Rajma (red kidney beans curry) comes from North India, specifically from the state of Punjab, and is omnipresent in eateries of all shapes and sizes. Rajma is essentially the Hindi name for red kidney beans. Rajma curry is prepared using a spicy onion-tomato gravy. People generally prefer this curry with rice as a quick bite, as evident from the consumption of Rajma-Chawal (Chawal is the Hindi name for rice) in Northern India.
Matar paneer is the most common form of paneer dish available in almost all Indian restaurants – big or small. It is a delicious curry made from soft Paneer (Cottage Cheese) and Matar (Peas) in a mild spicy tomato curry. It is a very simple, quick, tasty recipe which seems to be is loved by everyone. Today I have made Matar Paneer with only 1 tsp of oil but there is absolutely no compromise in taste and colour.
My darling husband is a truly chocolate lover and so is our angel. I made this Eggless Chocolate-Coffee Molten Lava Cup Cake last night to give them a warm surprise after dinner, as they were glued to the telly. They were so happy with it that I had to prepare it again immediately 😉 . The cake has a gooey, chocolatey, molten centre and takes only 5 minutes (hardly) to make from scratch.
Getting back into my Rajasthani mould 🙂 , this post presents another speciality from the desert state – Bharwan Mirch. Yes, this inadvertently continues to spread the best of Rajasthani cuisine as I simply cannot resist myself to share more and more speciality of my wonderful Rangeelo Rajasthan ;). For the benefit of all, “Bharwan” in Hindi means stuffed and “Mirch” means green chilli; essentially it is a side dish, made up of green chillies stuffed with spicy chickpea flour mix. Do note that the green chillies used are the long, thick green ones as they tend to be less spicy than the regular small,thin green chillies.
Broccoli is a very nutritional vegetables, full of many essential vitamins, minerals and low in calories. However today I have used the stems (Danthal in hindi) of Broccoli, which generally goes in the bin, to make Broccoli Stem Parantha. I am sure my previous dishes using Broccoli (Broccoli Parantha, and Broccoli Kofta Curry) would have at least made clear its rich nutritional value. Apart from these 2 recipes, I also make a Broccoli dry curry on a regular basis in my home ( I will post the recipe soon 🙂 )
Aloo Bonda or Aloo Chop/Aloo Chaap is a deep fried, crispy, savoury appetiser made with spicy potato mix and coated with chickpea flour (“Besan” in Hindi) batter. For all my friends, Aloo is the Hindi name for Potato, and Bonda in colloquial Hindi could be designated as Fritter. This potato fritter is also packaged as the famous “Vada Pav” in Mumbai/Western India, with the pav (bun/bread). Last but not the least, this potato fritter is known as “Aloo Chaap/Aloo Chop” in Kolkata/Eastern India.
Continuing the Makar Sankranti theme, the next in line after the Til Papdi is another lovely and nutritious snack – Peanut Chikki (could be termed as Peanut Brittles). Peanut Chikki is a healthy, and delicious candy made from peanuts and jaggery. Apparently my husband and his friends ate/enjoyed them in Pune/Lonavla during their MBA days 🙂
First things first – this post is dedicated to Tilkuta Chauth / Sakat Chauth, a revered day for fasting, which comes on the fourth day of Krishna Paksha, in the month of Magh (January) according to the Hindu calendar. This vrat (fast) is mainly observed in North/West India and it is believed that fasting on this day removes all the obstacles from life and Lord Ganesha blesses his devotees with health, fortune and good children. For the benefit of all, Til is the Hindi word for Sesame seeds. On this Sakat Chauth day, sweets made up with sesame seeds and jaggery like Til Papdi, Til Laddu or Tilkut (meaning grounded sesame seeds) are offered to God – hence the day is also termed as Tilkuta Chauth.
Yes, you got it right 🙂 This is the continuation of my winter enjoyment theme. I am presenting my ultimate-winter delight -Gajar Ka Halwa (known as Carrot Pudding in English). Gajar ka Halwa has been a part of my family’s new year celebrations since my childhood, and it is the same with my husband’s family. I can safely say that I have successfully managed to follow this tradition post my marriage, as both of us (my husband and me) really relish this super-dessert.
cookingwidjoy 