Wednesday, October 29, 2014

CHATPATA CHANA AND WHITE PLAIN TORTILLA/CORN CHIPS

CHATPATA CHANA AND WHITE PLAIN
            TORTILLA/CORN CHIPS
                                                          (Serves 1)
This is fast and easy to make simple and healthy Indian chana chat dish recipe. Chana are a great source of dietary protein. This dish is one of our most favorite lunch items and most frequently made in my house.

INGREDIENTS:
·      1 cup Boiled Desi Chana /Desi Chickpeas/Kala Chana/Brown Chana (NOTE: 1 ½ cup raw desi chana you will get approximately 4 cups boiled chana. From 4 cups of boiled desi chana, you can make 4 servings of chatpata chana but recipe is for 1 serving only)
·      ¼ cup Tomato, finely chopped
·      ¼ cup White Sweet Onion, finely chopped (Note: Add less if you are using regular onion as they are very pungent in taste)
·      1 Green Chili or as per taste, finely chopped
·      1 T Coriander Leaves, chopped
·      ¼ tsp. Kashmiri Red Chili Powder or as per taste
·      ¼ tsp. Chat masala
·      ¼ tsp. Aamchur Powder
·      ¼ tsp. Sugar
·      Pinch Black Pepper Powder
·      Salt enough for tomatoes and onions
·      1 tsp. Lemon Juice


    ·      NOTE:

Add more or less dry masalas as per your own taste


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LET’S PREPARE:
Wash (pass water through chana) and soak 1 ½ cup desi chana in warm water for overnight.
Next day drain and wash chana under fresh water.
Add chana and 3 cups of fresh water and ½ tsp. salt in pressure cooker.
Pressure cook on medium heat from start to the finish for 3 whistles only. Cooking time may vary from chana to chana.
Allow pressure to go down.
Open the lid and drain chana. Use 1 cup boiled desi chana to make this dish, remaining 3 cups store in an airtight container in fridge and finish using within 2-3 days.
In a bowl combine 1 cup boiled chana and rest of all ingredients and toss to combine well and transfer in serving bowl and serve chatpata chana with white plain tortilla/corn chips. (To eat healthy (Chatpata chana), you need to add something unhealthy on side (Chips), so you won’t lose interest in eating healthy food.

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Tuesday, October 21, 2014

KAJU DIYA AUR BAATI



                            KAJU DIYA AUR BAATI
                                                     (6 Diya Aur Baati)

Diya means an earthen lamp and baati means the wick.
But here in this sweet Kaju Diya Aur Bati is made from kaju/Cashews sweet. Arrange Kaju Diya Aur Baati on a plate with other Diwali Sweets to make an eye-catching beautiful Diwali Sweets decoration for the Annakut Puja.

INGREDIENTS:
·      ¾ cup Broken Kaju/Cashews (You will get 1 cup fine cashew powder)
·      1 tsp. Ghee/Clarified Butter, for roasting cashew powder
·      1/3 cup Granulated White Sugar
·      2 -3 T Water or enough to cover sugar
·      Few drops of edible Red Food Color, as needed
·      Few drops of Ghee to grease palms


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LET’S MAKE DIYA AUR BAATI:
First measure ¾ cup of broken cashews then grind it into a fine powder.
Sieve cashew powder through fine gauge sieve. You will get approximately 1 cup of lightly packed cashew powder.

Heat ghee in a heavy bottom non-stick pan on medium-low heat.
Add cashew powder and roast with continuous stirring until fragrant and turns little off white in color, for about 3 minutes. Be careful not to burn cashew powder.
Switch off the heat.
Transfer in a bowl and keep aside.

Make 1 string consistency syrup.
Heat sugar and water in a pot on medium heat. Stir until all the sugar crystals are dissolved. Allow mixture to boil. Once syrup starts turning thick pour 1 drop of syrup on back of a small steel bowl. Tip bowl at 45 degree angle and still syrup drop stays put like a pearl means syrup is ready .If syrup drop disperses then it needs to heat further to thicken more.

Mix one Tablespoon roasted cashew powder with few drops of clear syrup to make 6 baati/jyot/wick. Allow cooling until warm. Knead and Roll dough into thin strings to make baati/jyot/wick. Make 6 wicks. Keep aside.

Add few drops of red food color into remaining syrup and mix well.
Add roasted cashew powder and mix well and cook on low flame for 5-6 minutes or until cashew dough comes together. Take small portion of the mixture and roll it between fingers and if it forms a ball means mixture is ready. Mixture will thicken while cooling. Allow cooling slightly then knead with hand to make soft smooth dough.

Mixture will be grainy at this stage but knead the kaju dough, when it is still warm. Dough will turn soft and smooth textured after kneading. (IF MIXTURE IS TOO DRY THEN YOU CAN ADD FEW DROPS OF MILK TO MAKE IT SOFT BUT IT WILL RDUCE SELFLIFE OF FINAL PRODUCT)
Roll cashew dough into thick, long cylinder and cut into 6 equal parts.
Grease palms with few drops of ghee/clarified butter and roll each ball then press lightly to flatten then press in center and give diya shape and pinch in front to make tip. Place wick in each diya.
Finish making remaining diya.

Enjoy…
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