Dahi Shorba (Yogurt Soup) Recipe

dahi shorba

Dahi shorba or yogurt soup is an Indian style soup with Indian tadka. Dahi shorba is very easy to make and increase the quantity if you want more servings.

Recipe of dahi shorba

1 cup dahi (yogurt/curd)
 1 tsp besan (gram flour/chickpea flour)
 ½ tsp red chilli powder
 ½ tsp haldi (turmeric) powder
1/4 tsp amchoor (dried mango powder)
 1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup water  
½ tsp rai (small mustard seeds)
 ¼ tsp hing (asafoetida)
3-4 curry leaves1 tbsp ghee (clarified butter) 
 ½ tsp ginger-chopped finely
Fresh coriander leaves -chopped

1. Mix together dahi, besan, water, red chilli, turmeric powder, amchoor & salt. Beat well & sieve.
2. Heat ghee. Add rai, when it splutters, add hing, curry leaves and ginger.
3. Add the besan-dahi mix, stir till it boils and cook further for few minutes.
4. Sprinkle chopped coriander and remove from fire. Serve hot dahi shorba as a soup.

Instant Sooji Uttapam

sooji uttapam

Sooji uttapam is a fast and easy snack to prepare. You can also have it for breakfast or brunch. It’s very delicious as well as healthy option. Sooji uttapam is also known as rava uthappa or rava uthappam.

Recipe of sooji uttapam/ rava uttapam

Batter

1 1/2 cups moti sooji (rava/ coarse semolina)

Salt to taste

1 1/2 cups curd (yogurt) - preferably sour

3/4 cup water

Topping

2 tomatoes- finely diced

2 onions- finely chopped

2 green chillies- finely chopped

Coriander leaves- chopped

Salt to taste

Oil to cook

1. Mix together all the ingredients of the batter. Keep the batter aside for 1/2 hour.

2. Before cooking, beat the batter well and adjust water to get the thick pouring consistency. Batter should be thicker than dosa batter.

3. Mix all the ingredients of topping and keep aside.

4. Heat a non-stick tava or a skillet on medium. Grease it and wipe it clean with a small napkin.

5. Turning the heat to low, pour 2 tablespoon batter in the centre of the tava. With a gentle, outward motion, spread it with the back of a ladle (karchhi) to get a round shape. Keep it a little thick.

6. Turn the heat to medium and after 2 minutes, sprinkle some topping on it. Press the topping gently. Pour a tsp of oil on it and cover it with a lid of some height.

7. After the underside is cooked, remove the lid and turn over the uttapam gently so that top side also gets cooked. When the onions turn little brown, remove from the tava. Serve hot sooji uttapam with sambar or chutney.

rava uttapam

Sukhi Urad Dal (Dry Split Black Gram)

sukhi urad dal

Sukhi urad dal is also known as Amritsari dal as this dal is very popular in Punjab. This dal is so delicious that my husband Rahul licks the bowl to the last crumb.

Recipe of sukhi urad dal

1 cup dhuli urad (split, skinless black gram)

1 onion- long slices

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

1/2 tsp red chilli powder

Salt to taste

1 tbsp + 1 tsp ghee (clarified butter)

1/2 tsp cumin seeds

1/4 tsp garam masala

1. Wash and soak urad dal for 20-25 minutes. Drain.

2. Heat 1 tbsp ghee in a pressure cooker and add cumin seeds. When they change color, add urad dal. Add salt and all the spices. Stir fry on a low heat for 1 minute.

3. Add 1 cup water and pressure cook to 1 whistle. Lower heat and cook for 1 more minute. Turn off heat.

4. Heat 1 tsp ghee in a small pan and fry onion till light brown. Add over cooked urad dal. Mix gently. Serve hot sukhi urad dal with roti or paratha.

Churma (Rajasthani Sweet)

churma

Churma is a very popular sweet from Rajasthan. Churma or churma ladoos are made in most households in Rajasthan on big and small occasions. As you start eating this sweet, it grows on you. Churma satisfies your sweet tooth completely and makes you feel connected to your vast inheritance.

Recipe of churma

1 cup atta (whole wheat flour)

3 tbsp sooji (semolina/ rawa)

6-7 tbsp powdered sugar (vary according to taste)

4 tbsp ghee (clarified butter)

1/2 tsp elaichi (green cardamom) powder

Mixed chopped nuts like almonds, raisins

Ghee for frying

1. Mix atta, sooji and ghee. Adding warm water, knead it into stiff dough.

2. Take small balls (pedas, muthias) from the dough and deep fry in ghee. Heat should be medium for frying. Fry till brown. Shape of the balls is not important. When fried, drain by a slotted spoon.

3. When the fried balls have cooled down, grind them in a mixer to a coarse powder.

4. Mix powdered sugar, chopped almond, raisins (kishmish) and elaichi powder. Store this churma in an airtight container. It stays fresh for some days.

(Matar) Green Peas Soup

matar ka soup

This green peas soup or matar ka soup is an easy, breezy soup. It's very easy to make and quite a comforter on a cold, wintry day. As days are getting cold, this soup is a welcome change from summer salads.

Recipe of (matar) green peas soup

2 cups shelled green peas (matar) - fresh or frozen

6 cups water

Salt to taste

1/4 cup milk

1/4 tsp black pepper powder

A pinch of sugar

1 tsp lemon juice

A blob of butter

1. Boil the green peas or matar with 6 cups of water, sugar, salt and lemon juice. Cook till peas turn tender. Let it cool down a bit.

2. Blend the mixture in a blender to a smooth consistency.

3. Pour in a saucepan and reheat on a medium heat. Add milk, black pepper and butter. Mix well.

4. Cook for 2 minutes more. Turn off the heat. Pour in the soup bowls and serve hot matar ka soup.

Quick Microwave Besan Ladoo

besan ladoo

Microwave besan ladoo is a very easy and quick substitute for traditional ladoos in kadhai. You don't have to go for endless stirring lest the besan burns. You can get accolades without going through the grind. They taste absolutely great and you cannot tell the difference between microwave besan ladoo and those made the traditional way.

Recipe of microwave besan ladoo

2 cups besan (gram flour)

1 cup ghee (clarified butter)

1 1/2 cup powdered sugar

4-5 pods hari elaichi (green cardamom) - crushed

2 tbsp chopped nuts like almonds, cashew nuts and raisins

1. In a microwave safe bowl, mix besan and ghee.

2. Microwave on High for 6 minutes. First stir after 2 minutes, then after 2 minutes, then after 1 minute, then after 30 seconds till you get desired brownness. Let it cool.

3. Add powdered sugar, cardamom powder and chopped nuts.

4. While the besan mixture is still warm and comfortable to touch, make ping pong size balls using your hands. These are now called besan ka ladoo. Store besan ladoos in an airtight container. 

Dal Paratha (Lentil Flatbread)

dal paratha

Have some leftover dal from last night's dinner. It's sitting pretty in your refrigerator with no takers. Don't know what to do with it? I have an idea. Make delicious dal paratha out of it.

            Recipe of dal paratha

            1 cup cooked dal (lentils)

            1 1/2 cup atta (whole wheat flour)

            Salt to taste

             ¼ tsp turmeric powder

            2 green chillies- finely chopped

            1/2 tsp carom seeds (ajwain)

            Chopped coriander leaves

            Oil to shallow fry

1. In a deep bowl, mix all the ingredients except oil. Don't add any water. Use dal to knead the dough. Add enough flour to make pliable dough. Cover with a damp cloth and set aside for 20 minutes.

2. Take a ball (peda) out of the dough and roll out into a 6 inch round paratha.

3. Heat a tava (griddle) and cook this paratha on it from both sides brushing with oil. Cook till golden brown and crisp. Do the same with rest of the dough making several dal

paratha. Serve hot dal paratha with curd.