Indian Cooking made Simple

Easy Indian Cooking, Bihari Cusines, Kids Recipes and much more

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Bihari Mutter Kachori with Bihari Aloo Sabji




Winter is settling in and in this weather one would love to have hot Bihari Mutter Kachori's with Bihari Aloo ki Sabji. Traditionally there is no filling in Bihari Kachori's but I've slightly modernised it by using a pea-filling. Home made is hygienic and one would definitely enjoy cooking it as it does not take much time to prepare this. So without wasting time let me come to the recipe-

INGREDIENTS FOR MUTTER KACHORI

Fresh Green Peas - 300 gms
Ginger - 1 inch grated
Green Chillies - 1 chopped
Roasted crushed cumin (Bhuna Kuta Jeera) - 1/4th tspn
Asafetida (Hing Powder)- 1/4 tspn
Roasted crushed Fennel Seeds (saunf)- 1/4 tspn
cooking oil - 1/2 tspn
chopped coriander - 1 tblspn
salt - to taste

Refined Flour (Maida) - 1 cup
salt - to taste
Hot  Ghee (Moyan) - 2-3 tblspn
Carom Seeds(Ajwain) - a small pinch
Nigella Seeds(Mangrella/Kalonji) - a small pinch
Luke Warm Water - for kneading

Oil - for deep frying - as required

METHOD-

In a flat plate mix refined flour, salt, ghee, carom seeds and Nigella seeds..
Knead a hard dough.
Cover and keep it aside for 20 minutes.

For the filling -

Heat the oil.
Add raw peas. Sprinkle salt.
Saute till oil is well coated on the peas and peas turn slightly soft.
Crush the peas.
Add salt, roasted crushed cumin, fennel seeds and asafetida 
Add grated ginger and chopped chillies, coriander leaves.
Mix well.

Making of Bihari Mutter Kachori-

Take a small ball from the dough.
Flatten it and place 1 tblspn filling.
Close/Seal and prepare a kachori slightly thick. (As shown in the pic)
Deep Fry in hot oil.
Drain in an absorbent paper.


Ingredients for Aloo Sabji

Boiled Potatoes - 4-5 small
Tomatoes -2 medium
Ghee/oil - 1  1/2 tspn
Asafetida (Hing Powder) - 1 tspn
Panchforan - 1 tspn
Bay Leaf - 1
Roasted Cumin powder - 1 tspn
Roasted Coriander powder - 1 1/2 tspn
Garam Masala powder - 1/4 tspn
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tspn
Red Chilly Powder - 1 1/2 tspn
Amchur Powder (Dry Mango Powder) - 1 tspn
Salt - to taste
Chopped Coriander - 1/2 cup

METHOD -

Peel Potatoes and crush it with your hand. do not cut.
Cut tomatoes unevenly into 5-6 pieces.
In a vessel boil 1 1/2 cups of water with the tomatoes till done.
Keep it aside.
In a kadhai (Flat Bottomed Pan) heat oil or ghee.
Add bayleaf.
Add to it panchforan. Let it crackle.
Add asafetida. Mix don't let it burn.
Add potatoes. Mix well to coat the potatoes well with hing and panchforan.
Add all the dried masalas one by one.
First add coriander powder followed by turmeric powder.
Then add red chilly powder, cumin powder and salt.
Mix well. Add tomatoes with the left over water in which the tomatoes were boiled.
Add chopped coriander.
Now add 1/2 cup water and let it boil well for 7-8 minutes on very low flame.
Sprinkle dry mango powder and garam masala powder.
Mix well. Now crush a few potatoes in the vessel itself so as to form a thick gravy.
Use the back side of the kalchul to crush the potatoes.
Serve hot in eco friendly dishes with kachori.



Note - Paanch foran - is a mixture of equal quantities of fennel seeds(Saunf), onion seeds (Kalonji),  fenugreek seeds (methi dana), carom seeds (ajwain), yellow mustard (peeli sarso).

Saturday, November 20, 2010

Rice with Fried Potato



Kids need a bundle of energy as they are always on their heels.  I present another great meal for your child especially for the fussy eaters. Rice and Potato are a great source of carbohydrate. Carbohydrate would fuel them up. You may serve this with a single serving of any vegetable soup. The presentation and taste would encourage them to keep asking for more. The same can be given in the tiffin. Lets see how this dish is ready in minutes.

Ingredients -

Steamed Rice - 1 small bowl
Butter - 2-3 tblspns
Parsley - a bit chopped
Potatoes - 1 large
Olive oil - 3-4 tblspn
salt - to taste

Method -

Prepare steam rice as usual.
Mix butter and place it in a bowl.
Press the rice with the back of spoon.
Invert the rice carefully on the serving plate.

Parboil the potato.
Peel and cut roundels.
On a non stick pan drizzle olive oil and place the potato slices.
Cook till reddish and done.
Sprinkle salt and arrange on the serving plate as shown in the pic.
Garnish with chopped parsley.

Note- Ensure the steamed rice has salt added to it.

Friday, November 12, 2010

Chicken-Egg-Veggie Sandwich for kids


Tiffin Time, Tea Time Snack or Breakfast - a great option to serve the kids is this sandwich full of protein made from chicken eggs and vegetables served with potato fries would give them enough energy to be on their heels. Packed with nutrients is this easy to assemble sandwich.

Ingredients -

Sandwich bread - 2 slices
Red ripe tomatoes - 1 large
Egg hard boiled - 1
Iceberg Lettuce - 8-10 leaves
Chicken Breast boneless - 1
Butter - as required
Salt and Pepper - to taste
Potato Fries - one portion

Method -

Pressure cook chicken breast with little salt and 1/2 cup water.
After one whistle lower the flame and let it cook for 5-8 minutes.
Wash lettuce well and dip it in ice-cold water.
Cut tomatoes into roundels
Cut egg into thin slice.
Cut chicken breast into thin slice.
Drain the lettuce leaves.
Butter all the bread slices from both sides.
Layer the first bread with lettuce
Top it with chicken slice.
Sprinkle little salt and pepper.
Top it with egg slice.
Sprinkle little salt and pepper.
Arrange a bread slice on it.
Again top it with lettuce.
Top it with tomato slice.
Sprinkle salt.
Finally top it with a bread slice.
Grill the sandwich till the grill mark appears on the bread.
Insert a toothpick to keep things into place.
Serve hot with potato fries.

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Rice and Oats Cutlets


Surprise your guests by turning these left overs into tasty tea-time bites. Left over rice can be used to prepare cutlets. Combined with roasted oats it's a healthy combination. One can have it for evening snack or kids can take this in the tiffin. Let's see how it's made.

INGREDIENTS-

Left over boiled rice - 1 cup.
Dry roasted rolled oats - 1/2 cup
Roasted crushed peanuts - 1 tblspn
Chopped onion - 1 medium
Chopped coriander leaves - 1/2 cup
Roasted coriander cumin powder - 1 tspn
Red Chilly powder - 1 tspn
Carom Seeds (Ajwain) - 1/2 tspn
Finely chopped ginger - 1/2 inch piece
Green chillies chopped - 2 (or as your choice)
Dry roasted til - 1/2 tspn
Oil - to deep fry
Salt - to taste

Onion Rings - for garnish
Tomato ketchup - to serve

METHOD -
  1. In a bowl put the boiled rice.
  2. Add to it the oats.
  3. Add peanuts.
  4. Add chopped onions and coriander leaves.
  5. Add carom seeds and sesame seeds.
  6. Add all the dry powders.
  7. Add ginger and green chillies.
  8. Add salt.
  9. Mix well.
  10. Heat oil.
  11. Prepare oblong shaped cutlets.
  12. Deep fry the cutlets, drain.
  13. Garnish with tomato ketchup and onion rings. Serve hot.