AAMRAKHAND | AMRAKHAND | आम्रखंड | HUNG YOGURT WITH MANGO PULP

It is an authentic Maharashtrian Sweet dish which is very easy,healthy and heanvenly delicious.It is a must food item on special ocassions like Dasa,Diwali,Paadava (Hidu New Year) etc.

I grew up watching my parents making Aamrakhand and Shrikhand."Aamra" means "Mango" in Sansrit language.As I grew up, I was responsoble to make Aamrakhand many times at my parents place.When making this particula dish, I do not believe in short cuts.It is time consuming but worth while.It is time consuming because you will need to hang yogurt/Curd for more than 12 hours atleast (I keep for 24 hours atleast) to get the perfect Hung yogurt.Later, blending it such that it is soft, and bringing the texture of cream is also very important.

When done perfectly, it almost has texture of Ice Cream.That way, it is always a better option to serve as Ice Cream to kids instead of real Ice cream.

It is mainly served with Puri.but also tastes good with Chapati/Roti etc.You can also choose to serve it just as dessert.I personally do not like adding dry fruits to it but you can always add dry fruits in it.

NOTE :  The Mango Pulp should be added such that one should feel it while eating but should not feel all Mango -ish.It should be such that you are trying to catch the taste,you are catching but still its not there....The flavor should bring the delight and not the sourness to your mouth.So I suggest that religously follow the amount of Mango Pulp used here in the recipe.Or else it will be more like Mango Lassi.

INGREDIENTS :

1. Chakka/ Hung Yogurt - 1 Cup .Home Made Chakka Recipe here.
2. Sugar - 6 Tsp 
3. Mango Pulp - 3 Tbsp
4. Green Cardmom - 1 (If you are using Powder,just a pinch.)

STEPS

• Place a large strainer (large enough to fit all the ingredietns) over a vessel.
• Transfer, Chakka.Make a well in chakka and add Sugar and mix it lightly.
• Now add Mango pulp and start to blend/whisk  all the mixure with clean hands such that it starts to go trough the strainer and settle in the vessel (Using glove recommended if doing with hands).You can also use a suitable laddle for this,By doing this, we are removing any lumos preset and also givesa nice glaze to yogurt.
  
• Now take out all the yogurt from bottom of the strainer and transfer to vessel.
  
• Add Cardmom.Just brake it before adding,so that flavor is absorbed.We do not want it to take over all other flavors.Yes, this is how it works wonder or else it can be spoiler as it has strong essence.
  
• In the vessel, again whisk Aamrakhand until all the pupl is distributed and absorbed evenly.Do it gentlly.Then give folds as we do for baking batter.It helps Aamrakhand become smooth, whipped and gives fine texture and wonderful consistency.See the photo below how wonderfully consistent it is.You can see the Pointy ends and glaze on it.That itself means that Aamrakhand is perfect.
  

• Let it set for few hours in the fridge before serving and serve in yeat another impressive way by using Ice Cream Scoop.Yes,that is how the consistency should be.

TIPS : 

• If you do not want to keep it thick, add milk and mix it well.
• You can add Dry fuits of your choice.Saffron tastes good too.

ORANGE PANEER WITH CHILLIES | PANEER IN MANDARIN SAUCE | COTTAGE CHEESE IN MANDARIN SAUCE | PANEER IN ORANGE SAUCE

I have tried Vegetarian version of Orange Chicken.It is very easy to make.Kids will love it too.

IT makes a delicious food on Vrat/Upaas/Fasting.

INGREDIENTS:

1. Paneer or Cottage Cheese  -  300 Grams,Cut into Dices.
   
2. Orange Sauce - 1 Cup. Recipe for home made Orange Sauce here.
3. Green chillies - 2 (Chopped)
4. Beaten yogurt - 3 Tbsp
5. All Purpose Flour - 1/3 Cup and as needed ( Sifted to avoid the lumps)
6. Salt for Taste
7. Baking Soda - 1/8 Tsp
8. Oil for frying

STEPS

TO MAKE PANEER NUGGETS

• Keep Oil for heating on medium flame.
• While it is heating up, marinate Paneer chunks with beaten yogurt.
  
• Add Salt and Baking Soda to Flour
• Then dip the marinated paneer in dry flour as you see in the photo.
  
• Check if the oil is hot ebough to fry by frying a small piece of Paneer.
• Deep fry the Paneer.When theya are fried, they become nice,crunchy nuggets.
  

TO MAKE ORANGE PANEER :

• Keep a shallow pan for heating on medium flame.
• Add Orange Sauce and Chopped Chillies to the pan.
• Once the sauce starts to heat up, add the nuggets and mix well.
• Keep on stirring until all the sauce is absorbed by Nuggets.
• See the photo below to have an idea, how it works.
  
• Orange Paneer is ready to be served.
• Makes a perfect appetizer.Also,goes well with noodles or Rice.
  

TIPS: 

• You can add dry chilli flakes instead of Green Chillies.
• You can choose not add Chillies if it is for kids

HOME MADE ORANGE SAUCE | HOME MADE MANDARIN SAUCE

I like Oranage Chicken a lot and always wondered about delicoius Orange Sauce.So I decided to give it a try and it was a succesful experiment.Very easy and less time consuming.
If you see the ingredients, it makes a wonderful recip for Vrat/Upaas/Fasting too.

Recipe for ORANGE PANEER

SERVINGS :  yields 1 Cup of  Sauce.

INGREDIENTS:

1. Mandarins - 5 (Ripe and peeled)
2. Jaggery or Brown Sugar - 3/4 Cups (I used Punjabi Shakkar,which almost tastes like Jaggery/Gud/Gur.)
3. Water  - 1 Cup
   
   
   

STEPS:

• Transfer peeled Maderins to blender and make puree.
• Strain it to get the fresh Juice.It makes 1 CUP of fresh ORANGE Juice.
• In a pan, mix Orange Juice,Jaggery and water.Stir well until jagerry is dessolved.
• Keep it to boil on medium flame on smaller burner or Coil.Keep stirring ocaassionally.
• Boil until the mixture is reduced to around half the intial quantity.Also, you will see that the sauce has started to stick to the pan.
• That menas, it is time to put the flame off and let it cool down.
• Add salt at end and mix again.
• The Sauce is ready.Can be used with Paneer,Tofu,Chocken Nuggets etc.
  

TIPS:

• You can use white sugar if you like.That gives better tranperancy to the sauce.
• This sauce is neither too thick nor too runny.
• You can make ahead of time and refridgerate it.

PAAN BITES | SWEET BETEL LEAF BITES | पान का बटवा | INDIAN MOUTH FRESHNER | MEETHA PAAN | मीठा पान

Paan,Chuna,Kattha,Supari and Sweeteners like Dates,Gulkand,Dry Coconut.The rest of the ingredients are rolled up in the Paan and is consumed after meals as mouth freshener\s.It also helps in digestion.No festival meal is complete without this "Meetha Paan".There will be no person in India who doesnot like this Paan.Banarasi Paan is very famous in India.It is a indivisible part of Indian meals.This blings liveliness to the festivites.

I miss that here very much and when I found the Betel Leaves in store, there was no limit to my happinees.I have tried to simplify and make it little crative and presentable.Your loved ones and guests will be surely impressed by this.

SERVINGS : Makes around 4 to 6 bites depending upon size.

INGREDIENTS :

1. Betel Leaves or Paan - 5
2. Fennel Seeds - 1 Tbsp
3. Dates - 2 (Seedless and fresh.Not the dry ones)
4. Mukhwas - 1 Tbsp
   
5. Tuti Fruty - 1 Tbsp
6. Dry Coconut - 1 Tsp (grated)
7. Gulkand - 2 Tbsp
8. Cardmom - 1 (Crushed)
9. Mint Leaves - 4
10. Tuti Fruty and EDIBLE Silver Color Star Accents - for Decoration

STEPS:

• Except Gulknad, add all the ingredients in the blender and blend.let the mixture be coarse and not as paste.
• Transfer it to the bowl.Add Gulaknd .Mix everything very well.
• Add some Edible Star AccentsNow the Paan mixture is ready.
• I suggest that make the bites ahead of time like a day before you are going to serve.It helps all the ingredients get mixed,and the mixture will be very flavorful and tasty.
• You can serve as it is with the help of spoon.
  
• OR you can make bites as shown below.
• Spread the Plastic wrapp on sheet on the Silicone Mold.Transfre the Paan mixture as shown.I have put in alternate molds so that I can have extra plastic for wrapping.
  
• Decorate with some more Tuti Fruty and Edible Silver Star accents.Press it so that it sets nicely in the mold.
  
• Cut the Plastic wrap and twist to pack the bites.You can use decorative treads to tie it.
  
• KEEP REFRIDGERATED

TIPS:

• You can use Edible Pearl Dust or any other decoratives for the bites.
• If you have Middle Schoolers or Teenagers at hoem, it makes a good and creative project for them.
• 
  

MANGO SHEERA BURFI | SOOJI HALWA BURFI | आंब्याचा शिरा

Sheera is a sweet dish made from Rava/Sooji/Semolina.It is very famous all over INdia with just differnt names like Sheera,Sooji Hawa,Rava Kesari etc. On any good occassions, Sheera is offered to God and then distributed as prasad among Family and friend.When something good happens like Exam results,Job or any wish you had comes true, it calls for celebration.First thing that comes to mind is preparing Sheera/Halwa.It has a very important place in every Indian's heart.

Today,I have made it with Mango Pulp.Also,I tried to give it little different shape.So I made it in the form of Burfi or Fudge.So, the recipe is same but the presentation is different.I have  added no color while making.The color is because of Mango Pulp.

INGREDIENTS:

1. Sooji/Rava/Semolina -  1 Cup (You can roast while making or you can use roasted sooji that is available in the market)
2. Sugar - 3/4 Cups
3. Mango Pulp - 3/4 Cup (fresh or Store brought)
4. Green Cardmom - 1 (DO NOT CRUSH).We will use it whole
5. Ghee - 4 Tbsp (1 Tbsp for roasting the Rava
6. Cashews for Garnishing

STEPS:

• In a pan, add 1 Tbsp of Ghee,Rava and start roasting.Do it on the medium flame.It takes around 5 to 8 minues to roast.If you are using roasted Rava,you can skip this step.
• When it is roasted, transfer it to a plate (Keep the plate ready before hand).
• Now in the same pan, Add 3 Cups of water,Sugar,3 Tbsp of Ghee and Cardmom whole.Let it boil until sugar is dessolved completely.
• Now add Mango Pulp.Mix well.
• Start adding roasted rava a little at a time.Add a little,then give a stir.Repeat this until all the Rava is added.This way, there is no room to form the lumps.
• Now, be little cautious because when it starts boiling, the bubbles burst and little drops of sheera migh spill on you.So let it boil alon until you see the water.
• Once you see that it is thickening, keep on stirring continuously until it becomes thick and soft.
• Now spread in a plate as shown in the photo.Spread evenly and let it cool down to be warm.
  
• Now with greased knife,cut into burfi and decorate with Cashew or any dry fruits you like.
  
• It is ready to be served.
  

TIPS:

• Do not add dry fruits while cooking.Or else,you can see in the photo, how it can cause difficulty for cutting.
• You can add finey chopped dry fruits though

उपासाचि कैरी चि चटणी | RAW MANGO CHUTNEY FOR VRAT/FAST/UPAAS/UPWAS

If you are craving for some hot,spicey,savory,tangy or in short "Chatpata" food while obesrving the fasts, this recipe is the perfect answer then.It is Hot,Spicey,tangy,sweet and brings great delight to your soul.

I was so craving for some spicey food for my taste buds and came uop with this ultimate "Teekhi Chatpati Chutney".Very simple to make.

INGREDIENTS:

1. Raw Mango or Kairi - 1 (Peeled and chopped)
2. Green Chillies - 5 (Chopped)
3. Salt to Taste
4. Jaggery - 1/4 Cup
5. Red Chilly Powder - 1/2 Tsp(Optional)
6. Roasted Peannut powder - 1/2 Cup (Coarse texture preffered)

STEPS:

• Add Raw Mango,Green Chillies,Jaggery,Red Chilly Powder and Salt to blender.
• Blend it until it becomes puree.
• Take it out in a bowl.Add the Coarse Roasted Peanut Powder and mix well.I prefer to keep it coarse because itbrings nice crunchy texture while eating.
• Chutney is ready to serve.It can be served with Sabudana Khichadi,Vrat Cutlets,Vari chi Khichadi,Shabudana Vade,Shabudana Thalipeeth etc.

VARI CHI KHICHADI | वरीची खिचडी | SAMO KHICHADI

It is very simple to prepare.It is mainly consumed during fast or Upaas or Vrat.Keeps your stomach full for longer time. It is actually Vari cha Tandul (Meaning Vari Rice), in short called "VARI"

INGREDIENTS:

1. Samo Rice or Vari - 1 Cup)
2. Ghee or Clarified Butter - 1 Tbsp
3. Cumin Seeds - 1 Tbsp
4. Green Chillies or Dry REd Chillies - 2 (Chopped)
5. Roasted Peanut Powder - 1/4 Cup
6. Grated Cocnut - Dry or Fresh (Frozen) - 1/4.I have used fresh/frozen coconut
7. Salt to taste
8. Grated cocnut and Cilantro for garnishing - 1/4 Cup together.
9. Water - 4 Cups

STEPS:

• Heat the Pan on medium flame.Add Ghee.
• When Ghee is hot, add Cumin Seeds,Chillies and Sautee well.
• Now add Samo Rice and start roasting.Keep sauteeing until you smell the aroma of rice.Also, the color of rice changes to slight brown.That means, rice is roasted properly.
  
• To the roasted Rice, add 4 Cups of water,Roasted Peanut powder and Grated Coconut.Mix well.
  
• Close the lid and let it cook for 5 to 7 minutes on medium heat.
• Now check the consistency.You will see that khichadi is still watery and soggy.
• Now, keep on stirring khichadi until all the water is evaporated and you can grains are cooked but separate.Also, it will not stick to the pan.See the picture below.
  
• Vari chi Khichadi is ready to serve.Serve with spoon ful of Ghee, grated Coconut,Cilantro.Tastes best with Danyachi Aamti, Vrat ki Chutney, Raita etc.
  

TIPS:

• If you want to keep khichadi soft and soggy, you can skip roasting part.

Sheng Danyachi Amti/Aamti | Peanuts Curry for Fast/Vrat/Upaas | शेंग दाण्याची आमटी

It is very easy curry and tastes goods with Shabudana Khichadi,Vari chi Khichadi, Shabudana Vade, even with simply Boiled Potatoes.

INGREDIENTS:

1. Roasted Peanut Powder - 1/2 Cup. Recipe to roast peanuts in Microwave
2. Grated Coconut - 1/4 Cup (Fresh/Frozen preffered)
3. Ghee or Clarifire Butter - 2 Tbsp
4. Cumin Seeds - 1 Tbsp
5. Green or Red Chillies - 2 to 3 (chopped).If you are using Red Chilli Powder the take 3/4 Tsp.
6. Sugar or Jaggery - 1 Tbsp
7. Salt to taste
8. Chopped Cilantro for garnishing.

STEPS:

• Heat the pan.Add Ghee.
• Now add Cumin Seeds and Chillies.Once they are fried well, add roasted Peanut Powder and Grated Coconut and sautee for about a minute,so that everything is mixed well.
  
• Add 2 Cups of water,salt and sugar and let it cook for 5 to 7 minutes or until peanutes are cooked well,with lid covered.
• Garnish with Cilantro.
• The Curry is ready to be served.
  

TIPS:

• You can also add boiled potatoes if you like.

PUMPKIN CURRY | PUMPKIN SAMBAR For Idli,Dosa,Rice etc

This recipe of Sambar doe not have any sort of Dal or Lentil.It tastes heavenly and tastes good with Idli/Sambar/Rice/Roti.It tastes even better when eaten just as it is.Very easy to make with less preparations.

INGREDIENS:

1. Red Pumpkin Puree - 2 Cups (To make it - Take out the seeds and pressure cook it with skin.When it cools down, take out and smash it well.
2. Tomato Puree - 3/4 Cup. Click here for recipe of Tomato Puree
3. One Big Onion - Chopped
4. Glarlic cloves - 2 (chopped)
5. Oil - 4 Tbsp
6. Mustard and Cumin Seeds - 1 Tsp each
7. Hing and Turmaric Powder - 1/2 Tsp each
8. Black gram Split/Urad Dal - 1 Tbasp
9. Dry Red Chilles - 2
10. Curry Leaves - 8 to 10
11. Cumin and Coriander Powder - 1 Tbsp each
12. Curry Powder - 2 Tbsp (I used the brought from SPROUTS).You can use of your choice.
13. Red Chilly Powder - 1 Tsp
14. Salt ToTaste
15. Cilantro for Garnishing

STEPS : 

• Heat the Oil.Add Urad Dal to it.When it starts to crackle,add Mustard and Cumin Seeds,Hing,Turmaric Powder,Curry Leaves and Red Chillies.
• Now,add Onions,Salt and let it cook.Once Onions are cooked, add Cumin and Coriancer Powder,Red Chilly Powder,Curry Powder and let the mixture fry for a minute or two.Make sure it does not get burnt.
• Now add Tomato Puree and let everything cook.Until,you see that oil is released.
• Now add Pumpkin Puree,water(around 2 cups) and let it cook on a medium flame for around 10 minutes.
• Garnish with Cilantro.
• It is ready to be served with any main course.
  

TIPS: 

• You can use the water that was used to cook Pumpkin
• You can decide the thickness of gravy according to how you like.

2 MINUTES CUP CAKE DHOKLA | NO ENO OR FRUIT SALT

Before sharing the recipe, I would like to say something.Dhoka is my "the favorite snack".But I was never successful in making Dhokla ever since I started cooking.Be it home made batter or Store brought batter,My Dhokla making was always a disaster.But some where in my heart, I was not ready to give up on this recipe.

So I decided to try this recipe for the first time.I was not sure it it was going to be a success or not.It was all experimental.But still decided to click the step by step photos.Because my inner voice was telling me that I was going to succeed today.And yes!!!! I finally made it.

Another challenge was "Not using ENO or FRUIT SODA" in the recipe.So I decided to go with traditional method of making batter and instant method of baking it in Microwave and new method of making in Silicon Cup Cake Moulds...SO,I would say the method is kind of fusion here and hope that you all will like it.

The Reasons for not adding ENO is :

1. It is a medicine.So I prefer not to use in food as a short cut.Let us allow it serve it's real purpose.And hence I have never been comfortable with using ENO as substitute.I am sure,many of you have that feeling too.Hence I am going to use the ingredient that is meant for Baking.
2. Baking powder is meant for baking so why not use it
3. You do not have to depend on ENO all the time to make Dhokla.Just a little preparation and have your dhokla with proper ingredients.Also,Baking powder helps for better bindng.Dhokla will be fluffy and firm.
4. I could make Pure besan Dhokla and did not have to use ingredients like Rawa or Semolina for binding.Rawa gets soggy and we think that Dhokla is fluffy.But this is not the case.One should be able to see the pores when cut in the middle as you can see in the photo number three below.

I am giving step by step recpe of how I exactly did today.As it does not have ENO in it for instant raising, we would need soaking the batter for 6 hours.But, after that each batch (set of 6 cup cake moulds with batter)  took only 2 minutes to bake in the Microwave (Mine is 1000 Watts).

If you want to make as evening snack, Make the batter in in the morning and keep it aside.You all set for evening.Ekdum Tension Free :D

The steps look lengthy becuse I ahve entered every detail of my experiment here.But it is very easy and hastle free to make.

Serving : I was able to make 16 Dhokla Cakes with the measurements below.

INGREDIENTS :

• BATTER

1. ChickPea Flour or Basan - 1 Cup (Sifing is recommended here )
2. Plain Yogurt  - 1 Cup (Beat the yogurt and microwave for 45 seconds).It becomes to room temperature and gets little sour.
   
3. Sugar - 1 Tbsp
4. Salt for taste
5. Lime juice -  from One whole Lime (Makes around 4 Tbsp of Lime Juice)
   
6. Baking Powder - 1 - 1/2 Tsp (We are going to need it at the end)

• SWEET SYRUP

1. Water - 1 Cup
2. Sugar - 2 to 3 Tbsp
3. Salt to taste
4. Lime Juice - from Half Lime/Lemon

• TEMPERING OR TADKA

1. Oil - 3 Tbsp
2. Mustard and Cumin Seeds - 1 Tbsp each
3. Hing - A Pinch (Optional)
4. Turmeric Powder - 1/4 Tsp

• GARNISHING

1. Grated Cocnut  - 1/4 Cup (I have used the fresh one)
2. Finely Chopped cilantro - 1/4 Cup

STEPS : 

• MAKING BATTER

1. In a large bowl Take besan.Add the beaten Yogurt,Salt and Lime juice. (DO NOT add baking Powder at this point).
   
2. Mix everything well, such thatt all the lumps disappear.
3. The batter should not be too runny.The consistency should be like Idli batter or little thicker.
4. If you think you need to add little water.Use the warm water and add spoon by spoon.
   
5. Keep the batter closed for 6 hours (The time was around 10 AM in m clock when I kept the batter in the Oven for soaking and fermentation.I took out the batter at 4 PM to make the Dhokla)

• MAKING DHOKLA

1. Keep Silicone Cup Cake Moulds Ready and greased.Mine did not need greasing though.We are going to keep 6 moulds at a time in the Microwave for 2 minutes.So you can keep ready the next batch of 6 moulds with batter filled in them.
2. Now you will see that the batter is thickend so you will need few sppons of water to loosen it.Again,use the Warm water.
3. Once you get the good consistency of batter,add Baking Powder and start stirring immediately.You will bubbles when you add it.
4. Now start stirring and mixing well.You will see that batter is becoming fluffy and lighter.Let it be that way.Make sure that Baking powder is really mixed well.
   
5. Now Fill each Cup Cake mould until half with the batter as you see in pic.Keep those moulds (6 of them) in the Microwave safe palte and let it bake for 2 minutes on the highest wattage.
   
6. They are ready in 2 minutes.
   
7. Now, again keep the next batch.

• TEMPERING OR TADKA

1. Heat the Oil on medium flame.Add Cumin and Mustard Seeds and let them fry well.We do not wan them to remain raw.Or else,mustard seeds taste bitter.
2. Once they are fried well,put flame off and add Hing and urmeric Powder.
3. Tadka is Ready.

• SWEET SYRUP

1. In a bowl (Big enough such that you can easily dip Dhokla Cup cake) add Water,Salt,Sugar and Lime juice and stir well until sugar and salt are completely dessolved.
   

• SERVING DHOKLA

1. Take Dhokla out of the Silicone Mold
2. Dipping In Sweet Syrup - So instead of pouring this syrup,I did little different.Dip teh Cake in the syrup upside up for few secinds,so that syrup is well absorbed by cake and keep it in the plate. 
3. Sprinkle Cocnut and Cilantro.
4. Now sprinkle little bit of Sweet syrup (Optional)
5. Then add Tadka
6. Cupcake Dhokla is all set to serve to your loved ones :)
   

TIPS : 

• Make sure to check the wattage of your Microwave.Because time needed to bake may varry depending upon power of the Microwave.
• Youcan also garnish with finely chopped Green chillies.