Whats Cooking?

I have to admit I suprise myself more than anyone else after I've eaten something that I've cooked myself. Whats more, the surprise doubles when the dish turns out real good, which is always *patting my own back*

The deal is, I havent been much into cooking and trying out recipes. I guess I couldnt be bothered. But not anymore. I like to try out new recipes and wow the husband and make my momma proud. She used to tell me, "You should really at least step inside the kitchen once in a while; it'll do you good." (Of course, I never listened to her)
But now, when I gush over the phone what I cooked and how I did it and what praises I got, she's one happy momma :)

Also, once I come home, I hardly get the time to cook. I slouch in front of the TV or go to my room and stitch, before dinner. But lately I've realised that if I want to do something, there IS time for it. So when I bought palak (spinach) last weekend, I thought to myself, I will cook palak paneer. (paneer = tofu cheese).

I did! Last night! How did it turn out? Well lets just say no one touched anything that the cook prepared ;) Here's the receipe:

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Ingredients:

4 Green Cardomoms
3 Dalchinis
4 Cloves
4 medium-sized tomatoes
2 medium-sized onions, chopped fine
3-4 green chillies
4 cloves of garlic, peeled and mashed
1 tsp ginger paste (or ginger, peeled and mashed)
2-3 tbsp ghee (clarified butter)
2.5 tbsp curd
3 cupfuls of palak leaves (roughly about 300-400 gms)
1 tsp red chilli powder
2-3 pinches of Kasuri Methi
10-15 paneer cubes
Salt, to taste

Serves: 4

Cooking time: 20-25 mins.

Method:
Wash the palak leaves thoroughly, and into smaller sizes.
Add green chillies and grind in mixer; until its a fine paste. Keep aside.
Heat the ghee in a pan for 2 mins.
Add the cardomoms (discard the skin), cloves and dalchini.Heat and stir for 2-3 minutes.
Add the onions and mashed garlic and saute until golden brown.
Add the ginger paste and heat again.
Grate the tomatoes for fresh tomato puree (yea, thats how I make and use puree!) and add it to the pan. Stir until fat leaves the sides.
Add red chilli powder, turmeric powder and stir. Leave for a minute.
Add the palak paste and kasuri methi powder and stir continuously.
Add salt and stir again.
Add the paneer cubes, cover with a lid and simmer for about 10 minutes until the paneer is soft and takes in the gravy.
Open the lid, add curd and stir.

Serve with hot rotis!

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You can also use vegetable or any other cooking oil instead of ghee, but I prefer ghee क्युकी देसी घी में बनाए खाने कि खुशबु और स्वाद, क्या कहने! Translated, it means, "The aroma and taste of (mainly, Indian) food cooked in clarified butter is something to relish!"


PS: Pic helps, I know. I'll remember to post pics of the dish next time around when I post a recipe here!

Sol Kadi is a Goan/Mangalorean drink, though some people might differ on that one. Its a cool drink, drank at the end of the meal (since it acts like a digestive) or even mixed with steamed white rice. I first tasted the drink at the behest of the waiter, and needless to say, I just loved the tangy-sour-hot taste of it! After all, this was one of the rare things thats appeals to both your taste buds and your body!
So one fine day, I thought, why not try this at home. I did, and it turned out really, really yummy!

Here's the recipe!

Ingredients:
500 ml coconut milk
20 pods of kokum
6-7 cloves of garlic, peeled
5 pieces of ginger, peeled
2-3 green chillies
Salt (to taste)
1 tablespoon fresh coriander leaves (chopped, for garnishing)

Serves: 4

Cooking time: 15 mins.

Method:
1. Boil 2 cups of water, add the kokum pods to it and close with a lid. Keep aside for 10 minutes.
2. Slit the chillies and remove the seeds.
3. Now mash the green chillies, garlic and ginger pieces together. Keep aside.
4. Add salt to coconut water and stir.
5. Now, take the kokum pods soaked in water and mash them with hands, squeezing all the juice out of it. Discard the residue, and add the juice to coconut water. Stir.
6. Add the mashed chillies, ginger and garlic to coconut water and stir again.

Serve chilled, with freshly chopped coriander leaves as garnishing. Enjoy!

Tip: Do not throw the water in which kokum was soaked. Pour it in your bathing water and use; it has cooling agents to soothe your body and citric juices for a clean, fresh bath.

A large chunk of Indian food comprises of desserts. Sweets made in desi ghee and milk, especially. Some people cook sweets during special occasions, some like it occasionally, and there are some who like it almost everyday.

The latter category would be my family. So it was but natural that moi tried something sweet. Dish, I meant. I thought of making gajar ka halwa, or carrot pudding. There was some gaajar left in the fridge since many days (or weeks) anyway ;-) The resourceful me, thought why not try making the halwa.

I did! I did it! And it turned out - I am trying my best to sound modest here - exceptionally well *ahem* So here's my magic receipe.

Warning - DO try this at home.

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Preparation time: 25 mins. approx

Serves - 3.

Ingredients:
2 tbsp desi ghee
5-6 carrots, washed, peeled and grated
8 cardomoms, peeled and crushed
1 cup milk
3 spoonfuls sugar

Directions:
- Heat ghee in a kadhai for 2 minutes.
- Add the carrots to the kadhai, and stir continuously for 5 minutes.
- Add the milk and stir for 15 minutes on medium flame.
- Add the sugar and crushed cardamom.
- Stir for another 5 minutes, till sugar mixes well with the milk.

Its ready!



Serve warm. Be ready to accept the compliments.
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What?! Gone in minutes!



Welcome the new cook on the block, you :)

Above can be made lot more tastier with condensed milk, khoya etc; but this is a simple, quick, easy-to-make receipe.

Bon Apetite!