Mohanthal (Gram Flour Fudge) Recipe

Since it's festive time in India, I thought why not share a sweet recipe. Try this mohanthal and you will be delighted by it's rich taste.
Recipe of mohanthal
2 cups besan (gram flour/chickpea flour)
4 tbsp milk
1 cup sugar
2 tbsp + 1/2 cup ghee (clarified butter)
1/4 tsp elaichi (cardamom) powder
8-9 almonds- sliced
How to make mohanthal
1. Pass the besan through a sieve and discard the residue.
2. Heat 2 tbsp ghee and 4 tbsp milk.
3. Pour this over the besan. Mix with your fingers so that it is lump free and resemble bread crumbs.
4. Pass this again through a sieve and keep aside.
5. Make a syrup with 1 cup sugar and 3/4th cup water. Cook the sugar syrup till it reaches slightly more than 1 string consistency. Turn off the heat and keep aside.
6. Grease a thali with few drops of ghee and keep it aside.
7. Heat 1/2 cup ghee in a kadhai and add the besan from step 4. Cook on a low heat, stirring constantly till it gives nice aroma and turns golden brown. Add cardamom powder. Turn off the heat.
8. While the besan is still hot, add the hot sugar syrup. Mix continuously and make sure no lumps are formed. Keep mixing till it reaches setting consistency.
9. Pour this besan mixture on the greased thali and rap it on a flat surface so as to flatten it. Garnish with almonds.
10. Let it cool. Cut it into squares or diamonds and your mohanthal is ready.

Peethi Poori (Stuffed Fried Flatbread)

Peethi poori or peethi wali poori is a delicious Sunday brunch option. You can also make this poori on festive occasions like upcoming 'Rakshabandhan'.  Peethi poori is nothing but fried flatbread stuffed with ground urad dal.
Recipe of peethi poori
Peethi
1/2 cup dhuli urad dal (split, skinless black gram)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp red chilli powder (cayenne pepper)

Dough
2 1/2 cup atta (whole wheat flour)
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp red chilli powder
1/2 tsp ajwain (carom seeds)
1 tbsp melted ghee or oil
How to make peethi poori
1. Wash and soak the dal for 2 hours. Drain.
2. Grind the dal to a thick coarse paste to get peethi.
3. Mix in red chilli powder and salt. Beat well.
4. Take atta in a bowl and add all the ingredients under heading dough. Add 1 1/4 cup water and knead into a slightly stiff dough. Stiffer than chapati dough. Knead well and set aside, covered for 1/2 an hour.
5. Take a lemon sized ball from dough. Roll out into a 3 inch poori.
6. Place 1 tsp peethi (filling) in the center. Gather the edges and again reshape into a ball. Flatten the ball between your palms.
7. Roll it in dry flour and gently roll out into a 4 inch puri. Make few pooris in the same way and set aside.
8. Heat oil in a kadhai and gently place the puri on it. Let it remain untouched till it rises to the surface. Press the sides of the poori with slotted spoon (pauni, chhaari) till it swells. Turn.
9. Fry the poori till golden from both sides. Drain and serve hot peethi poori.

Bengali Aloo Patta Gobi (Potato with Cabbage)

aloo patta gobi

So you don't like cabbage? Try this bengali style aloo patta gobi sabzi and you will change your opinion. I had a first hand experience with my hubby who didn't much like patta gobi but when I cooked this sabzi, he asked for second helping. The original recipe asks for rich amount of ghee but I have used oil and in lesser quantity keeping health in mind.
Recipe of bengali aloo patta gobi
1 small patta gobi (cabbage) - finely shredded
2 medium aloo (potatoes) - peeled and cubed
1 large tomato- diced
Salt to taste
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp red chilli powder (cayenne pepper)
1/2 tsp cumin (jeera) powder
1/2 tsp coriander powder
2 tbsp oil or ghee
1. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a kadhai or a pan. Add aloo and patta gobi.
2. Add salt and turmeric powder. Mix well and cook covered on a low heat till potatoes are 3/4th cooked. Stir occasionally.
3. Heat remaining 1 tbsp oil in a separate small pan and add tomato. Add rest of the spices and cook till tomato is soft and mushy.
4. Add 1-2 tbsp water to tomato masala. Cook till it forms a paste.
5. Add this to aloo patta gobi and mix well.
6. Cook potato and cabbage sabzi till potatoes are well done. Turn off the heat and serve aloo patta gobi hot with roti, paratha, poori or rice. 

Green Pea (Matar) Patties

green pea patties

Green pea patties or hare matar ki patty is a good and healthy breakfast option. I'm sure your kids will like it too.
Recipe of green pea patties
1 cup green peas (hare matar) - shelled
2 green chillies- chopped
1/2 cup paneer (Indian cottage cheese) - grated
1/4 tsp roasted cumin (jeera) powder
Salt to taste
2 tsp tomato ketchup
8 slices of bread- buttered lightly
1 tbsp oil
How to make green pea patties
1. Heat oil in a pan and saute green chillies till light brown.
2. Add peas, salt and cumin powder. Mix and cook covered till done. You can also add little water while cooking. Turn off the heat.
3. Mash the peas roughly.
4. Add tomato ketchup and grated paneer and mix well.
5. Spread pea mixture on buttered side of 4 bread slices.
6. Cover with buttered side of remaining slices. Press.
7. Grill on a wire rack of hot oven or toast in a sandwich maker. Cut into triangles and serve green pea patties hot.

matar patties

Kuttu ka Cheela (Buckwheat Flour Pancake)

kuttu ka cheela

Kuttu cheela or kuttu ke atte ka cheela is one of my favorite fasting food option. I make it when I am fasting on Ekadashi. This cheela or pancake is very delicious and an almost instant food with no preparation needed.
Recipe of kuttu ka cheela
1 cup kuttu ka atta (buckwheat flour)
2-3 green chillies- chopped
Sendha salt (vrat salt) - to taste
Oil- to shallow fry kuttu chilla
How to make kuttu ka cheela
1. Take kuttu ka atta in a bowl and slowly add water, mixing with other hand so as to prepare lump free batter. Batter consistency should be like dosa batter or any other pancake batter. Beat the batter.
2. Mix in green chillies and sendha salt to the batter.
3. Heat a non-stick tava and smear some oil for the first cheela. Gently rub it with a spatula so as to season the tava before making cheela.
4. Lower the heat and pour a ladle full of kuttu batter at the center of the tava. Spread it in outward circular motion just as you would for any other cheela or dosa. Remember cheela will be cooked on medium heat.
5. After 1-2 minuter, drizzle some oil over kuttu chilla.
6. When the lower side has browned, turn over the cheela and cook from other side as well.
7. Remove the cheela from the tava and similarly make rest of the cheelas. You can have your kuttu chilla with curd or yogurt.

kuttu cheela

Pineapple Raita Recipe

pineapple raita

Pineapple raita or ananas ka raita is a perfect accompaniment to meals in summers. Fresh sweet pineapple is best for this recipe. I forgot to add black pepper powder, hence it is missing in the picture.
2 cups curd (dahi/yogurt)
1 cup diced pineapple (ananas)
2 tsp sugar
Salt to taste
1/2 tsp black pepper powder
1. Place curd in a bowl and add salt and sugar. Whisk till smooth and sugar dissolves.
2. Stir in pineapple pieces and black pepper powder. Mix well.
3. Place in refrigerator to chill. Serve pineapple raita cold.

Sama ke Chawal ki Khichdi

sama ke chawal ki khichdi

Sama ke chawal ki khichdi is made during fasts like Ekadashi and Navratra. It's very easy to make and tastes delicious. If you want to stay away from fried food during fasts, then this khichdi (shyamak chawal ki khichdi) is an ideal option.
1 cup sama ke chawal (shyamak chawal/samo rice/samak chawal)
4-5 green chillies- chopped
Sendha salt (rock salt) - to taste
2 medium potato- cubed
1 tbsp ghee (clarified butter)
How to make sama ke chawal ki khichdi
1. Wash sama ke chawal and soak for 1/2 an hour. Drain.
2. Heat ghee in a pressure cooker and saute green chillies.
3. Add rest of the ingredients and 5 cups of water. (Idea is to add 4-5 times water as the quantity of sama ke chawal).
4. Close the lid of the cooker and pressure cook to 1-2 whistles.
5. Let the pressure drop down before opening the lid of the cooker. Enjoy your sama ke chawal ki khichdi!