Kadhi-khichdi

This is one of the traditional dawoodi bohra recipes that is easy to make, not spicy and useful at the time of exams !

Kadhi

Ingredients
1 tsp haldi powder
3 tbsp besan (channa dal flour)
1 tsp chopped garlic
2 green chillies chopped fine
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds
5 curry leaves
1 cup sour curd
2 cups water
1 tbsp oil
1 tbsp chopped corriander leaves
Salt to taste

Method:
Heat the oil in a pan
Add the mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds and cumin seeds
Add the garlic and green chillies
Mix besan flour, salt, curd and haldi powder seperately in a bowl and beat
Add this mixture and stir
Add the water and heat on medium for around 5 minutes
Garnish with chopped corriander leaves

Khichdi

Ingredients:
1 cup moong dal (yellow or green)
1 cup rice
salt to taste
4 cups water

Method:
Mix the above ingredients and cook till done.

Nita Mehta's The Best of Chicken and Paneer

We bought this book around 4 years back and its a worthwhile investment. Although, i have not tried any of her other recipe books i am sure they would also be just as good.

Below is the link to her recipe books.
http://nitamehta.com/Product_Display.asp?currentPage=2&cid=1

Shahi Paneer Kheer with Lychees

Serves: 8 to 10

Ingredients

20 to 25 large lychees ( i tried this with tinned lychees got from the indian store)
20-25 almonds-blanched (soaked in hot water and skin removed)
10 sheets of varq(silver sheets) - Makes the dish look pretty - i did without it
1/2 tin of milk maid or sweetened condensed milk (3/4 cup)
1/2 cup of milk
250 gm paneer grated ( i tried with the paneer grated long - its better to grate it fine)
1/4 tsp kesar(saffron) soaked in 1 tbsp of rose water
300 gm cream - chilled nicely and whipped until it turns thick (i bought whipped cream)

Garnish
A few rose petals
a few green pistas sliced

Method

1. Peel and carefully deseed the lychees keeping the lychees whole
2. Insert one almond in each lychee in place of the seed
3. (The dish tastes just as good if this step is ommited). Open up a varq carefully and place two lychees on the broad end(open end) downwards on the sheet leaving some space in between the lychees.Carefully lift the paper beneath the varq to coat the lychees with varq. Do not touch the varq directly. Keep the pearly lychees in a plate and refrigerate
4. Soak the saffron in rose water
5. Whip the chilled cream(chill the cream before whipping) till slightly thick
6. Beat 1/2 tin condensed milk, 1/2 cup milk and saffron along with the rose water in a pan until smooth
7. Add the grated paneer and mix well
8. Add cream to the condensed milk mixture to get a kheer like consistency of the mixture(thick pouring consistency). If you like it less sweet add some more grated paneer
9. Transfer to a shallow serving dish. Top the condensed milk mixture with pearly lychees. Garnish with rose petals and sliced pistas. Serve chilled.

Kuku paka

This is a chicken recipe from East Africa. One of my favourites that my husband made on his birthday.

http://www.congocookbook.com/chicken_recipes/kuku_paka.html

Wali wa nazi

This is one of my favourites that reminds me of back home. It is served with kuku paka
http://www.congocookbook.com/rice_recipes/wali_wa_nazi.html

Raita

Ingredients

2 cups curd
2 green chillies chopped fine
1 onion chopped fine
1 tomato fine
1/2 cucumber chopped
2 tsp coriander leaves chopped fine
Salt to taste

Method

Mix all the ingredients

Preparation time
5 minutes

Aloo Paratha

Ingredients:
2 tsp butter
2 cups atta (whole wheat flour)
5 medium size potatoes
Salt to taste
1 tsp chilli powder
2 tbsp chopped corriander leaves
Water

Method:

1. Add salt to the atta and mix
2. Add water to prepare the dough as one would for chapathis
3. Knead the dough for at least 5 minutes and cover the same and set aside for at least 15 minutes. This makes the dough soft and easy to roll out
4. Cut the potatoes into half and boil. Add salt to the water.
5. Mash the potatoes and add the chilli powder and corriander leaves
6. Heat the tava
7. Divide the dough into 8 equal sized balls. Similiarly divide the potato mixture into 8 equal sized balls
8. Roll out each ball of dough to a diameter of about 5 inches. Place the ball of potato mixture in the middle and bring the corners of the dough together
9. Roll this out softly like a normal chapathi
10. Roast on both sides until done
11. Spread a layer of butter on the paratha
12. Serve with curd and pickle

Cooking time:

20-30 minutes

Chicken paratha

I tried out a new recipe today which is my own creation.. Its come out pretty ok

Ingredients:
1/2 cup boiled chicken shredded
1/4 cup finely chopped onions
1/4 cup finely shredded cabbage
1/4 cup grated carrot
1/2 tsp coriander powder
1/4 tsp garam masala
1/4 tsp chilli powder

1 cup whole wheat atta
Salt to taste

Method:

1. Add salt to the atta and mix. Add water to the atta and make a dough as for chapatis
2. Mix the chicken, onions, cabbage and carrots,salt and the rest of masalas
3. Divide the dough into medium sized balls
4. Roll out each ball into a circle with a diameter of around 6 inches
5. Add two tablespoons of chicken mixture onto the centre and fold up the edges together
6. Roll the dough lightly until a diameter of 4 to 5 inches
7. Heat the tava and roast parotha until golden brown on both sides - similiar to chapathis
8. Serve with curd and pickle

Cooking time:

Approximately 20 minutes

Pineapple Soufle

This recipe was passed down to me by my mami in Mysore who is an awesome cook. I spent almost a month with her in 2002 and her recipes have been a hit.
This is mainly meant for the indian audience for i am yet to find equivalent ingredients in the US supermarkets.

Ingredients:

1 small tin milkmaid around 150 to 200 gm
250 gms fresh cream
1 small tin chopped pineapple around 250 gm
1 tbsp gelatin

Method:

1. Mix the pineapple, milkmaid and fresh cream in a bowl
2. Heat water in a pan and in the a smaller pan add the gelatin and pineapple syrup from the tinned pineapples
3. Place the smaller pan in the bigger pan and continue stirring until the gelatin dissolves
4. Add the syrup and gelatin mixture to the rest of the mixture
5. Stir and place in freezer until set

Cooking time:
5 -10 minutes

Tips:
One could also used any other variety of fruits. I have tried the same recipe with tinned lychees and peaches but found that the combination was a little too sweet to my liking... Pineapple on the other hand has a little sour taste which comes out beautifully in the soufle.

I tried this recipe in U.S but did not find the equivalent of fresh cream and settled for whipping cream. Also instead of milkmaid i used sweetened condensed milk which turned out to be much much more sweeter than milkmaid ! The combination turned out to be too sweet. The unflavoured gelatin also does not happen to have the same effect as the gelatin i had bought in the India. Even with double the about of gelatin, i didnt find the soufle set so well. I suppose i will need to research more into either finding equivalent ingredients or modifying the recipe for the same recipe to work with US ingredients

On the other hand, the same ingredients were available both in Kenya and India and the dish has turned out very well...

Packed potatoes

This is a favourite dish of mine that anyone who is brought up on the Kenyan Coast loves! Easy to make and ideal on a cold day with a cup of tea or coffee

Ingredients:

10 small potatoes boiled, peeled and cut into slices 1/2 inch thick
1 tsp chilli powder mixed with 1 tsp lime juice
1/2 cup gram flour
1/4 cup water
Salt to taste
Oil for frying

Method:

1. Take a slice of potato and smear a layer of chilli paste on it. Cover it with another slice of potato thereby making a "packed potato". In this manner you will get at least 10 depending on the size of your potatoes
2. Mix the gram flour with water and salt to make a batter which has a consistency similiar to what we use for making pakodas.
3. Heat oil for frying
4. Dip the "packed potatoes" into the gram flour and therefter fry them until golden brown
5. Serve with tomato ketchup or coconut chutney!

Cooking time:

10-15 minutes

Vegetable Biryani

This is an all time favorite recipe with my guests. I tried it several years using the recipe at this website: http://www.cookingmarvel.in/rice/vegetable_biryani.html

It is mostly the same with a few changes.

Ingredients:

2 cups rice soaked in 4 cups of water
2 cups chopped vegetables of your choice(i generally use potatoes, french beans, carrots and peas)
1 medium size onion sliced
1 tsp garam masala powder
1 tsp cumin (jeera) seeds
1 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp red chilli powder(if its extra hot 1/2 would suffice)
2 inch long cinammon stick
2-3 cloves
2-3 white cardamom (elaichi)
Salt to taste
2 tbsp oil or ghee or butter

Method:

1. Heat the oil in a pressure cooker
2. Add the cinammon stick, cardamom and cloves
3. Fry the onions until golden
4. Add the chopped vegetables and fry for around 5 minutes on medium heat. Keep stirring.
5. Add the rice along with the water
6. Add the rest of the masalas
7. Cover the pressure cooker and cook on medium heat for 2 whistles
8. Serve with raita

Cooking time:
10 to 15 minutes

Comments:
Shahi paneer and vegetable biryani is ideal for days when you are lazy and dont want to spend too much time in the kitchen!

New year debacles:
a) plan of cooking chicken fried rice never worked out!!! One cool recipe we found was here: http://mydhaba.blogspot.com/2005/07/chicken-fried-rice-chinese-style-with.html

b) found a cool mallu blogger link here: http://malluspice.blogspot.com/ -> gotta try beef fry some day soon..