers Dhaba as the most authentic dhaba in Amritsar with a modern touch in which cleanliness, quality, service have been given due importance. Right from Sarson ka Saag to sweet dish like Firni, Kheer etc. our food quality is highly appreciated and rated as extremely mouth watering.

This dhaba leads the list of all dhabas in amritsar

Shahi Rabdi -Microwave Easy Cooking

Whenever I think of Rabdi it reminds me of Rabdi who is sitting quitely in Patna probably eating rabdi )) No no I am not going to talk about her. There are other interesting things to tell.
Rabdi faluda, Hot Jalebis with Rabdi, Chilled Fruits with Rabdi, is your mouth watering? These sweets can do wonders to your waistline )) So I avoid these goodies.
When I saw this Tarla Dalal’s Shahi Rabdi recipe I could not resist the temptation of making it. It is made in a microwave.
Those who are health conscious can use skimmed milk and skimmed milk paneer.
The taste was heavenly.Wish I had some mangoes to team with rabdi. If rabdi can do wonders to your waist line then mangoes too are culprits in increasing your cholesterol. This was told to us by our doctor. Good I came to know about this after I had my full quota of mangoes this summer. Next summer ? God knows


In this recipe the condensed milk helps to thicken the rabdi and paneer gives body and flavour. It is advisable to use unsalted paneer to prevent curdling.
INGREDIENTS

1 cup milk
1 cup grated paneer ( unsalted)

1/2 cup condensed milk
1/4 tsp elaichi powder/ green cardamom powder
a few strands saffron/kesar
1 tsp ghee
a few drops of rose essence
garnish with nuts/pista
METHOD
Mix everything in a large microwave proof bowl and microwave HIGH for 6 minutes.
Serve chilled.
IMPORTANT TIP
Select a large microwave proof bowl so that the mixture will fill one fourth its height keeping enough space for the milk to rise without spilling.
UPDATE -If you have problem getting unsalted paneer,  then curdle one litre  milk with lemon juice/vinegar. Pour this  curdled milk in a fine wire mesh sieve or a cheese cloth. Let the water drip for  about 20 minutes. The paneer is so soft , that you can just blend it with the other ingredients.

SHAHI PANEER

This recipe is from Nita Mehta’s book Vegetarian Wonders.
Actually I am always on the look out for party menus ,recipes which are jhatpat but yet tasty .
Shahi Paneer fitted into this category



My party menu always has a paneer and a mushroom dish to compensate for the absence of Non veg dishes, because I am a pure vegetarian..
The recipe is hassle free, gravy is quick to make and also tasty. It can be made a day before, and paneer can be added before serving.Cream enhances the taste.
So heres the recipe for Shahi Paneer
INGREDIENTS – 250 gms Paneer cut into cut into pieces
For the gravy-
4 Tbsp oil or ghee ————– 1 tsp salt
1 onion chopped —————- 1/2 tsp red chilli powder
1/2 ” ginger chopped ———– 1/2 tsp pepper
1 green chilli ——————- 1/2 tsp garam masala
5 big tomatoes chopped ——– 1/3 cup cream or milk
1 Tb sp tomato sauce ———- 2 moti elaichi crushed (big brown cardamom)
METHOD-Heat 2Tbsp ghee / oil. Add chopped onion , ginger, green chilli , and moti elaichi.
Add tomatoes cover and cook for 7-8 minutes, till tomatoes are pulpy.


Remove from fire and cool .
Grind to a puree by adding 1/2 cup water.


Strain the puree.Heat 2 Tbsp oil in a pan add the tomato puree.Add red chilli powder, garam masala,pepper powder and tomato sauce.
Cook till the gravy is quite thick..
Just before serving heat the gravy add the paneer pieces , also the cream/ milk. Cook for few minutes and serve. Garnish with some grated paneer.

Punjabi Kadhi

Punjabi food makes your mouth water. It is one of the most popular cuisines liked by people in India and abroad too.
This cuisine has so much to offer in both non veg and vegetarian dishes, that the list is endless.
So when Richa announced the theme for RCI would be Punjabi food I was very happy.
I took this opportunity to try out Punjabi Kadhi .




When it came to making North Indian style of Kadhi I always made the U.P.type which does not have vegetables added to the pakoras.
I dug into my recipes and followed Nita Mehta’s Recipe.
The kadhi was very tasty, that was our lunch Rice and Punjabi Kadhi!
The recipe goes like this-
Serves 4-6 people
FOR THE KADHI
1 cup besan (bengal gram flour)
2 cups khatti dahi ( sour curds)
1/2 tsp haldi powder ( turmeric)
3/4 tsp red chilli powder
salt to taste
FOR THE TADKA-
2 Tbsp oil
1/2 tsp jeera (cummin seeds)
1/2 tsp methi daana ( fenugreek seeds)
1 moti elaichi( black cardamom)
2 laung (cloves )
3-4 dry red chillis
PAKORAS / DUMPLINGS
1 cup besan ( bengal gram flour)
1/3 cup water approx.
1 big onion chopped finely
1 small potato chopped finely
1/2”piece ginger grated
2 green chillis chopped finely
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
salt to taste
1/2 tsp garam masala
1 tsp dhania powder
a pinch of baking powder
oil for frying
TADKA/ TEMPERING
1 tsp ghee
1/2 tsp red chilli powder coarsely ground