Gulab Jamun

Ingredients

• Flour 2 tbsp
• Dry milk powder 2 cups (preferably "Nido")
• Oil 2 tbsp
• Semolina(suji) 1 tsp
• Eggs 3
• Baking powder 2 tbsp
• Sugar 2 cups
• Water 2, 1/2 cups
• Oil for frying

Method

1. For Sugar Syrup: Take a pan, add water and sugar and bring to boil.
   
2. Stir till sugar dissolves properly, leave it on low flame.
   
3. For Gulab Jamun: Beat eggs and add flour, semolina, 2 tbsp oil, milk powder and baking powder, mix well and knead it for 5 minutes.
   
4. Grease your palm with a little oil and make small balls of the mixture.
   
5. Deep fry the balls, when they turned golden brown, strain out and add them in sugar syrup.
   
6. Give two boils to this syrup and take out the gulab jamuns in a serving dish.
   
7. Serve warm.
   

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Aloo Palak

Spinach is one of my favorite veggie dishes because it is full of nutrients and health benefits. Here is one more way of preparing it. I have mixed potato cubes in it, but the recipe can be adapted and used with lightly fried paneer cubes to make palak paneer.
INGREDIENTS
1 big bunch of spinach (it shrinks a LOT during cooking)
1 medium onion, grated or chopped finely
1 large potato, peeled, cubed and boiled until tender (or 125 gm paneer, cubed and fried)
1-2 tomatoes, chopped
1 tsp. jeera/whole cumin
1-2 green chilies
½ tsp. garlic paste
½ tsp. cumin powder
½ tsp. coriander powder
pinch of turmeric powder
pinch of garam masala
salt to taste
1 tsp. lemon juice
water
2-4 tbsp. oil
some coriander for garnishing
INSTRUCTIONS
Take your bunch of fresh spinach. Wash/clean and get the leaves off the stems. Discard stems and drain the leaves then chop them into very thin slices.
Heat some oil in a pan, add the cumin seeds and allow them to splutter. Next add the chopped onion and fry to a nice light brown, then add a green chili with slits and the garlic paste. Fry for a bit then add the chopped tomatoes and sprinkle the cumin and coriander powders. Cook until the tomatoes are soft and mushy and you can see the oil being released from the sides.
Next add the spinach, give it a stir then cover and let this cook, giving it an occasional stir every few minutes. Add the cubed boiled potatoes at this point so they can absorb the flavors properly.
The spinach will reduce drastically in amount. Do not cook it for too long, you will lose all the nutrients from it otherwise. About 10 minutes should be good enough. You can add water to help it get done if it dries up too quickly.
Once it’s done to your liking, sprinkle the garam masala, squeeze in the lemon juice then garnish with coriander and serve.
TIP: If you are using fried paneer cubes, add them in at this last stage just before turning off the heat.

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Chicken Drumsticks and Thighs

A spicy and delicious recipe to satisfy your taste buds. Tender and juicy inside and crisp and delicious outside chicken guarantees to win the heart of your family all over again. Please give your feedback and suggestions to help me improve this recipe.

Ingredients

• Chicken drumsticks 4
• Chicken thighs 4
• For Marinade:
• Soya sauce 3 tbsp
• Ginger/garlic paste 1 tbsp
• Black pepper 1 tsp
• Lemon juice 4 - 6 tbsp ( I recommended 6 tbsp)
• Paprika powder 1, 1/2 tsp
• Salt 1 tsp
• Chilli powder 1, 1/2 tsp
• Jamaican style hot chilli sauce or any other chilli sauce 2 tsp
• Tandoori spice 2 tsp
• Yogurt 4 tbsp
• Chicken powder or chicken coating powder 2 tbsp
• Olive vinegar 1 tbsp or (buy a jar of olives soaked in vinegar and use the vinegar)
• Oil 1 tbsp
• Garlic 4 - 6 cloves
• For Coasting:
• Plain flour 1 cup
• Baking powder 1 tsp
• Salt 1/2 tsp
• Egg 1
• Chicken coating 3 to 4 tbsp
• Paprika powder 1 tbsp

Method

1. To Prepare Chicken: First clean and wash the chicken.
   
2. pour about 3 cups water in a pan with garlic cloves, chicken and 1/2 tsp salt.
   
3. Cook for about 15 minutes. Once boiled drain the water out of the chicken and let it rest for a 5 to 10 minutes. Marinating The Chicken: Mix soya sauce, ginger/garlic paste, black pepper, lemon juice, paprika powder, 1 tsp salt, chilli powder, chilli sauce, tandoori spice, yogurt, olive vinegar and oil.
   
4. Now apply this mixture to chicken and let it marinate in it over night.
   
5. Frying The Chicken: Mix plain flour, baking powder, salt, paprika powder and chicken coating in a plate (flour coating).
   
6. Dip the chicken pieces in egg and then coat in flour coating.
   
7. Deep fry in hot oil over high flame for about 2 to 5 minute or until golden brown.
   
8. Strain out on absorbent paper and serve hot hot with dips and sauces.
   

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Chicken Vegetable Fried Rice

Ingredients

• Rice (boiled) 500 grams
• Garlic 2 cloves
• Spring onion (sliced) 3/4 cup
• Green pepper (sliced) 1/2 cup
• Cabbage (sliced) 1/2 cup
• Carrot (sliced) 1/2 cup
• Cottage cheese(cubed) 1/2 cup
• Chicken (cubed) 100 grams
• Salt to taste
• Black pepper to taste
• Soy sauce 2 - 3 tbsp
• Oil as required

Method

1. First heat some oil in pan, add chopped garlic in it and saute it till light golden.
   
2. Add chicken and stir fry it till cooked through.
   
3. Now add cottage cheese and fry it till light golden.
   
4. After that add cabbage,green pepper and spring onions in it and stir fry for a few minutes.
   
5. Add in boiled rice and stir fry a minute.
   
6. Season with salt, black pepper and soy sauce to taste and stir fry a few minutes.
   
7. Serve it with hot steaming kebab and tomato mayo sauce.
   

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Kabsa (Chicken and Rice)

ITS AN ARABIC RECIPE ORIGINATING FROM SAUDIA ARABIA BUT ALSO COMMONLY EATEN IN UAE.TRULY ARABIC!

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups Arabic Rice(thick)-cleaned & rinsed (Do not use other kinds of rice for this recipe)
• Water (amount varies according to the size of boiler-pot you are using)
• 1 Tomato cut up in small pieces
• 1 small to medium onion chopped
• 2 heaping teaspoons of Baharat spice ground
• 3 heaping teaspoons of cardomon ground
• 3/4 can of tomato paste
• 6 teaspoons of olive oil
• 1 small snack box of raisins
• 1 small chicken cut in sections (a frying chicken will do)
• salt to taste
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 dried black lemon (Completely dried lemons are used in the Middle East as a souring agent in chutneys, soups and stews and even ground into flatbreads. The powder made from black lemons has a sweet-tart flavor that is unique and has no substitute)
• 2 heaping teaspoons powdered garlic

Method

1. Thaw chicken.
   
2. In a large boiler-pot add oil, chopped onions and 1 heaping teaspoon of cardomon stirring until browned on medium high heat.
   
3. Add boiling water to the boiler-pot until half full.
   
4. Add salt accoriding to your own taste, 2 heaping tablespoons of cardomon, 2 heaping teaspoons of garlic powder, the cut tomato, 3/4 can of tomato paste, 1 black lemon and the raisins to the already browned onions.
   
5. Stir on medium heat and try a little of the broth (add spices to suit your own taste).
   
6. Add chicken to the broth and keep at medium heat. Cover with aluminum foil and then the pot lid.
   
7. Boil chicken on medium high for approximately 30 minutes. Turn down heat to medium temperature and take the chicken out of the broth and place in an oven baking dish into a preheated oven at 300 degrees F and bake.
   
8. Strain the broth. Keep the strained ingredients in one bowl and the broth in another bowl.
   
9. Put the ingredients (e.g. onions, tomato, black lemon, etc.) back into the boiler-pot.
   
10. Add the 1 1/2 cups of Basmati rice along with 3 measured cups of the kapsa broth that you had previously set aside in a bowl.
    
11. Bring the Basmati rice, the Kapsa broth and all the ingredients to a boil, then immedietly turn down heat to low and cover sealing tightly again with aluminum foil.
    
12. Cover with a lid over the aluminum foil. Do not open or peek at it for atleast 10 minutes.
    
13. Then periodically check to see if rice is light and fluffy, but do not stir rice.
    
14. The Kapsa rice is done when all the broth has been absorbed. Remember to check on the chicken in the oven every so often to make sure that it doesn't overcook and become dry.
    
15. The chicken should be moist. Turn off the heat and take off the aluminum foil and allow the extra steam to escape. If the Basmati rice appears dry and not completely cooked add a little bit of the extra broth and recover until finished.
    
16. Do not mix the water and rice, just add over the top.
    
17. Serving Directions: Pour rice on to a large circular platter. Place the chicken from the oven in the middle and on top of the rice. Serve with boiled eggs or fries.
    

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Hyderabad Haleem

Ingredients

• Mutton/Beef 1 kg
• Wheat grain ½ kg
• Yogurt ¼ kg
• Ginger garlic paste 2 tbsp
• Gram lentil ½ cup
• Urad dhal ½ cup
• Mong dhal ½ cup
• Barely ½ cup
• Clarified butter 2 tbsp
• Onions 2 (fried brown)
• Green chili 6
• Oil 1 cup
• Red chili powder 2 tsp
• Turmeric 2 tsp
• All spice 2 tsp
• Salt to taste
• Cinnamon stick 2
• Black pepper corn 1 tsp
• Cardamom 3
• Cloves 3
• Salt to taste
• For Garnish:
• Lemon as needed
• Almonds ½ tsp (roasted, ground)
• Cashew nuts ½ tsp (roasted, ground)
• Coriander leaves ½ bunch
• Mint Leaves ½ bunch
• Green chili 5 or 6
• Brown onion

Method

1. Soak wheat and all lentils for whole night.
   
2. Heat oil and add 1 tbsp ginger garlic paste fry for a while.
   
3. Add meat, 1 tsp turmeric, red chili and all spice powder mix well and cover and let it cook till meat is tenderize well.
   
4. When mutton tenderize add yogurt, lemon, 3 green chilies and 1 cup water simmer till oil comes on surface.
   
5. Let it cool at room temperature, now shred meat and keep a side.
   
6. Now in a large pan add wheat, mixed lentils, 1 tsp turmeric powder, 1 tbsp ginger garlic paste, 3 green chilies, black pepper corn give a boil and cook to tenderize all lentils.
   
7. Blend all lentils and wheat in blender.
   
8. In a pan heat clarified butter and crackle all whole spices (clove, cinnamon stick, black pepper corn and cardamom.
   
9. Add blended lentils and meat mix and add some garnishing ingredients cook for 30 minutes to mix all ingredients well.
   
10. Haleem is ready, serve with garnishing ingredients.
    

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Rasgulla

 

 
Preparation Time: 30 mins.
Cooking Time: 40 mins.
Makes 16 rasgullas.

Ingredients For the rasgullas :
1 recipe chenna
1 tsp plain flour (maida) for dusting
For the sugar syrup:
5 cups sugar
1/2 cup milk
Other ingredients :
2 tsp plain flour (maida)
Method
For the rasgullas : Divide the chenna into 16 equals parts and roll each part into a ball, taking care to see that the there are no cracks on the surface
Dust the back of a flat plate (thali) lightly with the flour and place the rolled chenna balls on it.
For the sugar syrup :
Combine the sugar and milk with 3 cups of water in a large pan approx. 200 mm. (8″) in diameter and 150 mm. (6″) in height and heat while stirring continuously till the sugar dissolves.
When the syrup comes to a boil, the impurities in the sugar will begin to float on the surface, forming a grey layer.
Heat over a medium flame to allow the grey layer to float. Do not stir at this point as the layer will break and it will not clarify the syrup.
After about 5 minutes, slowly drizzle 1 cup of water form the sides of the pan with the help of a ladle. Water added at this stage will bring down the temperature of the sugar syrup and will not allow it to boil and break the grey layer.
Continue to simmer the syrup over a medium flame for about 10 minutes and then gently remove the grey layer using a slotted spoon.
Bring the syrup to the boil once again and then slowly drizzle another cup of water from the sides of the pan using a ladle. remove all the remaining impurities from the syrup, again using a slotted spoon.
Increase the flame and boil vigorously for 1 to 2 minutes. Keep aside.
How to proceed :
Mix 2 teaspoons of the plain flour with 3/4 cup of water to make a flour solution. Keep aside.
Heat the sugar syrup in a deep pan over a high flame and allow it to boil vigorously.
When it boils, sprinkle half the flour solution in the sugar syrup and then add the chenna balls by upturning the plate on which they are kept. (Do not touch the chenna balls at this point as they are fragile).
When the flour solution is added, a frothy layer is formed on the surface of the syrup.
If the frothy layer begins to subside, sprinkle the remaining half portion of the flour solution.
After this, keep on sprinkling water (minimum 1 cup) on the surface of the sugar syurp. Ensure that the syrup froths all the time while cooking the rasgullas.
Cook for about 15 minutes, continuously sprinkling water to enable the froth to form.
Check if the rasgullas are cooked. This is determined by touch. If the rasgulla springs back and retains its shape when pressed, it is cooked. Another way of checking is to drop a rasgulla in a pan of cold water.
If it sinks to the bottom, it is cooked.
Remove form the fire.
Transfer the rasgullas to a bowl along with 2 ladles of sugar syrup and 1 cup of water.
Cool and chill for approx. 3 to 4 hours before serving.
Tips:
Rasgullas should always be cooked on a very high flame.
While cooking rasgullas, the sugar syrup must froth continuously.
The pan should be approximately 200 mm. (8″) in diameter and 150 mm. (6″) in height and the sugar syrup should fill about 1/3 of the pan.
While making rasgulla shapes (see variation below), always ensure that there are no cracks on the surface of the shapes.
While cooking, rasgullas expand to at least 4 times their original size.
While sprinkling water on the syrup when the rasgullas are cooking,
make sure you sprinkle a little water at a time (approx. a teaspoon at a time using your hands) and not large quantities.

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