Very Easy 'Vegetable Pulao' ( vegetable-rice)

                                                  Vegetable Pulao: the easy way. 

This is one method by which children can be made o eat vegetables with ease! It is also a very good dish to try for beginners as, there is almost nil chance of it coming out bad. It is very tasty in spite of being so easy. Try and see for yourself!

Ingredients:-

1.  Long grained rice- 120gm.( approx 1 1/4 cup);    2.  fresh shelled peas- 80gm.;    3.  Cauliflower- about 120gm;     4.  Potatoes - 2,medium (200-250gm.);     5.  Onions- 3 medium;    6.  Tomatoes-  3 medium (about 150gm.);    7.  Ginger- about 1-inch piece;    8.  Fresh coriander(hara dhania)- a small bunch;    9.Green chillies-3-4 or more if you like it spicy;     

10.  Cumin seeds (jeera)- 1 tsp.;    11.  Desi ghee or veg. oil- about 70 ml +2 Tbsp.;   12.  Salt- as per your taste. 

Method:-  

1.  Wash and cut cauliflower into small florets; peel wash and chop potatoes into small pieces; skin and slice onions lengthwise; wash and chop green chillies and fresh coriander; peel, wash and grate ginger; wash and chop tomatoes into small pieces.

2.  This pulao is prepared by cooking the vegetables and rice separately so first of all you have to make the 'sabzi'. Heet ghee or oil in a kadhai or big fry-pan, add cumin seeds and when they turn slightly brown, add sliced onions. Stir-fry till onions become pink and add grated ginger and chopped chillies. Keep stir-frying till onions are pinkish-brown and then add peas, fry a bit more and add cauliflower and potatoes. Mix-in salt also. Lower the heat, cover with a lid and let cook, turning from time to time with a spatula, till vegetables, specially potatoes are almost cooked. At this stage, add chopped tomatoes and coriander reserving some coriander for final garnish. Cover and let cook for some more time, turning every few minutes. Once the vegetable is nicely cooked, check for seasoning, i.e., salt and chili.  

3. While the vegetable is cooking, wash rice 3-4 times and boil in plenty of water. When cooked, strain  and keep the rice aside, without lid, to cool slightly.

4.  Once the vegetble has been cooked and rice are also ready, add about 2 tablespoons of oil/ghee to the vegetable, about 1/2 tsp. of salt and 1/4 tsp. of chili powder, mix and then add cooked rice. Toss rice and vegetable with light hands, to mix thoroughly without breaking the rice-grains. Check for seasoning again and if you have to add anything, sprinkle it over the pulao and toss lightly with a wide spatula.     

5.  Your pulao is ready to eat! It tastes divine with 'mithi sonth' i.e.'Imli ki chatni' ( sweet and sour tamarind sauce), tomato ketchup or 'Raita'.

Note:- Any other winter vegetables like carrots and french beans can also be added to this pulao, by reducing the quantity of other vegetables slightly. You must remember though that, the quantity of carrots and beans should be lesser than that of peas, cauliflower and potatoes as in smaller quantity they add to the taste by creating variety but, in larger quantity they become too overpowering, thus spoiling the taste.

                                                                            Enjoy!

Sweet-corn soup, with fresh corn.

                                                  Sweet-corn soup made with fresh corn

This is a delicacy of this season that justifies the word 'delicacy' by it's delicate taste and the subtle aroma of fresh corn. It is one of the 'simplest', 'healthiest' and, of course, 'tastiest' soups.
Very very satisfying, to make as well as to eat1


Ingredients:- 
1.  Fresh corn on the cob (Bhutte)- 3 medium sized,giving you 300-350gm. kernels (daane);    2.  milk-  1 cup;    3.  Sugar-  3 tsp., slightly heaped;    4.  Cornflour- 2 heaped tsp.    5.  salt and water- as needed.
Accompaniment-  Chilli vinegar ( soak 2 chopped green chillies in 50 ml vinegar, to which a little salt and water have been added).


Method:- 
1.  Remove the kernels from the cobs with a sharp knife. Discard any pieces of cob or husk if they are mixed in kernels. Pressure-cook the kernels for half an hour, with approx. 800ml. water, reducing the heat to low after the first whistle. Let cool-down from hot to warm (do not throw the water).
2.  Take-out and reserve about 1/4 of the kernels and liquidize the rest, with some of the water in which it was cooked, in the blender, till you get a smooth (but not very thick) paste.
3.  Put the fresh-corn paste in a sauce pan/ cooking vessel, add the remaining water back into it and put it on the stove.

4.  Add reserved kernels and sufficient water to make about 5 bowls ( 1 bowl is approx. 250ml. soup) and add sugar and salt. The taste of both sugar and salt should be moderate. Bring it to the boil. 
  

      








5. Mix cornflour with a little water to make a thin paste and, reduce the heat to medium and add it to the soup, stirring constantly. Cook till the soup thickens. Now add the milk, increase the flame to high again and bring to the boil again. If you want a thicker soup, you can add some more cornflour mixed in water and, if you want to make it thinner, add some water.
Sugar and salt should also be tasted at this stage.
6.  Your soup is now ready! Pour into bowls and inhale the aroma first! I like eating it as it is i.e., without any accompaniments but, most people add chili-vinegar and, some like to add chili-sauce and soy-sauce also though they are recommended with plain corn soup and vegetable corn soup; not with sweet-corn soup.  
7.  The quantity given here is sufficient to make 6 bowls of soup but, 10-12 bowls can also be made with it just by adding more water, salt, sugar and a little cornflour. Try not to increase the quantity beyond 12 bowls as then the taste and aroma of sweet-corn will be highly compromised!

                                   


                                                                          Enjoy!

Simple and easy 'Matar Pulao'.

                                                               'Matar Pulao' (peas-rice) 
                            This recipe is very easy and simple, without any elaborate preparations. 

This is a favorite dish of children as well as adults and we keep waiting for fresh peas to appear in the market, to make it! This is a complete meal in itself and is so easy that anybody can make it!

It can be eaten with curds; 'raita', 'chatni' or, just on their own. Children love it with tomato ketchup also!

Ingredints:- The quantity given here should be sufficient for two people.

1.  Long-grained rice- 120 gm.( approx. 1 1/4 cup);    2.  fresh shelled peas- 120- 130 gm.( 1 1/4 cup);

3.  Onions- 2-3 medium, sliced lengthwise;      4.  'Adrak' (fresh ginger)- 1 inch piece, grated; 5.  Green chillies- 2 medium sized, chopped;    6.  'Hara dhania' (fresh coriander)- a small bunch, chopped;    7.  Water- 550 ml.; 

  

8.  'Jeera' ( cumin seeds)- 1 tsp., heaped;    9.  'Desi ghee' (clarified butter)- 45 gm.(veg. oil can also be     

used);    10.  Salt- according to taste.

Note- A basic rule to be followed while making any pulao is that the quantity of water should be double the quantity of rice, by volume.

Method:-  1. First of all heat 'desi ghee' in the pressure cooker and add 'jeera' when it becomes hot. As soon as 'jeera' starts browning a little, add onions that have been sliced lengthwise. Fry the onion for some time, till it becomes pink, and then add grated ginger and green chillies and keep stir-frying.

2. When onions turn slightly brown, add shelled and washed peas, turn the flame to medium and stir-fry for about 1 minute.

3. Wash rice thoroughly 2-3 times (there is no need to soak rice), drain all the water and add to the peas in the cooker. Stir-fry for half a minute more turning gently so as not to break the rice grains.

4.  Now turn the flame high and add water and salt. Stir with a ladle and taste a drop to check for seasoning. You can add more salt at this stage and, some red chilli powder also if you feel that the water is not spicy enough. 

5.  Close the lid, wait for steam to appear and then put the weight. When the first whistle comes, reduce the flame to medium and check the time. When you feel that the steam is again starting to develop in the cooker, reduce the flame further to 'low' and wait. The total time taken to cook the pulao, from the first whistle, should be 5 minutes. About 50 to 60 seconds before the end of 5 minutes, increase the flame to 'medium' again and then, as soon as the 5 minutes are over, put the flame'off ' and let the cooker sit like that only, for 15 to 20 minutes to let the pressure come down on it's own. 

6.  When you open the lid, your pulao will be ready to eat and still steaming hot!  

Enjoy!

  

Cape Brandy Pudding/ Tipsy Tart

Cape Brandy Pudding or, Tipsy Tart

  Here is a Delicious South African delicacy which is not a tart at all, and neither is it a pudding!
  You can eat it as a dessert while still warm or, as a tea-time snack and I guarantee that you won't   
be  able to stop at one piece! It has such a unique and flavorful taste that it gives the impression of
 a very complicated procedure of making but actually it is very simple! With a few added ingredients, it can serve as a delicious Christmas cake also.


Ingredients:-


For the cake: -  
1.  Dates-250gm., stoned and chopped;    2.  Boiling water-250 ml.;    3.  bicarbonate of soda- 1tsp.;    
4.  Butter-120gm.;    5.  Sugar- 180gm.(preferably powdered as it is easier to work with);    6.  Eggs-2;
7.  Flour- 240gm.;    8.  Baking pdr.- 1 tsp.;    9.  Salt-approx. 1/3 tsp.;    10.  Walnuts or pecan nuts-100gm.

For the Brandy sauce :-
1.  Sugar- 200gm.;    2.  Water- 200ml.;    3.  Butter-30gm.;    4.  Vanilla essence- 1tsp.;    5.  Cinnamon 
powder- 1/2 tsp.;    6.  Salt- a pinch;    7.  Brandy- 100 ml.                                               

Method:-
1.First of all, grease and dust a large ( 10 1/2- 11inch) round cake dish. I baked it in a loaf tin but it is not actually recommended as this cake should not be very high.
2. Now take half the chopped dates in a bowl and pour boiling water over them, add baking soda, mix and keep aside. If your dates are not soft, take all of them. After a few minutes this bowl can be kept in a water bath to hasten cooling. At this stage you should also turn the oven 'on', setting the temp. at 180C.

3. Sieve together flour and baking powder 3-4 times then, sprinkle salt over it and mix with fingers.
4. Beat butter (room temp.) and sugar in the mixer bowl, first at medium for about a minute and then on high speed till the mixture turns fluffy and creamy. Now add eggs, one at a time, beating for about a minute after
each addition.When eggs have been mixed nicely, you can stop the mixer.
5. Add chopped walnuts and half the dates ( if you haven't soaked all of them)and mix. Sprinkle flour over it 
and fold-in with a big spatula to mix nicely. Lastly add the cooled,soaked dates mixture and mix gently but thoroughly.

                                 










6. Pour this mixture in the prepared pan and put in the pre-heated oven. It should be ready in 40 -50 minutes.
Check after 40 minutes. If it feels firm to the touch and the skewer comes out without any wet batter attached to it, it is done otherwise bake it for another 10 minutes and check again. Take out when it is done.
7. While the cake is baking, make the soaking syrup. Take sugar and water in a pan and cook till sugar dissolves. Now add butter also and keep cooking for a few minutes so that the quantity of water reduces a little but it should not be syrupy thick. Remove from fire and stir in vanilla, salt and brandy.
8. When you take out the cake from the oven, wait for 2 minutes and then start pouring the brandy sauce, which should be warm, over the cake, with a spoon. It will sink-in slowly so you will have to be patient about it. You can also poke some holes on the cake with a thin skewer, which should not go more than half-way, for easier absorption. Since I had made this cake as a loaf, mine was soaked only till half-way and some sauce was left-over. If you do not like very moist cakes you should also not use all the sauce.

   9. Whether you soak this cake fully or not, either way it makes a big hit! I know because the last time I made it was in the form of cup-cakes and I'd made them really moist and they were really appreciated!

10. This cake can be eaten warm or cold; with whipped cream or without it; as a dessert or tea-time snack, it is just delightful every way! If you want to make it for Christmas, just add 1/2 tsp. ginger, a big pinch nutmeg and the zest of two oranges to the batter and you'll get a very exotic Christmas cake1




                                                                            Enjoy!


                                                                           
                                                                                                               

Delicious and easy Coconut Cake.

                                                              
                                                                   Coconut Cake

'Delicious, aromatic and easy to make'; This is how this cake can be described! And the best thing 

is, it does not need any icing or accompaniment! Try baking it and you'll understand what I mean. So, here is how you go about it--

Ingredients:-     1.  Flour-280 gm.;    2.  Baking powder- 1 1/2 tsp.;    3.  Sugar (powdered)-280gm.;

4.  Butter-220gm.;    5.  Eggs- 4;    6.  Milk- 100ml.;    7.  Curd or buttermilk- 50ml.;    8.  Desiccated

coconut- 1 1/2 cup;    9.  Vanilla essence- 1 1/2 tsp.;    10.  Salt-1/2 tsp.

Method:-     1. First of all, grease and line a 9inch baking pan with butter paper, putting two layers on the base and, set the oven temp. at 180 C (only the bottom coil).

2. Sieve together flour and baking powder 3-4 times, on a news paper or brown paper so that they are nicely mixed. Sprinkle salt over it and sift with fingers to mix.

3. Beat together butter (room temp.) and sugar, first at medium and then at high speed, in the mixer bowl.

When the mixture turns creamy and fluffy, start adding eggs, one at a time and beat for at least one minute after each addition. If the mixture curdles on adding egg, add a table-spoon of flour also and mix nicely.

4.  When all the eggs have been added, mix-in the curd and vanilla and stop the mixer.

5. With the help of a big spoon or spatula fold-in the flour alternating with milk, in four batches, ending with flour. Now, sprinkle the desiccated coconut over the batter and mix gently. Do not beat.

6.  Spread this batter in the baking pan ( it will not be of pouring consistency), smooth the top and put in the oven. It will take 50 to 60 minutes but, as there is a lot of variation in the oven temperatures, start checking after 40 minutes with a clean and dry skewer or knitting needle. If the skewer comes out with wet crumbs attached to it, let it cook for 10 more minutes and check again.

7.  For the last 10 to 15 minutes, you can turn-on both upper as well as lower coils to get a nicely browned

upper crust, as I did. When the cake is finally done, take it out of the oven and put the pan on a rack to cool.

With the help of a knife, loosen the edges from the pan but let it cool in the pan only.

8.  It is now ready to eat so unmold it on a platter  and start-off immediately!

 

   

                                                                           Enjoy!