Yummy Malpua's

Malpua is one of the very popular north indian sweet during holi "Festival of Colour". This was the first time I tried making it. I got the recipe from my mother in law and They turned out to be yummy and very easy to make.

INGREDIENTS:

1. 1 cup sooji/ semolina/rava.
2. 1.5 cups maida/all purpose flour.
3. Milk .
4. 250 gms Oil or ghee.
5. 600 gms of sugar .
6. 2.5 cups of water.
7. pinch of baking powder.
8. 1 teaspoon ilaichi/cardamom (powdered).
   

METHOD FOR PUA'S:

1. Mix sooji, maida, milk, cardamom and baking powder into a batter of beaten yogurt consistency.
2. Place it in a warm area to let it rise for about 6-8 hours.
   
3. Heat oil or ghee or mix of both in the pan.
   
4. When oil is starts lightly smoking take a spoon ful of batter and put it in the oil to form disks.
5. Remove when golden brown.
6. Soak them immediately in the sugar syrup for about 5 minutes.
   
7. Remove and place them on a mesh to drain the excess syrup.
   

METHOD FOR SUGAR SYRUP:

1. In a large vessel mix sugar and water.
2. Keep heating and stirring it using a spoon.
3. Keep testing the sugar syrup's consistency using the syrup sticking to the back of your spoon.
4. When the syrup from the spoon makes a strand between ur fingers remove from fire.
   

Decorate the Malpua's with sliced almonds and pistas.

Note: If you want to add a special taste to your malpua add few fennel seeds to it while making the batter... they taste superb.

Strawberry Lassi/Smoothie

Strawberry Smoothie is a nice filler food. When ever I am hungry and have to make something to quench my hunger in a jiffy I make this. But in case if u do not have a ready supply of yogurt then try replacing the yogurt with milk and u get Strawberry Milkshake....

INGREDIENTS:

1. Strawberries 4-5 in number.
2. 1 cup of Yogurt / Dahi.
3. 3 -5 tablespoons of sugar.
   

EQUIPMENT REQUIRED:

1. Blender.

METHOD OF PREPARATION:

1. Add strawberries, yougurt and the sugar in the blender .
2. Blend all the ingredients in the blender at high speed or smoothie setting for about a minute repeat if required.

Note:
I would recommend buying frozen strawberries and keeping them in ur freezer to enjoy smoothies all year round.

Making Ghee (Hindi) / Nayyi (Tamil) / Clarified Butter (English)

Ingredients:

1. 200 gms. Makkhan(Hindi) /Vennai(Tamil) /Stick of Unsalted Butter
2. Kadai/ Bandli/ A Heavy bottom saucepan
3. Chalni/ Vadigati/ Filter

Method:

1. Heat the saucepan on a low to medium fire for about 2 min.
2. Add the stick of butter to this heated saucepan and keep the fire going.
3. Monitor the color of butter heating in the pan every few minutes. (look for a frothy appearing on the top.. also if u slightly blow on this frothy formation .. u can look at the color of melted butter.
4. If the color is almost golden remove from fire and place the saucepan away from the fire to cool.
5. Filter this golden color liquid into some dry bottle to store ( can store it without refrigeration even for a year or so).

Taste Caution:
Keep an eye on how long u cook the butter...because if u keep it long ...u will burn the ghee and it will taste like something charred....

Uses:
In India butter is used anyfood for e.g. in Rice to give it the ghee smell by adding a drop or two. In indian sweets it is one of the main ingredient like butter used in America for baking...

To Learn more check out this link: Ghee

Dahi (Hindi) / Thayir (Tamil) / Milk Curd or Yogurt (English)

Read This before you start your journey of making yogurt at home for the first time.

Ingredients:

1. 250 gms. Milk (I have put 250 gms for u guys to try this without wasting a lot of milk ...if ur the first timers to make yogurt)
2. About 2 tablespoons of live dahi culture.
3. A heavy bottomed saucepan.

Method:

1. Pour the 250 gms. of milk into the saucepan.
2. Keep the saucepan with milk on medium fire.
3. Keep this saucepan on the stove till the milk comes to a boil.
4. Remove from the fire and place at some place to cool.
5. Say about after 15-20 mins (time varies according to the amount of milk boiled) check to see if the milk has reached about luke warm in temperature.
6. Add about half of the culture to this milk and keep this saucepan at some place at room temperature for about 5-6 hours..
7. Wallah u have yogurt.

Authors Recommendations:
1. I personally use full fat milk. I think some fat is good for health.
2. For the live culture (though i got it from a friend) I have heard the Dannon yougurt is good see the ingredients to see if it has live culture...
3. I check to see if the boiled milk has come down to luke warm temperature by slightly inserting my pinky finger in the milk and if u pull out ur finger then the milk is too hot and if ur just feeling a pinchy heat then probably its at right temperature. If ur milk has already cooled off don't worry and warm it a little to get it to luke warm temperature. AND YES I WASH MY HANDS BEFORE.... :-)
4. I personally prefer making the yougurt in the night time that ways u have the finished product in the morning to enjoy.
5. Put the saucepan with the culture and milk in a lightly warmed oven( switch off the oven if u warmed it before placing the saucepan) throughout the night that ways oven maintains the temperature and helps the formation of curd...even if it is a cold season outside...

Uses:
We south indians eat curd rice dialy..It is used to make raitas, lassi, mishti doi...and lot of other fun and tasty stuff....

To Learn more check out these link: Dahi and Yogurt

Essential Indian Spices in the Kitchen Pantry

I would urge an American or any non Indian who likes Indian cooking to go buy Indian spices from an Indian / Indo-European stores / Mediterranean stores (some spices used by them are the same as Indians). I would discourage u from buying these spices from any American stores. This is because these spices don’t go off the rack in these stores and as a result they are stale and as a result ur recipes would not have no smell.

These are the following spices that are used in Indian kitchens majority of the times:
Spices common to North and South Indian cooking:

1. Haldi (Hindi) / Manjal (Tamil) / Turmeric (English)
2. Jeera / Jeeragai / Cumin seeds
3. Rai / Kadugu / Mustard seeds
4. Lal mirch –sookha sabut / segapu vara molagai / dried red chilli
5. Til / Yellu / Sesame seeds
6. Elayachi / Elakkai / Cardamom
7. Dalchini / Lavanga pattai / Cinnamon
8. Laung / Lavangam / Cloves
9. Kaju / Mundri parupu / Cashew
10. Kukum ka phool / Kumkuma poo /Saffron flower dried
11. Ajwain / Omum / Omum/Carom seeds
12. Hing / Perungayam / Asafetida
13. Badam / Badam / Almond
14. Kismis / Drakchai / Raisins
15. Kali mirch / mulagu / Black Pepper
16. Lal mirch powder / Vara molagai podi / Red chilli powder
17. Tej patta / Brinji ilai / Bay leaf

All the north Indian use mainly use other spice powder like

1. Garam Masala.

2. Amchur / dried Mango powder..

South Indian use mainly these spice powder
1. Rasam Powder
2. Sambhar Powder

I think these masalas should be good enough for a novice indian cook…If ur buying any of these spices. A sort of comprehensive list of all the indian spices can be found in Wikipedia .

The Indian Dal..

There are many types of Dal we use in India...The recipe here can be used on almost any of following specified dals..to get a whole new and different taste to ur lunch or dinner.. Dals are eaten as a main course all over India. It is consumed either with Rotis (Hindi/Tamil) / Bread (English) made out of wheat flour or Chaval(Hindi) /Sadam(Tamil)/ Cooked Rice (English). Dals are the main source of Proteins for any vegetarians...and also a very good substitute for replacing protein that u get from animal source..In India it is very essential to eat at least lunch or dinner having dal served in it ...in one form or other.

TYPES OF Dal (Hindi)/ Parruppu (Tamil)/ Pulses (English):

We generally use dals broken in half and dehusked...but it also can be used as whole and with husk. If u want to use a whole seeds of these lentils the preparation procedure would be slightly different...and would take more time to prepare than the dals broken in half and polished. These dals can be bought in any Indian or any middle eastern stores by these names.
If ur a new cook i would suggest to try the daals broken in half first.. before proceeding to preparing the whole daals..

1. Toor Dal
2. Chana Dal
3. Urad Dal
4. Masoor Dal
5. Moong Dal

COOKING PROCEDURE

Ingredients:

1. 1 cup of any of the above mentioned dals.
2. 2 pods of lehsun(Hindi)/Poondu(Tamil)/Garlic(English).
3. 1 small or medium size Tamatar/Thakkali/Tomato.
4. small piece of Adrak/Ingi/Ginger.
5. 1 small Pyaz/Vengayam/Onion.
6. 1 tablespoon of cut kothmir or dhania patta/Kothamalli/ coriander or cilantro leaves.
7. 1 green chilli. ( if u like it hotttt...)
8. pressure cooker.
9. Knife.
10. measuring cup.

List of Spices needed (For more infomation "Click me")

1. 1 teaspoon cumins.
2. 1/2 teaspoon turmeric.
3. 2 tablespoon oil (use corn oil).
4. Salt .

for added taste u can use (try ur dal without these ingredients and for party occasions we add these two masalas so spice it up and give it a different taste). for day to day cooking of dals these things are avoided as lot of hot n spicy things are said to be avoided in daily use..U can add it once in a while... :-)

1. 1 teaspoon garam masala.
2. 1 tablespoon amchur powder.
3. 2 bay leafs.
4. 1/2 cup Tomato sauce or 1 tablespoon tomato paste. ( i buy it from Walmart either hunt's or great value. buy the one without salt).

Method :

Cut all onion, tomato into medium small size cubes store them separately.. cut ginger, garlic, green chilli into very fine small pices using knife or u can also crush the ginger and garlic into paste. Also cut the coriander or cilantro.

1. Put the bottom part of the pressure cooker on a medium flame for about 1 min till it becomes slightly warm.
2. Now add the 2 table spoon of oil in it.
3. Add the cumin seeds.
4. Once the cumin seeds become light brown in color add ginger, garlic , onion.
5. IF U WANT THE PARTY PREP SEE THE ADDED INstructions BELOW ELSE GOTO STEP 7.
6. cook it till the onion becomes slightly red or brown in color.
7. Now add salt according to taste. ( would suggest just add less salt in case u don't have idea then ask people to add salt by themselves while serving according to their taste...this wouldn't kill u know...but more salt will...hahha)
8. add the tomatoes and half of the cut coriander and cook it for about 2 min.
9. now add the washed dal in it and again stir it for 2min allowing it to cook.
10. Add about 5 cups of water to this dal and cover the pressure cookers lid and put the weighted stopper or weight as we call it .
11. Increase the heat to medium high and cook it till u get about four whistles from from ur pressure cooker.
12. Switch the heat off. allow the cooker to cool for about 20 mins. Release the steam by slightly lifting the stopper. Once all the steam is released u can open the pressure cooker.
13. put the remaining coriander on the top to decorate the dal .

SERVING RECOMMENDATIONS:

serve it hot with rice (add few drops of ghee in the rice for nice taste) or rotis and yogurt on the side.

FOR PARTY PREPARATION:

1. add the 2 bay leafs , 1/2 teaspoon garam masala, and 2 tablespoons of amchur powder and stir .
2. now add the 1 tablespoon of tomato paste or the 1/2 cup of tomato sauce which ever u have and stir.
3. GOTO STEP 7 OF METHOD.

NOTES:

To reduce the heat in the chilies remove their seeds before cutting them.

Chai Garam

Chai is something that most northindians drink every morning like Americans drink coffee. The only difference being that most of us drink it with milk...though there are places where black and green tea is made without milk. I love chilled black tea and I really don't like green tea. I don't know why this is ...may beacuse I haven't tasted it made by some person who really knows how to brew green tea. I tried it myself once when my dad got green tea provided to him ( a box every day) in the Chinese hotel during an official visit.. in those days I was in college so my dad ( a non tea drinker) dumped it on us ( his college going kids - me and my sis) we used the green tea to make chai like we do and it was horrible...Anyways...so let me tell u how i generally make chai...and this is the easiest thing u can every learn to make.

Ingredients:

1. 1 teaspoon Black Tea.
2. 1/2 cup milk. (I use whole fat milk use which ever u like)
3. Sugar according to taste and health.
4. 1 Saucepan, 1 spoon, 1 filter.
5. 1/2 cup water.

Other additional things that can be added in Chai:
1. use ginger to make ginger tea ( i drink this daily in morning but it is given to clear soar throats and during cold)
2. use cardamom (it gives a totally different flavor to tea by giving it a completely different aroma...)

Method:
1. add the 1/2 cup milk and 1/2 cup water to the saucepan and put it on a medium flame.
2. add the sugar according to ur taste to it.
3. For Ginger tea (1 inch square) add crushed to the tea or for cardamom tea add 2 crushed cardamoms to the heating milk and water mixture.
4. when the milk and water mix starts boiling add tea leaves to it.
5. wait for about 2 mintues so that the color and aroma of the tea can be incorporated in milk.
6. remove the saucepan from fire and filter the tea into a cup to drink.
7. Enjoyyyyyyyyy.....