Anar kali (A preparation of Cottage cheese with Pomegranate juice)

Anar Kali

Anar (Pomegranate) is a delicate and exotic composite fruit having red or brown from outside and partitioned from inside by thin yellow membrane. Inside each chamber of the fruit, red juicy little fruits with hard seed inside are present. These fruits of Pomegranate are rich in calcium, iron and vitamins.  Anar Kali is the preparation of paneer in Pomegranate fruit juice. An extremely tasty and easy to cook this preparation of cottage cheese provides lots of nutrition without adding fat content to your diet.

This preparation of paneer is to be made fresh and consumed. If it is prepared and kept for later use then the beautiful pink color of gravy changes to dull pink color. So make it fresh when you want to serve to your family and guests.

Preparation Time: 10 min

Cooking Time: 30 min

Servings: 4 large servings

Ingredients Required For Making Anar-Kali:

• 250 gm. Cottage cheese.

Paneer (Cottage cheese)

• 250 gm. Ripe Red Pomegranate

• 10-15 Almonds

Almonds

• 10-15 Pistachios

Pistacios

• 1 large Onion

• 1 Tea spoon Thyme

• 1/4Tea spoon Turmeric powder

• 1 Tea spoon Red chili powder

• Salt to taste

Direction For Making Anar-Kali:

• Cut onion very fine.

Finely Cut Onions

• Cut Almonds long and thin.

Almonds cut to long and thin pieces

• Cut Pistachio Long and thin

Pistachios cut to long and thin pieces

• Cut Paneer to 2-3 cm pieces.

Paneer (Cottage cheese) cut to pieces

• Take the out the fruits of Pomegranate.

• Grind the Pomegranate fruits in the mixer-grinder.

• Strain the juice from the solid of the seeds.

• Discard the solid, cover the juice and keep it aside.

Fresh Pomegranate juice

• Juice can be taken out by the help of juicer also.

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

Oil being heated on high flame

• When the oil is hot reduce the heat and add finely cut onion to the oil and cook till the onion pieces start getting light brown color.

Finely cut Onion added to hot oil and being cooked on low flame

Onion after  3 min. of cooking on low flame

Onion after 5 min. of cooking on low flame

Onions cooked to light golden brown color and ready for Almonds to be added (7-8 min. low flame cooking)

• When the onion starts getting golden brown add Almond pieces and cook for one min. on low flame with continuous stirring.

Almonds added when the Onion becomes light golden brown

• Add Pistachio and cook for one min. with continuous stirring.

Pistachios added to Onion and Almonds mixture

• Add paneer pieces and mix nicely.

Paneer added to shallow fried onion and nuts

• Cook on low flame for 2-3 min. with continuous careful stirring.

• The paneer pieces will change the texture and the color of paneer will start gaining light golden color.

Paneer mixture ready for Pomegranate juice to be added

• Add the juice, bring the flame to high and cook for a min.

Fresh Pomegranate juice added and cooked for min.

•  Add Turmeric powder, Red chili powder, amchur, thyme and salt.

Amchur,Kasoori methi,Turmeric Red chili powder and salt added

• Mix nicely and let it come to boil.

Just after giving one boil

Discoloration started due to boiling for 3 min.

• Switch off the gas.

• Take out in a serving bowl and garnish with sprigs of fresh coriander.

Anar Kali

 Tips:

• Make this dish fresh, keeping it in for long time will cause discoloration of the gravy to dull color.

Discoloration due to keeping for 2 hrs and then reheating

•  Do not add too much chili powder as this preparation is meant to be slightly sweetish.

• Add salt after all spices have been added.

• Take out the juice of pomegranate while cooking the paneer with nuts and onion. This will make sure the color of juice to retain its wonderful pink color.

• If boiled for too long discoloration will occur.

Discoloration started due to boiling for 3 min.

Suggested Variations:

• Turmeric has got very high medicinal value that is why all Indian recipes will have turmeric as an ingredient,but if you prefer to avoid yellow ting to the gravy then turmeric  can be avoided, this will make sure the color of gravy remain pink.
• Kasoori methi can be added instead of thyme.
• Oregano / basil can be added instead of Thyme.
• Cashew and raisins can also be added along with almonds and pistachios before paneer pieces are added.

• Finely cut green chilies can be used for garnishing along with coriander sprigs.
• If thyme or basil is added instead of kasoori methi then avoid coriander sprigs for garnishing,else the flavors will become too overpowering.

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.

Banana Cutlets/Banana kebab /केले के कबाब (Less fat,Nutritious Snack of Raw Banana)

Banana Cutlets

Banana is very rich in vitamin c, carbohydrates and many micro nutrients. Banana in ripe or raw form can be made to different delicacies. Raw banana vegetable and cutlets are my favorite. Pan fried banana cutlets have very less oil and are very healthy as well as tasty. These cutlets can be taken as snacks, in vegetable burgers, or simply placed between two toasted bread pieces along with chutney and sauce for breakfast. Mothers of small children should make these at home and make the burgers which children love so much.

Preparation Time: 15 min.

Cooking Time :30 min.

Servings: 10-12 medium size cutlets

Nutritional Value : (Approx. value for total cutlets made from 6 medium size bananas (120 gm eac approx.))
Calories: 675  
Carbs: 185 gm.
Sugar: 200 gm.
Protein: 10 gm.
Sodium: 550 mg.
Pottassium: 2.5 gm.
Fat: 4 gm.
Cholesterol: 0 
Dietary fibers: 22 gm.

Rich source of Vitamin A,B6, C and A.
Rich in Micro nutrient Potassium,Iron,Calcium and Zinc.

Ingredients for Making Banana Cutlets:

• 6 Raw Medium size Bananas (My banasnas weighed 650 gm total)

Raw Bananas

• 2 Medium size Potatoes

• 1 large onion(optional)

• 2 Green chilies

• 2-3 Sprigs of Coriander leaves(optional)

• 1 Tea spoon Red chili Powder

• 1 Tea spoon Garam Masala

• 1/4Tea spoon Turmeric Powder

• 1 Tea spoon grated Ginger

• 1 Tea spoon Amchur Powder

• Salt to taste

• Olive oil / any cooking oil of your preference

Direction for Making Banana Cutlets:

Boil bananas with the peeling till the banana peel crack.

Boiled bananas

Oeeled Boiled Bananas

•  Allow to cool.
• When boiled bananas get cool remove the peel and mash them.

Mashed Boiled bananas

• Boil Potatoes. Peel the boiled potatoes and mash them.

Mashed Boiled Potatoes

• Wash and cut the coriander sprigs fine.

• Cut green chilies fine.
• Cut onions fine.

Finely chopped Onions

Potatoes and Basnanas mash  

• Take

• Mashed potatoes

• Mashed Bananas

• Onions(optional)

• Green chilies

• Coriander(0ptional)

• Red chili powder

• Garam Masala

• Amchur

• Salt

• Mix all in gradients to homogenous and smooth dough.

Mashed bananas, Potatoes and all spices

Mixture for Banana Cutlets

• Make balls from the mixture of cutlets and flatten them by pressing between your palms.

• Roll the flattened ball in corn flour and keep aside for corn flour to stick to the surface.

• Heat a non-stick tawa / pan with 1 teaspoon oil on low flame.

• When sufficiently hot place the flattened balls on the tawa and cook on low flame.

• Sprinkle 2-3 drops of oil on each cutlet and cook till brown.

• Turn the cutlets and cook on the other side also.

• Sprinkle 2-3 drops oil twice while cooking on the flip side.

Banana Cutlets being cooked with Mininum Oil

• Remove when brown from both sides in a serving bowl and enjoy with chutney

Banana Cutlets Seved with Hariyali Chutney

http://jyotsna-pant.blogspot.com/2011/10/greecoriander-and-mint-chutney.html http://jyotsna-pant.blogspot.com/2012/06/hariyali-chutney-raw-mango-chutney.html

Tips:

• When banana peel splits immediately remove the bananas from boiling water.

• Boil potatoes to firmness.

• Add salt after mixing all ingredients to make sure the mixture for cutlets remains firm.

• Do not make the mixture and keep for long time.

• If you want to make the cutlet mixture in advance then add salt only at the time of making the cutlets.

Suggested Variations:

• Omit potatoes from the ingredients to make these Cutlets #Diabetic friendly.
• Coriander sprigs can be replaced with celery / parsley / thyme / oregano / basil.

• Bread crumbs can be added to the mixture of cutlets. If 5-6 tea spoons of bread crumbs are added to the cutlet mixture then corn flour is not required for coating the cutlets.

• Finely cut nuts can be added to the mixture of cutlet.
• Corn flour can be replaced with rice flour.
• 3-4 Tea spoons of corn flour can be added to the mixture and kneaded to smooth dough. This will eliminate rolling the balls for cutlets in corn flour.