Kurmuri-Chatpati Arbi (Crisp-Spicy Taro Tuber )

Kurmuri-Chatpati Arbi

Arbi/ taro is a tuber grown in almost whole of the world. In northern part of India especially Uttar Pradesh dry vegetable which is crisp and spicy is liked very much. In Kumaon apart from dry vegetable of arbi, thick gravy vegetable is made in iron pot. The tangy taste of iron, hot flavor of spices blends with arbi giving a unique taste to the vegetable. Another form of arbi preparation is arbi cooked in curd oh so yummy. How much I miss the savories made by my grandmother. God bless her soul for introducing me to such lovely food. I love making grandma recipes, but for today it is Crisp-Spicy Arbi.

Preparation Time: 30 min. (Boiling of arbi included)

Cooking Time:40-50 min

Servings: 4 Medium servings

Ingredients Required For Making Kurmuri-Chatpati Arbi (Crisp-Spicy Taro Tuber ):

• 500 gm. Arbi (Taro tuber)

• 50 ml. Ghee (Clarified butter) / cooking oil

• 1/2Tea spoon Turmeric Powder

• 2 Tea spoon Red chili powder

• 2 Tea spoon Amchur powder (Dry raw mango powder)

• 1 Teaspoon Coriander powder

• 1/4Tea spoon Sugar

• 1 Tea spoon Cumin seeds

• 1 teaspoon Carom seeds (Ajwain)

•  3-4 Whole Red chilies

• 1 Pinch Asafoetida (Optional)

Direction For Making Kurmuri-Chatpati Arbi:

• Wash arbi and boil them to tender state. Let the boiled arbi cool.

• Peel and cut the peeled boiled arbi to long thick pieces. 

Boiled Arbi Cut to long thick pieces

• Mix

• Turmeric powder

• Amchur

• Red chili powder

• Coriander powder

• Add the spices mixture to the pieces of boiled arbi and mix by gentle turning so that the spices coat the arbi pieces evenly.

All spices except salt mixed with Arbi pieces

• Cover and keep aside for 10-15 minutes.

• Heat ghee in a thick bottom wok.

• Add cumin seeds, carom seeds and whole red chilies when the seeds splutter and chilies become darker in color add asafoetida and immediately add marinated arbi to the seasoning.

Cumin and carom seeds and red chili cooked in ghee

• Mix the seasoning and arbi nicely by turning with care, Car.

Marinated Arbi added to ghee ans seasoning and mixed

• Bring the flame to low and cover the wok.

• Cook for 10 min. with occasional turning to make sure all arbi gets cooked nicely.

• Add salt and mix.

• Cover and cook for 20-25 min on low flame with occasional stirring and turning.

• After 10-15 min of cooking the arbi will start becoming crisp and golden brown in color. Turning and stirring will make sure all arbi pieces start becoming crisp and brown.

• After 20-25 min of cooking with cover remove the cover and cook for 5-10 min. on low flame. Turning the crisp arbi every now and then is must to ensure that it becomes crisp and brown evenly. The cooked arbi will become absolutely crisp and dry.

•  Add 1/2tea spoon sugar powder and mix and cook for 2-3 minutes without covering.

• Kurmuri-chatpati Arbi is ready to be served.

Kurmuri-Chatpati Arbi

• Serve hot Arbi with roti/parantha and curd.

• If you want to store this vegetable then while reheating sprinkle 5 ml. water and cover and heat this will make sure that the arbi remains crisp without losing their tenderness.

Tips:

• Do not boil the arbi till they become too soft and gooey else the vegetable will become mashed pulp not crisp.

• Kurmuri-chatpati arbi tastes best when cooked in Ghee (Clarified butter). Changing the cooking medium to oil is not advisable until unless medical reasons say so.

• Add salt only once the sticky liquid of arbi has dried this will make cooking easier and the pieces of arbi will not stick to each other.

• Do not add salt while marinating the arbi.

• Arbi can be marinated overnight in fridge.

• Cut the boiled arbi only when it has cooled down to make sure the pieces come out without breaking.

Suggested Variations:

• Boiled arbi pieces can be directly added to the oil and seasoning and then all spices except salt can be added. Salt should be added only when the sticky liquid has dried off. That is after 5-10 minutes of cooking on low flame.

• If cooking medium has to be changed for any reason then mustard oil is the best replacement for ghee.

Milk Toast /Bread pudding

Crisp,Juicy Milk Toasts

Milk toasts are wonderful for breakfast as well as dessert. Brown bread or multi grain bread with milk and dry fruits make it a wholesome breakfast especially for children who do not want to take milk. It is also famous by the name of Shahi toast which is not fried, so is healthier than the Shahi toast which is deep fried and then soaked in flavored sugar syrup. Crisp from outside but juicy from inner core they are delightful delicacy
.

Preparation Time: 10 min.

Cooking Time: 30 min

Servings: 16 Milk Toasts

Ingredients Required for Making Milk Toasts:

• 8 slices of brown / white/ multi grain bread

• 250 ml. Milk (Full cream or Toned milk )

• 5 Tea spoon of Sugar 

Milk and Sugar for Milk Toast

• 2 Tea spoons Honey

• 1/4Tea spoon Green Cardamom Powder

• 10-15 cashew nuts

• 10-15 Almonds

• 3-4 Almonds

• 10-15 Pistachios

• 1 Teaspoon Ghee (Clarified butter) / Olive oil / Butter

Directions For Making Milk Toast:

• In a bowl take

• Milk

• Sugar

• Honey

• Cardamom powder

• Mix till sugar dissolves and a homogenous solution is formed.

• Cut the nuts and keep them aside.

• Heat a thick bottom non-stick Tawa / pan.

• Spread 1/4Tea spoon olive oil/ Butter / Ghee on the hot tawa.

Ghee spread on hot Tawa

• Place the bread pieces on the hot tawa and lower the flame.

Bread slices kept on hot Tawa with ghee and being toasted

• Let the bread pieces become light brown and crisp from one side.

Bread slices crisped on one side

• Flip and cook the other side also to crispness.

Bread sliced toasted to crispness on both sides

• Spread the milk mixture 4-5 tea spoons on one side. The slices of bread will become soggy initially during cooking. Allow them to cook on low flame till they become brown on the side touching the tawa/pan (Approximately 3-4 min). I like caramelized taste so I allow them to cook longer.

Milk being poured on the crisped toasts

Crisped Toasts soaked in milk being allowed to cook on low flame

Toasts with m,ilk cooked on one side and being cooked on the second side

• Flip the toasts carefully and spread 3-4 teaspoon milk mixture on the other side also and allow the toast to cook to brown color on the other side also.

Milk Toasts cooked on both sides and one toast caramelized

• Take out hot crisp juicy milk toasts on a plate and top them up with nuts.

Milk Toasts

• Enjoy with a hot cup of tea / coffee / milk for break fast or after meal as desert.

Tips:

• Due to sugar the toasts tend to caramelize. If you do not like the darker color then remove them before they start caramelizing. I personally like caramelized toasts.

• After spreading milk  mixture the bread slices will become soggy. Do not flip till the toasts are of brown color on the side they are touching the tawa. 

• Toasts should be cooked always on low flame.

• Do not cut the brown edges of slices before making the toasts.

• The bread slices should not be very thin else the toasts will break.

• While flipping after adding milk on one side care should be taken so that the toast do not break.

Suggested Variations:

• White sugar can be replaced with brown sugar as it is healthier and provides nutrition along with less calories.

• Jaggery can replace sugar this will add iron to your toast.

• Pinch of cinnamon powder can be taken instead of cardamom powder.

• The old bread from in the fridge can be cooked to crispness with little butter and stored. These crisp toasts can be used to make milk toasts as and when required, this saves time and old bread is used instead of discarding.

Makki Ki Sabji /मक्के की सब्ज़ी (Sweet corn cooked with vegetable)

Makki ki Sabji (Sweet Corn Vegetable)

It is really surprising that the humble Fresh sweet corn, which was supposed to be poor man food in India, can be actually converted to number of delicacies. When the corn is soft and sweet on the cob my family loves that time of year. As they are spoilt by the choices available to them for snack, right from boiled corn on the cob, cutlet, corn chat or simply corn on the cob roasted on hot amber.

One day only one corn cob was left and if roasted or boiled only 1/4piece each would have got, not an appealing idea. So I kept the boiled corn cob in the fridge and made it to chatpati sabji along with some beans and cauliflower so that the nutritional value also increases. My efforts and innovation were highly appreciated by my family. I got my reward so what are you waiting for try it this season.

Preparation Time: 15-20 min.

Cooking Time: 5 min.

Servings: 3-4 large servings.

Ingredients for Making

• 1 Fresh Sweet corn cob

• 100 gm. Cauliflower

• 50 gm. French beans

• 1 small Carrot

• 1 Medium size Potato

• 1 medium size Tomato

• 1 Teaspoon Cumin seeds

• 2 Bay leaves

• 1 Fresh Green Chili

• 1/2 Tea spoon Red chili Powder

• 1/4 Tea spoon Turmeric powder

• 1/4 Tea spoon Amchur Powder

• 1/2 Tea spoon Sugar

• Salt to taste

• 1 Tea spoon Olive oil / cooking oil

Directions for Making

• Remove the green coverings of fresh corn cob and boil it in water for 5 min.

Boiled Corn on the Cob

• Remove the boiled corn cob from hot water and allow it to cool.

• Separate the boiled corn from the cob.

Boiled Corn on the Cob and corn removed from Cob

• Discard the cob and keep the boiled corn aside.

• Peel wash and cut potato to small pieces.

• Cut Tomato to small pieces.

• Cut French beans to 2-3cm. pieces.

• Cut carrot to thin and 2-3 cm. long pieces.

• Cut cauliflower to small florets.

• Boil the cauliflower florets in salted water for 5min.

• Drain water from boiled cauliflower florets by sieving them through a sieve.

• Take Ghee in a thick bottom wok and heat on high flame.

• When hot add bay leaves, cloves, cumin seeds Black cumin seeds and let the seeds splutter.

• Add potato pieces and cook on low flame till soft.

• Add carrots and tomato cook for 1-2min.

• Add beans, cauliflower and boiled corn.

• Mix nicely and cook for 2min.

• Add salt, turmeric powder, salt, amchur powder and red chili powder.

• Cook for 2 more minutes with continuous stirring to coat all vegetable pieces with spices.

• Remove from heat and take out he colorful corn vegetable in a serving plate and serve with roti.

Makki (Sweet corn)ki Sabji

Tip:

• Do not boil corn too much otherwise it will become hard and rubbery.

• Do not cook for long time after adding vegetables because  limp vegetables and over cooked vegetables in Makki ki sabji taste bad.

Suggested Variations:

• Olive oil can be replaced by any cooking oil.

• Cabbage, Zucchini, Capsicum, Red bell pepper, Yellow bell pepper can also be added, only make sure they not over cooked.

Shahi-Pulav (Rice cooked with Dry Fruits)

Shahi Pulav (Rice and Dry Fruits Pulav)

A rich and wonderful pulav rich in nutrition and delight to eyes and taste buds is a very easy to make. Dry fruits are present in every kitchen be it Indian or any part of the world. Rice is also an integral part of the kitchen. When you have a party to arrange just try this pulav along with the other fare you plan to make your guests will be surprised at by your planning the menu. I used to make it quiet often when the cooked rice used to be left from the dinner or lunch, and pack it in the lunch box of my children. The smile they used to give when they used to be back from school used to make my day. So why should you not try such a rewarding recipe. I am sharing with you all, you have to make it and enjoy with your friends and family.

Preparation Time: 10min.

Cooking Time: 30min.

Servings: 5-6 Large servings

Ingredients Required for Making Shahi-Pulav:

• 250 gm. Basmati Rice

• 50 -75 gm. Cashew nuts

• 50 gm. Almonds

• 50 gm. Raisins

• 3-4 Green Cardamom

Green Cardamom

• 1-2 Pieces of Javitri (dry flower of nutmeg)

Javitri

• 4-5 Cloves

Cloves

• 1 Tea spoon Shah Jeera ( Black cumin seeds)

Shah Jeera (Black Cumin Seeds)

• 1/2 Tea spoon Turmeric Powder

• 1 Tea spoon Red chili Powder

• 1 Tea spoon Sugar

• Salt to taste

• 50 gm. Ghee (4 heaped tea spoon ghee) / Olive oil / cooking oil.

Direction for Making Shahi-Pulav:

• Wash rice.

• Take in a thick bottom container washed rice and 500 ml. water and keep the container on gas on high flame without covering it.

• Let the contents boil.

• Do not stir.

• Cover the container and cook till rice becomes soft (approximately 20min.).

• Remove from gas and immediately drain excess of water by sieving it.

• Pour water on the rice in the sieve to remove excess starch so that the rice grains do not stick to each other.

• Keep aside for cooling.

Rice Boiled to soft texture and then washed with fresh water to remove excess starch

• Cut Almonds and cashew nuts to 2-3 mm. pieces (each almond and cashew to 2-3 piece).

• Take a thick bottom wok and take ghee in it and heat on high flame.

Ghee being heated

• To hot ghee add broken cardamom, Shah jeera (black cumin), Javitri, cloves, and cook for 1 min.

Shah jeera, cardamom, javitri added to hot ghee

• Add cut almonds and cashew nuts and cook till gain golden color. 

Almonds and cashew nuts added to hot ghee and spices

Ready for adding boiled rice

• Add boiled rice to it and mix nicely.

• Cover and cook for 2-3 min.

Boiled rice added to spices and dry fruits mixture in ghee

• Add turmeric powder, salt,red chili powder and mix nicely.

Turmeric powder, salt, red chili powder added to rice, spices and dry fruit mixture in ghee

• Add raisins and sugar and stir.

Sugar and raisins added ti rice mixture

• Cook for 2-3 min. without covering and remove from gas.

• Take out in a serving plate and serve hot. Add few drops of lemon juice and the color will become beautiful yellow.

Shahi Pulav

Shahi pulav after adding few drops of lemon

  Raeally speaking it looks so fabulous that garnishing is not required but if you want use some slices of apple / seeds of fresh pomegranate for garnishing Shahi-Pulav.

Tips:

• Though the taste comes out best with ghee(clarified butter), yet those who for health reason do not eat ghee can replace it with cooking oil. Preferably Olive oil.
  

• Do not cook rice to extreme softness else the Pulav will not come out well.

• If you are not comfortable with boiling rice in the open container then cook it in pressure cooker.

• Do not over fry the almonds and cashew else they will not taste good in pulav.

• Drain water from boiled nicely so that each grain of boiled rice is separated.

• Any rice can be used for making the pulav but best results are obtained if Basmati rice is taken.

Suggested Variations:

• Pistachios, dry seeds of water melon (gabz), dry seeds of cucumber can also be added along with almonds and cashew nut.

• You can boil rice with little Shah jeera and salt to enhance the jeera flavor.

Rice boiled with Shah Jeera( black cumin seeds)

Jeera Rice (Cumin flavored Rice)

Jeera Rice

Rice is the integral part of Indian food. In different parts of India rice is cooked in varied ways thus this series of blog is dedicated to rice dishes. Plain boiled rice is eaten with different accompaniments depending upon different parts of India. If in eastern part it is eaten with fish, in western India, central India, Northern India it is eaten with dal, Kadi, rajma, chole, mutton, chicken or for that matter anything with gravy is eaten with rice. In southern India Sāmbhar, rasam, curd, is the main accompaniment with plain boiled rice. Apart from plain boiled rice every part of India has got much to offer in rice. Jeera rice is very popular in North India.It is taken with all vegetarian as well as non vegetarian preparations.I love jeera rice with Kumaoni kheere ka raita.

Preparation Time: 5 min.
Cooking Time: 10min. 
Servings:   2 large helpings

Ingredients required for Jeera Rice

• 150 gm. Rice
• 5gm.Jeera (cumin seeds)( approximately 1 tea spoon )
• 1/2 Tea spoon Salt. (Or to taste)
• 10ml. Ghee (clarified butter) / cooking oil
• Water to cook the rice

Directions for Preparation of Jeera Rice

• Wash rice and soak it in 150ml.water for 10min.
• Take ghee / oil in a pressure cooker and heat on high flame.
• When the ghee/oil becomes hot add cumin seeds in it and let them splutter. 
• Drain rice and keep the water aside.
• Put drained, soaked rice in the cooker and lower the flame, and mix gently.
• Add salt and mix.
• Add the water which was kept aside after draining the rice.
• Mix nicely. Put the lid on Pressure cooker and Put the gas on high flame.
• When pressure builds in the cooker lower the flame and cook for 3-5min. 
• Remove from gas and allow the pressure in cooker to subside.
• Remove the lid and serve hot jeera rice with Rajma / Chole / Raita /Pickle..... 

Jeera Rice

http://jyotsna-pant.blogspot.com/2011/08/chole-aur-bhature.html

http://jyotsna-pant.blogspot.com/2011/08/rajama.html

http://jyotsna-pant.blogspot.com/2011/08/dal-makhni.html

http://jyotsna-pant.blogspot.com/2012/07/pahari-kheere-ka-raita-cucumber-and.html

 
 Tips:

• Jeera should become just light brown during spluttering. Do not allow jeera to become dark Brown/Black.
• The given proportion of water is for basmati rice. The quantity of water may vary for different type of rice.

Suggested Variations:

•   Soak 150 gm.rice along with salt and Jeera in 250 ml. water for 30 min.

Rice along with salt and Jeera (Cumin seeds) soaked in water

• Keep the container with soaked rice ,jeera and salt on high flame and cook till water starts boiling.
• When water boils, lower the flame and cover the container and cook on low flame.
• Keep checking every 5 min.

After 10 min. of cooking rice

• Time taken when rice is cooked in a thick bottom pan is roughly 20 min.

After 20 min. of cooking on low flame

•  Saffola rice is less starchy so it can be taken instead of basmati rice.

Sukha Chicken/सुक्खा चिकन ( Chicken without Gravy)

Sukha Chicken

Dry chicken is taken as appetizer as well as well as main course. In main course it goes especially well with Tandoori roti / naan. Being less oily it is easier to digest and tastes very good. My personal preference next to tandoori chicken is sukha chicken. 

Preparations Time: 10 min.

Cooking Time: 40-45 min.

Servings: 4-5 large servings

Ingredients Required To make Sukka Chicken :

• 1 kg. Chicken dressed, washed, and cut to pieces.

Chicken for Sukha Chicken

 For Marinade:

• 50 gm. Ginger-Garlic past.

Ingredients for marinade

• 100 gm. Thick Curd.
• 10 gm. Turmeric powder. 
• 10 gm. Red Chili powder.
• 1/4 Tea spoon freshly grated Nutmeg. 

For Masala/Spice mix:

• 250 gm. Onion.( finely chopped )

Finely cut Onions

• 50 gm. Ginger- garlic paste.
• 100 gm.(2 medium size ) Tomatoes.( chopped).

Tomatoes

•  2 Bay leaves.

• 3-4 Cloves.
• 1 Inch piece of Cinnamon.

Spices for chicken

•  5-6 Black pepper

• 1 Black Cardamom

• Salt to taste.
• Red chili powder to taste.
• 1 ml. Cooking Oil if cooking in non-stick wok / 10 ml. if cooking in normal wok

 Direction To Marinate Chicken 

• Poke the chicken pieces with fork .
• Mix garlic, ginger paste, curd, turmeric powder, chili powder, nutmeg.

Ingredients for marinade mixed in a bowl

• Beat them with a spoon or fork to form nice creamy mixture. 

Marinade for chicken

• Rub the mixer nicely on the chicken pieces and coat them with the mixer.

Marinade mixed with chicken and kept for marinating

• Cover and leave for 5-6 hrs. ( It can be kept in fridge ).

Direction To Prepare Sukka Chicken

• Take a thick bottom wok, put 2 teaspoon of oil in it and heat on gas till smoking hot.
• Add cinnamon stick, cloves, bay leaves and black cardamom.Cook for 1/2 min.
   

  

  Spices being cooked till they splutter in 2 teaspoon of Olive oil

• Add finely chopped onions and cook till transparent.

  

  Finely cut onions added to oil and spices mixture

Onions cooked to transparent state

• Add ginger- garlic paste and cook for 1 min.
• Add finely chopped tomatoes, and cook till tomatoes turn just tender.

Onions added after adding ginger-garlic paste

Tomatoes cooked till tender

• Add marinated chicken, mix nicely.

Chicken added to cooked onion, tomato and spices mixture

Mixed and being cooked on low flame

• Add salt, red chili powder and mix.
• Cook on low flame with constant stirring for 5 min. Juices from chicken will come out.
• Cover and cook on low flame till all liquid dries.

Covered and being cooked on low flame

• Cook on low flame with regular stirring and sprinkling of very little water till the chicken becomes tender.

10 ml. Water sprinkled and being cooked on low flame

State after 5 min. of cooking (After sprinkling water)

• Add garam masala and mix.
• Cover and remove from gas.
• Keep it aside for 4-5min. so as to allow the flavor of garam masala to seep in the chicken.

Sukha Chicken

• Remove the cooked sukha chicken in a serving bowl and garnish with ringlet of onions, tomatoes, sprig of coriander / celery / parsley.

• Enjoy the sukha chicken with hot Nan, Tandoori roti, Roomali roti.

Sukha Chicken

 Tips:

• Cook in non-stick container otherwise oil requirement will become 10-15 ml.

• Let the liquid of marinade dry completely before sprinkling water first time.
• Do not add too much water at one go.
• Cook on low flame. If the heat is increased to high then masala will get burnt.

 Suggested Variations:

• Cut chicken pieces to bite size and serve it as appetizer.

• Oregano can be added to the marinade replacing nut meg for a change of flavor.

• Olive oil can be taken for cooking as it is healthy medium to cook.