AMRAKHAND (MANGO IN SHRIKHAND) & A GIFT FOR WINNER FROM MEENA BHATIA

Hellow friends,

Meena Bhatia of Homely Food celebrated her 2nd Blog Anniversary Event and Giveaway, a very successful event which ran in between 4th April, 2013 to 19th May, 2013. I couldn't believe my eyes and totally spellbound, when Meena decleared me as the Winner of this event (please CHECK HERE). I was really so glad and boundless happiness with me on that very moment. 

My heartfelt thanks to you, Meena dear. Hats off to your efforts and indeed a great job done by you. We all enjoyed and relished your each and every dishes. Now those are listed as frequent menus in my kitchen. Thanks a lot for those delicious recipes dear.

I am truelly honoured by you dearie. Loved your gift 'Tupperware Lunch Boxes Set' so much, it is very useful and looks so pretty. Thank you so much Meena for your support throughout the  process and being with me.

So friends, here celebrating this award (gift) with a traditional mouthwatering yummy dessert, 'Amrakhand'................ A shrinkhand is an Indian dessert made by mixing thick and creamy stained yogurt with sugar, cardamom powder and saffron. You can mixed seasonal tropical fruit Mango to make to Amrakhand (mango in shrikhand). Shrikhand is originated from Maharashtra, but very popular dessert in Rajasthan and Gujarat too. It involves no cooking. It is a transformation of simple yogurt to a luscious dessert. We enjoyed 'Aam Shrikhand' so much that I have made it several times in this season. Cardamom and saffron flavours really worked well. So here is the simple recipe, hope you all will enjoy well.

INGREDIENTS:
1 Cup Plain Yogurt / Thick Curd
1 Cup Powdered Sugar
1 Cup Mango Pulp (Preferably Alphonso Mango)
1/4 tsp Green Cardamom Powder
1 tbsp Cashewnuts (chopped)
1 tbsp Almonds (chopped)
1 tbsp Pistachios (sliced)
Few Strands of Saffron

METHOD:
Place a muslin cloth on a sieve. Pour yogurt in it and stain out water from it or you may hang it over the kitchen sink. So that all excess water should drain out.
Whisk powdered sugar with hanged yogurt, till both are well blended.
In a blender, put mango pulp, cardamom powder and saffron. Blend for 2-3 minutes to make a smooth puree.
Mix mango puree with yogurt now. Add chopped nuts in it. Fold nicely.
Keep it in refrigerator for 2-3 hours before serving. Serve chilled by garnishing chopped nuts on the top. You can preserve it in a air-tight container and keep in refrigerator for 2 weeks.

Sending to: Authentic Indian Sweets @ Nivedhanam

KHATTI MITHI MOONG (SWEET & SOUR MUNGO BEANS)

Moong beans provides very high quality protein, that is rare in most Indian regional cuisine. Whole moong bean is cooked in several ways, but mostly used for making sprouts. Here is a very flavorful and healthy moong bean dry curry, which goes well with rice or roti. No onion and garlic are used super simple to cook, yet tastes great!
Recipe Source & Acknowledgement: Maayeka

INGREDIENTS:
1 Cup Whole Green Moong Beans
1&1/2 tsps Chopped Ginger
2 tsps Chopped Green Chillies
4 tbsps Sugar
1&1/2 tbsps Dried Mango Powder
1/2 tsp Asafoetida
1&1/2 tsps Red Chilli Powder
1/2 tsp Turmeric Powder
2 tbsps Chopped Coriander Leaves
2 tbsps Clarified Butter (ghee)
Salt to taste

METHOD:
Wash and soak moong beans for minumum 1 hour. Pressure cook with 3 cups of water for 4-5 whistles on medium heat or till it cooked well and become soft.
Let is cool down naturally. Open the lid and mash cooked moong beans slightly. Now add 3 cups of warm water in it. Mix all spices, green chillies, sugar, ginger and salt with green moong.
Cook on medium heat for 10 minutes, simmer for 15 minutes, keep stirring in between.
Now remove from fire and add chopped coriander and ghee, fold nicely.
Serve with steamed rice or roti.

Sending to: Tried And Tasted - Maayeka & Original Announcement Page & Kitchen Chronicles Announcement Page

Sending to: cookcookandcook & thoushaltcook & The Big Sweet Tooth

Sending to: Priya's Event - Healthy me healthy us

CORN CAPSICUM MASALA

Corn kernals are not only tasty but healthy too. I like to relish it as the form of curry with roti or flavoured rice. It is very easy to make and a delicious curry which I found at Maayeka. It is very flavourful and yummilicious, just try it.

INGREDIENTS:
3 Cups Green Bell Peppers Cubes
1 Cup Corn Kernals
1/2 tsp Cumin Seeds
3 Tomatoes Chopped
2 tbsps Tomato Puree (or tomato ketchup)
1/4 tsp Asafoetida
1&1/2 tsps Grated Ginger
1 tsp Chilli Powder
1/2 tsp Turmeric Powder
1/2 tsp Pav Bhaji Masala
1 tsp Corander Powder
1 tsp Fresh Lemon Juice
1.5 tbsps Fresh Cream
2 tbsps Chopped Coriander Leaves
Salt to taste

METHOD:
Pressure cook corn kernals with a cup of water and a pinch of salt for 2 whistles. Strain and keep aside.

Heat oil in a pan, add cumin seeds, when starts crackling, add asafoetida, ginger, salt and tomatoes in it.

Mix well. Cover and cook for few minutes till tomatoes become soft. Now add tomato puree, turmeric powder, red chilli powder, pav bhaji masala and coriander powder. Saute for a minute.

Add boiled corn and capsicum now, fold nicely. Cover and cook till capsicum became slightly cooked and gravy thickens.

Add fresh cream, lemon juice and coriander leaves. Fold well. Turn off the heat now.

Serve with rice, paratha or roti.

Sending to: Tried And Tasted - Maayeka & Original Announcement Page & Kitchen Chronicles Announcement Page

GALDA CHINGRI BHAPE (STEAMED SCAMPI / TIGER PRAWNS) - A MICROWAVE VERSION

"Galda Chingri Bhape" is an authentic Bengali Recipe, which is prepared in every household since ages. It goes best with warm steamed rice, but some people serve it with pulao too. Pungent taste of mustard paste with mustard oil makes it more appealing. Soft meat of this scampi has a very distinct flavour if cooked perfectly, little sweet in taste, it is just mouth-melting!

INGREDIENTS:
1&1/2 kgs Indian Scampi / Tiger Prawns (galda chingri)
3/4 Cup Plain Yogurt (thick curd)
1&1/2 tsps Turmeric Powder
2 tsp Green Chillies Paste
6-8 Green Chillies (or as per taste), cut in slits
1/2 Cup Grated Coconut
3 tbsps Poppy Seeds Paste
6 tbsps Mustard Paste
6-8 tbsps Mustard Oil
Salt to taste

METHOD:

Clean and wash the tiger prawns. In a microwave safe bowl, marinate prawns with turmeric powder and salt. Keep aside for 15-30 minutes.

Add mustard paste, green chilli paste, poppy seeds paste, coconut and salt to the prawn mix. Now add yogurt and mustards oil in it. Mix it well. Arrange green chillies on the top.

Place the bowl in microwave. Micro at 100% MW power for 5 minutes.

Take out the bowl from the oven now, turn the prawns in the bowl to expose other sides. Adjust salt. Microwave for another 5 minutes at 100% MW power. Switch off the oven, keep it on stand time for 5 minutes more.

Serve hot with plain rice or pulao, its yummilicious!!!

KARELA SUBZI / STIR FRIED BITTER GOURD

Here is an interesting way to make out karela without deep frying. I love 'Karela' or bitter gourd, so when I came accross 'Karela Subzi' at Anjana Chaturbedi's Space, "Maayeka" and I loved this yummy stir fried spicy bitter gourd. Karela helps diabetic patients to regulate the blood sugar level. So, here is the very easy and simple yummy recipe of bitter gourd:

INGREDIENTS:
100 gms Bitter Gourd
1/4th Raw Mango
1 tsp Whole Fennel Seeds
1&1/2 tsps Pouned Fennel Seeds
1/4 tsp Turmeric powder
1/2 tsp Red Chilli Powder
1 tsp Coriander Powder
1/2 tsp Sugar
1/2 tsp Dried Mango Powder
2 tbsps + 1 tbsp Mustard Oil
Salt to taste

METHOD:

Wash and slice bitter gourds in medium thick roundals. Marinate with 1 tsp salt, keep covered for 30 minutes. Wash them well and squeeze them well. Set aside.

Peel and grate raw mango. Keep it aside.

Heat 2 tbsps mustard oil in a pan or wok. Add fennel seeds in it. Saute for a 30-40 seconds, till it turns to golden. Add turmeric powder and bitter gourd pieces in it. Saute for a minute.

Add grated raw mango and mix nicely. Cover and cook on low heat till done. Keep stirring in between, so that those will not stick and burn at the buttom.

While done, add red chilli powder, coriander powder, dried mango powder and sugar in it. Adjust salt a little. Pour 1 tbsp oil now. Cook uncovered for another 2-3 minutes on low heat.

Best served with dal and rice or with Indian flat breads.

Sending to: Tried And Tasted - Maayeka & Original Announcement Page & Kitchen Chronicles Announcement Page

BENGALI GOSHT CURRY (PATHAR JHOL)

In my childhood days, I couldn't imagine our Sunday meal except this mouthwatering and flavourful goat meat curry. This sound delicious mutton curry sends me right back to my Ma's kitchen. Normally typical Bengali preparation of this curry would be a little sweet, but I prefer to make it without sugar. When it was pressure cooked, hissed and whistled, the aroma of the curry already wafting in the air intensified, we asked mom several times, "meal is ready"? Traditionally mustard oil is used to cook the meat, the aroma is really special, that is still tickles my sences and trust me, savoury and spicy - this meat curry is enjoyed by all non-vegetarians. 

INGREDIENTS:
1.250 kgs Goat Meat, cut into medium sized pieces
3/4 Cup Plain Yogurt
3 Onions, cut in slices
2 Tomatoes, cut in slices
3 Large Potatoes, peeled and cut each into 4 pieces
2 Bay Leaves
1 tbsp Turmeric Powder
1 tbsp Coriander Powder
1 tbsp Red Chilli Powder
1&1/2 tbsps Dry Roasted Cumin (pounded)
2 tbsps Garlic Paste
3 tbsps Ginger Paste
1/2 tsp Mace Powder
1/2 tsp Nutmeg Powder
1" Cinnamon + 5 Cloves + 5 Green Cardamoms
1/2 tsp Black Pepper (coarsely pounded)
6 tbsps Oil (preferably mustard oil)
2 tsps Fresh Lemon Juice
Salt to taste

METHOD:
Marinate potato pieces with 1/2 tsp turmeric powder and 1 tsp salt. Set aside for 15 minutes.

Heat oil in a wok or deep frying pan. Fry potatoes in it, till they becoming golden brown, Drain oil and keep them aside.

Fry the onions in the same wok, till they turn golden.

Add bay leaves and ginger-garlic paste now. Saute for a minute.

Now add turmeric powder, red chilli powder, mace-nutmeg powder and coriander powder. Fry this mixture on medium heat for about 2 minutes.

Add goat meat, mix well and fry it for 5 minutes (approx.).

At this time, add yogurt, salt and tomato in it.

Fold them properly and fry nicely till the oil leaves spices.

Add 2&1/2 cups warm water, cloves, green cardamoms and cinnamon in the mixture. Fold properly. Transfer the whole mixture in a pressure cooker. Cook it on medium heat for 4 whistles.

Let is cool down naturally. Open the lid, add fried potato pieces, pounded cumin, black pepper powder and lemon juice in it. Mix nicely. Close the lid and pressure cook for another 2-3 whistles.

Serve hot with warm plain rice/pulao/naan/paratha and green salad.

Sending to: Taste of the Tropics @ ESHO-BOSHO-AAHARE

Sending to: Cook Like Mom- Foodelicious