Raksha Bandhan

This weekend we had a festival Raksha Bandha. Rakhi is a sacred thread embellished with sister's love and affection for her brother. On the day of Raksha Bandhan, sisters tie rakhi on the wrists of their brothers and express their love to them. After receiving the rakhi from a sister, a brother sincerely takes the responsibility of protecting her sister. In Indian tradition, the frangible thread of rakhi is considered even stronger than an iron chain as it strongly binds a brothers and a sisters in the circumference of mutual love and trust. We celebrate this festival in night and eat food together where all women go to one house and make food for night. We made two dishes samosa and drink cold cocoa at the end.

Samosas

Samosas

This is a real "must have" in my house on a rainy day or when terribly hungry or even as an appetizer at parties. For this recipe you will need 1/4 cup all-purpose flour, 1/2 tablespoon vegetable oil, 1/2 large potatoes (boiled), 1/4 onion chopped, 1/2 green chilies very finely chopped, 3/4 tablespoon oil, 1/8 teaspoon ginger grated, 1/8 teaspoon garlic, crushed, 1/4 to taste coriander seed, 1/4 tablespoon cilantro finely chopped, 1/8 lemon juice, 1/8 teaspoon turmeric, 1/8 teaspoon garam masala (available in grocery stores), 1/8 teaspoon red chili powder, 1/4 to taste salt. In this recipe mix together the flour, oil and salt. Add a little water, until mixture becomed crumbly. Keep adding water, kneading the mixture till it becomes a soft pliable dough. Cover with a moist cloth and set aside for 20 min. Beat dough on a work surface and knead again. Cover and set aside. For filling heat 3 tbsp oil. Add ginger, garlic, green chilies and few coriander seeds. Stir fry for 1 min, add onions and saute till light brown. Ass cilantro, lemon juice, turmeric, red chili, salt and garam masala. Stir fry for 2 min. Add potatoes and stir fry for 2 min. Set aside and allow to cool. Divide dough into 10 equal portions. Use a rolling pin, roll a piece of dough into a 5" oval. Cut into 2 halves. Run a moist finger along the diameter. Roll around finger to make a cone. Place a tablespoon of the filling into the cone. Seal the third side using a moist finger. Deep fry the samosas on low to medium heat until light brown. Serve with tomato sauce.

Cold Cocoa

Cold Cocoa

In this recipe you will need 1/2 liter milk, 1 cup cocoa powder, 1 cup sugar, 1 large spoon cornflour, dairy milk chocolate bar and the process is dissolve cornflour in one cup cold milk from 1/2 liter milk. Now boil remaining milk in a thick bottom saucepan. While boiling add sugar and cocoa powder. When these ingredients dissolve well and milk starts boiling add cornflour dissolved milk in the pan with constant stirring. Keep sure the contents don't stick to the bottom keep constant stirring for max 5 min. Let the mixture cool at room temperature and then refrigerate it. Serve chilled cocoa in a long glass and add pieces of dairy milk chocolate cut into small squares. Delicious cold cocoa is ready to drink.

Festival Sweet Dishes 

Gujiya

Gujiya is a deep fried pastry stuffed with a sweet filling of khoya, this dish is very popular in north India, especially during holi it is a festival of colors which generally falls in the full moon of march and it is also a festival of colors, unity and celebrates the truimph of good over evil. 

I enjoy preparing gujiyas with my mother and sisters. My mother keeps frying in the pan while we sisters do the rolling, cutting, and filling which gives me a chance to keep stealing the tasty khoya which is full of dry fruits. First my mom took a bowl and added flour, salt, and ghee and rub with your palm and fingers such that the dough appears like bread crumbs. Add just enough water to make a pliable yet firm dough. Divide the dough and shape into small balls. Keep aside covered for half an hour. Meanwhile, heat a pan, add 1/2 tbsps ghee, add the grated coconut and roast over medium for a few minutes, approximately 5 mins till it turns golden brown. Remove and keep aside. In the small pan, add a tbsp ghee, add the nuts and roast till it turns golden. Remove and cool. Once cool, make a coarse powder and set aside. In the same pan, drizzle 1/2 tbsp of ghee and  add the khoya ( available at indian stores) and roast 5-6 mins. Remove keep aside to cool. Powder the sugar and mix with the roasted dry coconut, ground nuts and khoya. Add the cardamom powder and mix well. Set aside the prepared filling. Now roll each ball with the rolling pin into a thin puri. Spread a tablespoon of a filling on one half of the rolled out dough. Wet your fingers and run it along the edges of the spread out dough with water and fold over to the opposite end, enclosing the stuffing to form a semi-circle shaped gujiya. Press the ends firmly so that the filling doesn't come out during the deep frying process and use a fork to seal the edges. Alternately you twist the edges aroung the gujiya. Heat enough oil in a wide vessel to deep fry the stuffed kajjikayalu. Slowly drop 3-4 gujiyas into the oil and deep fry them on medium flame till golden brown. Turn them carefully to cook the other side as well. Drain the gujiya with a slotted lade and remove to a plate. 

Aloo Chaat is a holi snack. In this recipe preboil the potatoes in a pressure cooker. Once the potatoes become warm or cool, then peel the skin and dice them. Shallow the diced potatoes. Drain on kitchen paper napkins. Take the fried potatoes in a bowl. Add all the spice powders and salt to the potatoes, toss the potatoes well, sprinkle some lemon juice on the potatoes, garnish aloo chaat with coriander leaves and serve aloo chaat hot.

Aloo Chaat

Today I am going to tell you the recipe of Papdi Chaat I still remember having it for the first in a restaurant in India. Papdi Chaat as the name suggests has lots of papdis, tossed in a blend of chutneys(Indian spices), curds and potatoes. I remembered the taste till now.

Papdi Chaat
         To make this recipe you will need 28 papdis, 1 cup boiled, peeled, and chopped potatoes, 2 cups whisked curds, 8 tbsp khajoor imli ki chutney( available in Indian stores), 6 tbsp green chutney, salt to taste, 1 tsp chaat masala, 1 tsp cumin powder, 1 tsp chilli powder, 2 tbsp corriander leaves and 4tbsp sev. The method is coarsely crushed 7 papdis and arrange them on a serving plate. Top it with 1/4 cup potatoes, 1/4 cup curd, 2 tbsp khajoor imli ki chutney, 11/2 tbsp green chutney. Sprinkle a little salt, 1/4 tsp chaat masala, 1/4 tsp cumin seed powder and 1/4 tsp chilli powder over it. Repeat steps 1 to 3 to make 3 more plates. Serve immediately garnish with coriander leaves and sev.

Papdi Chaat
By:Krupa Shah

                                             

Paneer Pakoda
While traveling across the punjab one comes across the one of the most delicious yet simple snack the pakoda. Pakodas can be made from nearly any vegetable, it taste best when eaten piping hot, paneer makes great pakodas that melt in your mouth, and people eat this snack when it is raining.
Ingredients: 
Paneer (cottage cheese) 250gms.
Oil to deep fry.
Boondi 1 cup.
Garlic 8-10 cloves.
Oil 1 tsp.
Red chilli powder 1tbsp.
Salt to taste.
Gram flour 1 cup.
Ginger paste 1 tbsp.
Red chilli powder 1 tsp.
Turmeric powder 1/2 tsp.
Soda bicarbonate a pinch.
Salt to taste.
Method: Cut cottage cheese into two inch by half inch by half inch batons. Slit each baton into half leaving one edge intact for filling. Crush the boondi with your hand and set aside. To make garlic chutney, peel and roast garlic in one teaspoon of oil. Mix with red chilli powder and salt and grind to a smooth paste. To prepare batter mix gram flour with this paste, red chilli powder, turmeric powder, soda bicarbonate and salt. Add sufficient water and whisk well to make a batter of a coating consistency. Rest the batter for about fifteen minutes. Stuff garlic chutney into the slit of each cottage cheese baton .Heat sufficient oil in a kadai, dip each cottage cheese baton in the batter, roll in the crushed boondi and deep fry on medium heat till crisp and golden brown. Drain on absorbent paper. Serve hot with a chutney of your choice.

Paneer Pakoda
By: Krupa Shah

Shah, Krupa. "Krupa's Indian Food Recipes." N.d. N.p. Web. 27th Oct. 2014.

In India there is a important festival going on right now called Diwali. It is the most important festival for Hindus(religion). In this festival people start making preparations one month before Diwali, new clothes are purchased, house cleaned and decorated with lights, flowers etc. People call and invite their nearest and dearest ones. On the day of Diwali new clothes are worn by old and young people, during night fireworks and crackers are let off and the bright flames of the firework present an exquisite sight in the dark night. So on this day my family stay together and cook two dishes idada and aloo paratha.

Idada  
1. Soak rice and urad dal(available in grocery stores) for 4 hours. Soak and grind to a               smooth paste and ferment further for 4-5 hours.
2. Add salt, cooking soda, ginger, and cooked green peas, mix well, boil water in cooker,           and grease a thick deep plate with a smattering of oil. Pour 2-3 ladles to the flat plate and     place the plate in cooker.
3. Steam for 8-10 mins till a tooth pick comes clean.
4. Cool and cut into desired shapes.
5. For tempering: splutter mustard and cumin seeds in oil and pour on the warm pieces of         Idada. Top with freshly ground black pepper powder and cumin powder. 
6. Serve as it is.

It should look like this before cutting in shapes.

Methi Thepla is a gujarati flatbread made from fenugreek leaves, whole wheat flour. and some spices. This healthy snack can be eaten anytime of the day. To prepare Methi Thepla mix 1½ cup of  whole wheat flour, 1 teaspoon red chili powder, 1½ teaspoon coriander powder, 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder, and salt in a bowl. Add 2 small, chopped green chilies, 1 teaspoon ginger paste, methi leaves and oil. Mix well to get a crumbling looking mixture. Knead to a semi soft dough leave it to rest for 15 min. Knead again and divide into 12 equal balls. Roll the theplas with little dry flour to 6 in. diameter rounds. Cook theplas on hot tawa till bubbles appear on top. Flip and smear oil on it. Flip again and press the thepla lightly with a spatula, keep flipping and pressing 2-3 times till it is cooked well on both sides. Serve with yogurt. 

   

Today is my brother's birthday and in India we celebrated every birthday of his by making Malai Kulfi (Indian Ice-cream). There are many different flavors available in India but the easy way to make it is milk flavor. This ice-cream is a yummy summer treat for children and adults like.

This is a picture of a malai kulfi I took after my cousin finished decorating it. 

The method to make this is pour the milk into the saucepan and bring to the gentle boil. Add the saffron. Stir constantly. While stirring scrape the sides and base of the pan, to avoid sticking, this part is important because the scraped parts formed the main part of essence of the kulfi. Add the crushed cardamom. Once the milk boils down to 1/3 or a 1/2 of its original size, turn off the heat source and let the milk cool down to room temperature. Pour the milk into the ice-cream mold or popsicle molds. Place in the freezer and leave to set overnight if you can't wait, leave for at least 4 hours. Remove from the freezer, unmold, server and enjoy.

Monday 10/06/2014- Gujarati special Surti Sev Khamani

         Sev Khamani is a popular snack of Gujarati snacks from Surat area. Sev khamani is traditionally made from Dhokla, this dish is juicy, sweet, and tangy. In order to make this dish you need 250 gm chana dal, 250 gm sev( available in Indian stores), 2 tsp oil, 1/2 tsp mastard seeds,1/2 tsp ginger chilli paste, 1 tsp lemon juice, 1/2 tbsp coriander seeds, salt to taste, 2 tbsp pomegranate, 1 tbsp corinder leaves, and water according to requirement. The method is soak chana dal for 5-6 hours and drain water from it. Grind coarsely. Now take in a steel tied container and cook for 2-3 whistle in pressure cooker. Now heat oil in a pan at slow fame. Add mustard seeds in it. When it is spluttering, add ginger chilli paste, salt, sugar and lemon juice in it. Stir well for 10-15 min and cook till oil is seperated. Now keep it in a dish garnish with sev, coriander leaves, and pomegranate.

This is the picture of Sev Khamani.

   

In India there are many different cultures like Hinduism, Islam, Christianity, Sikhism, Buddhism and, Janism. Each and every type has different food they eat. So, today I am going to give you two different type of dishes one will be South Indian and another will be Gujarati.

South Indian Dish

This is a picture of the Dosa with Coconut chutney( South Indian Dish).

Monday 9/29/2014
         Today, my mom gave me and my brother a big surprise it was chilli cheese dosa. I heard about it and it made me remember of going out with my whole family about 33 people having fun, talking about other people, planning things to do on Sunday like going on picnic etc now I miss India and now there are only three people to eat with but anyways it's fine. My mom already had soak 1/2 kg rice, urad and chana dals ( available in Indian grocery stores) for 1 day, then she mixed them together, add salt to taste and grind it well to a consistent flowing batter. Heat the tawa and sprinkle some water and then oil on it so that it can be crispy. Pour some batter, spread it in a circular motion and sprinkle some more oil on it. Add 50 gm cheddar cheese and chilli flakes so that it can be spicy and a little sweet together. Fold it carefully when brown in color. Serve hot with coconut chutney (available in Indian stores). After it was done I kept lickering my fingers it was just awesome.

Gujarati Special
Tuesday 9/30/2014
       My mom cooked Gujarati's special dish dhokla. In a bowl mix 1 cup gram flour, 1 tbsp critic acid, 1 tbsp sugar, salt to taste, and pinch of turmeric. Add water and make it into a smooth batter with medium thick condidtency. In a glass add the fruit salt or baking powder. Add water to it and pour it into the dhokla mixture. Grease the steaming tin with 2 drops of oil and pour the mixture into it. Steam about 15-20 min. or till cooked. In a pan, add 1 tbsp oil, 1/2 tbsp mustard seeds, 7-8 curry leaves, and 1 dried red chilli. Let it splutter. Pour the tadka over the prepared dhokla, and cut into pieces and serve.

This is the picture I took after my mom made dhokla.

How does mom make delicious foods?
I asked my mom how do you cook delicious foods after coming tired from job, she answered "dear, before cooking food I just think about my children and my husband no matter how tired I get from work I would just think about my family and whenever you guys appreciate my food that makes me elated and I don't cook with my hands I cook with my heart." After hearing her answer I promised to myself I will always appreciate her cooking.

How to make dal fry (curry) and khichdi?

Welcome to Krupa's Indian Food recipe's. You know the kind of questions going through your mind before leaving for your next foreign destination. What will I be able to eat? How will I find the dishes that I can eat? I will give you recipes on how can you make indian food at your home in some minutes with picture of how it looks. So, be ready to enjoy some indian dishes at your home.

Monday 8/22/14
        If you are tired and want to eat something nice and light, then you can try khichdi. It is the most cooked dish in India. So, today my mom came home and she said that she was so tired from work so she asked me what do you want to eat? I answered let's cook khichdi. After sometime she got up changed her clothes and got ready to make it. So, she took 1 ¼ cups of basmati rice, 1 ¼ cups of mung daal, water 5 cups, salt 1 teaspoon, turmeric 1/4 tablespoon, and asophoetida 1 pinch. The method was first wash moong daal and basmati rice until water runs clear. After the water is clear, take a pressure cooker add rice, moong daal, water, salt, turmeric, asophoetida, mix it well and while she was doing that it was looking a tree is moving with a wind like going forward and backward. Then pressure cook until one whistle sounds and immediately turn off heat and wait until pressure from cooker is gone before opening cooker lid, after it is done smell it will smell and look tasty just like a wet sand after it rains.

If you want to want video than go to this link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lYuKcGfBkcc

Tuesday 8/23/14
       Today I and my family wanted to eat something delicious so we decided to make dal fry (curry) the taste of it is spicy, a little bit of sweet, and everything which you wanted to have in a delicious dish. The ingredients for this dish are 1/4 cup yellow pigeon peas (toor dal), 1/4 cup split yellow peas (yellow moong dal) ,1/8 cup, bengal gram dal (channa dal), 1/8 cup red split lintels (masoor dal), 4 tbsp clarified butter, 2 tsp cumin seed, 1/2 tsp asafetida (hing), 1 tsp turmeric powder, 1 tsp chili powder, 1/2 tsp coriander powder. 1/2 tsp garam masala powder, Salt to taste, 1 tomato (finely chopped), 1 onion (finely chopped), 1/2 tsp garlic (grated), 1/2 tsp ginger (grated), 1/2 tsp lemon juice, 2 tsp coriander leaves (finely chopped). The way my mom was adding salt taking it in her hand it was amazing it was just perfect and her hands were moving so fast while cooking these dishes were just awesome.  The steps are mix all the dals together and wash them properly. Soak them in 3 cups of water for 30 minutes before cooking it, pressure cook the dal in 2 cups of water with salt and 1 tsp of turmeric powder till done, in a frying pan, heat the ghee and temper it with the cumin seed When the cumin seed starts to crackle add asafetida. Stir it and add chopped onions. Fry on medium heat until onions turns pinkish in color. Add garlic, ginger and green chili and cook till they get brown burnt in color. To this add the chopped tomatoes and cook for further few minutes till the tomatoes are little soft. Now add coriander powder, garam masala, little turmeric powder and cook for another 4-5 minutes adding little water to it to ensure that the mixture does not get burnt. Next add cooked dal and mix them well. Add a little more water to it to bring it to the desired consistency. Bring to a boil and simmer at least for 10 – 15 minutes. Take out the dal in a serving bowl, add lemon to it and garnish it with the coriander leaves. Serve hot with chapattis and jeera rice.