Sabudana Kheer

This one is not from my Mom's kitchen. I don't think she has ever made sabudana kheer ;) That's where my Mom-in-law steps in. Teaching me recipes that are yet to be cooked in my Mom's kitchen!
This quantity makes about one good-sized bowl of kheer. And is polished off in minutes by an adoring son, 'coz it is made how his Mom makes it!!

Ingredients
Sabudana - about a fistful
Milk - 1/2 litre
Sugar - to taste (about 6-8 tablespoons)
Green elaichi - 1, lightly pounded
Ghee - 1-2 tablespoons

Method

1. Wash and soak the sabudana in water for about 10-15 minutes so that it fluffs up.
2. Boil the milk with the elaichi.
3. Lightly squeeze out the excess water from the sabudana, and in a heavy bottomed pan, saute it in ghee for a few seconds.
4. Add the boiling milk. 
5. Cook on low flame, stirring in between to ensure that the milk is not stuck to the bottom of the pan.
6. After a while, the sabudana will look clear and glassy, indicating that it is cooked.
7. Continue cooking till the kheer reaches the desired consistency.
8. Serve hot.

Butter Chilli Garlic Noodles

Invented in China? Maybe. But Made in China? Naah! It's the Made in India version that I crave.

You guessed it, I am talking about Chinese food! The Indian-Chinese kind I mean. The Chinese-Chinese I am yet to eat. So for now, the Indian version is what makes me happy. The 'died and gone to heaven' kind of happy!

This recipe is what I love eating at one of our favourite restaurants in Hyderabad, Aromas of China. Here goes my simplified take on it.  

Ingredients

Noodles - 1 packet
Butter - a few tablespoons (depends on how buttery you like the noodles)
Garlic, chopped - 4-6 cloves (again, depends on how garlicky you want your noodles)
Red chillies, broken in half - 2-4 (yep! Depends on you. Who else!)
Onion, thinly sliced - 1 large
Capsicum, thinly sliced - 1
Green chillies - optional (depends on how fiery you want the noodles)
Veggies of your choice (you can use carrots, beans, broccoli, corn or babycorn, red or yellow bell pepper, etc), julienned
Chicken, boiled and shredded - optional

Method
1. Add the noodles and some salt to plenty of boiling water.
2. Cook till done. This takes a few minutes. (I usually check by tasting. :P)
3.When it is cooked, immediately drain the noodles and hold under cold running water. This ensures that the noodles cool down and stop cooking. Else, they become soggy and stick together.
4. Spread on a plate and mix in about a tablespoon of oil.

This is how the noodles look at this point.

5. Heat a non-stick pan and add a dollop of butter. You can mix in a little oil if you want, as it prevents the butter from burning.
6. When the butter is hot, add the garlic and chillies and saute for about a minute or so.
7. Add the onion and capsicum and saute for a couple of minutes.
8. Add the remaining veggies, and chicken (if you want), and cook till the veggies are done. Veggies should be crunchy at this point, and not soft or overcooked.

10. Mix in the noodles, give a final stir to mix everything well, and serve hot.

Chholar Dal

Ingredients
1 cup chholar dal (chana dal)
Salt to taste 

Haldi powder

For the tempering
Paanch phoron
Hing
Garam masala powder
Red or green chillis
Bay leaf (tej patta) 

Garnish
Raisins
Grated/ nicely chopped coconut
A pinch of sugar
A little grated ginger

Method

1. Pressure cook or boil chholar dal with salt till cooked.
2. Heat some ghee and add paanch phoron, hing, garam masala, red chillis and tej patta for tempering.
3. Add this phoron (tadka/ tempering) to the dal.
4. When the dal is boiling, add the coconut, raisins, sugar and grated ginger.
5. Mix well and serve hot.

Tip: This dal goes really with with the Bengali pulao I posted earlier.

Simple Tamarind (Imli) Chutney

This is the recipe for a basic tamarind chutney, that goes well with chaats, dahi vada etc. There are several variations, for example, one that includes dates, but I am just sticking to the basic recipe for now!


Ingredients (for a very small bowl of chutney)
Very little tamarind (approximately 1/4th part of a lemon), soaked in water for 1/2 - 1 hour
Sugar to taste
Salt to taste
Red chilli powder to taste
Nutmeg powder, a pinch
Cumin (jeera) powder to taste

Method

1. Take the tamarind extract and strain it to extract the juice. Now transfer to a non-stick pan and add the remaining ingredients. 
2. Add water and cook on low heat till the chutney reaches the desired consistency. 
3. Taste, and adjust spices as required.

Please note that the chutney will become thicker once cool. So, you may have to mix in some water before serving.

Ma's Special Pulao

Ma makes this special Bengali pulao that is to die for. Although easy to cook, the simple, delicate flavours come together beautifully, resulting in a pulao that tastes just out of this world.

Ingredients

1.5 cups of rice

Salt to taste

Sugar to taste (about a pinch)

Pinch of turmeric
Ghee to cook

Garam masala (about 2 cardamom, 2 cloves and an inch long stick of cinnamon)

Tej patta (bay leaf) - 1 

Dry fruits like raisins, cashews and almonds (optional, but strongly recommended!)

Peas (optional)

Method

1. Wash and drain rice of excess water (we don’t need to soak the rice). 
2. Spread out the rice on a plate and mix in some salt, sugar and a pinch of haldi. Leave for 15-20 minutes. 
3. Lightly saute the dry fruits (if using) in some ghee and set aside. 
4. In the same ghee, add the garam masala and tej patta. 
5.  Let the garam masala crackle, and add the rice.
6. Cook for about 5 minutes till the rice is a little brittle. At this point, you must ensure that the rice is not browned or cooked.
7. Add boiling water (double the quantity of rice) and peas (optional) and cook till almost all the water is absorbed and steaming holes appear in the rice. 
8. Switch off the flame and cover for half an hour. (This is an important step since the rice cooks slowly in its own steam, giving a delicious flavour.)
9. In case it looks a little uncooked, add some water and cook again, uncovered, till done. 
10. Garnish with dry fruits and serve.

Gajar ka Halwa

It is winter already (yayee!) and there is a nip in the Hyderabad air, that had been missing for a couple of years now. With lovely red carrots available available all over, what option did I have, but to pick up a few to make the eternal favourite gajar ka halwa!


Ingredients
One big red carrot, grated
Few tablespoons of ghee
1/2 litre milk (you can use skimmed or full cream)
Sugar to taste (I used about 8-10 tablespoon)
Two green cardamom  (elaichi)
Raisins and cashews to garnish

Method

1. Grate the carrot and lightly saute in ghee to get rid of the raw taste. Take care that you don't cook or fry it. Just a couple of minutes tossing it around should be good.
2. Lightly pound the elaichis and add to milk. You can also use elaichi powder if you have some.
3. Boil the milk in a thick-bottomed vessel, to ensure that the milk does not form a burnt layer at the bottom. (I use my pressure cooker, without the lid.)
4.  Add the sauted carrot to the milk.
5. Stir well. Keep on low flame and keep stirring occasionally till the milk thickens and reduces. 
6. Cook till it reaches the desired consistency (this is the state when there is no extra milk and the gajar ka halwa looks nice and moist).
7. Add sugar to taste. Mix well and turn off the gas.
8. Garnish with the dry fruits and serve hot on a cold winter night.