Thai Tom Yum Soup

This is probably one of the easiest soup. Easy to make and yummy to eat.

Ingredients:

•          2– 3 cups chicken or vegetable stock

•          2 Limes juice (depending on how sour)

•          2 to 3 sliced green chilies

•          10 to 15 shrimp                                           

•          1/2 cup red curry paste

•          1/2 cup chopped onion

•          1/2 cup chopped red capsicum

•          1 teaspoon chopped ginger

•          1 teaspoon chopped garlic

•          Handful of cilantro

•          Handful of Mushrooms

•           Handful of Lemongrass

•          1- 2 teaspoons Fish sauce

•          1 teaspoon Sugar

•          2 teaspoon of butter

•          Salt as per taste

•          Ground black paper and cilantro

 Method:

•          In a saucepan on medium heat add butter, ginger and garlic, stir it for few sec. Then add red curry paste and cook for about 1 min.

•          Then add chicken stock, lemongrass, red capsicum, cilantro and salt, let it boil for about 3 to 4 min on high heat.

•          Then add mushrooms, and shrimp, boil for another 5 minutes

•          Now add the sliced green chilies and boil for 5 to 7 min, now add fish sauce (and you can add more fish sauce if needed) and sugar. Boil the tom yum soup for about another 5 minutes

•          Add lime juice and turn of the heat (if it’s on the stove still, the heat will turn the lime juice bitter) sprinkle ground black paper .

•          Serve hot.

                          

Recipe Credit: From a friend.

Cook Tip:

Bhatoora or Bhatura

Bhatoora is a fluffy deep-fried leavened bread originating from the northern part of the Indian subcontinent.  It is often eaten with chickpea curry (Chole or Channe).

Ingredients:

•          4 cups Maida (all purpose flour)

•          2tbsp Sooji(Semolina)

•          2tbsp Oil                                                                         

•          1cup yogurt

•          1tbsp Sugar

•          ½ cup water or Milk (appox)

•          2 pinches of baking soda

•          1tsp baking powder

•          Salt to taste

•          Oil for deep frying  

Method:

•           In a large bowl add flour/maida with semolina/sooji, sugar and salt. Add baking powder, baking soda and oil  - mix well with your hands.

•          Add yogurt and start kneading the dough.

•          Now add milk or water, little at a time to knead the dough. Knead for 10 to 15 minutes with your hands until smooth dough is formed (add more milk if needed for soft dough). Apply little oil on top of the dough, cover it with a damp cloth and then keep in a warm place for at least 2 hours.

•          After 2 hours, divide dough into 7 to 8 equal parts. Let the dough balls rest for few more minutes.

•          Meanwhile heat oil in a kadai on medium-high heat. Oil should be sufficiently hot that if you drop a tiny piece of dough into the oil it should come up briskly.

•          When the oil is ready to fry the bhatura, roll dough balls remembering that it should neither too thick nor thin.

•          Now deep fry the Bhatura into the hot oil and press gently with a ladle, until it starts to puff. Fry both the sides until brown.

•          Serve hot with chole

Recipe Credit: 

Cook Tip:  it’s also important for the dough to rest the dough before making the bhaturas. I would like to rest the dough for minimum 4 hours before frying the bhaturas. And for softer bhaturas, knead the dough with milk.

Aloo Paratha

Paratha is one of the staple foods in India . Ideally, considered as part of the breakfast. Aloo paratha, in which the main ingredient is aloo (or potato), is a simple and easy-to-make. Aloo Paratha can be served with lassi, butter, curd or pickle and raw onions. You can also serve the aloo parathas with green chutney or coconut chutney or any gravy.  

Ingredients:

For stuffing

•          2 potato boiled and mashed

•          1 handful chopped coriander leaves


•          4 tablespoon butter or ghee


•          1 tablespoon chaat masala


•          1 teaspoon any pickle oil (optional)
         

•          2 chopped green chili


•          ½ teaspoon black pepper


•          1 large finely chopped onion


•          ½ tablespoon garam masala powder


•          1 teaspoon carom seeds


•          Salt as per taste

For Dough

•          2 cups wheat flour

•          1 flour


•          1 cup hot water


 Method:

•          In a large bowl add mashed potatoes, add chopped onions, green chilies, coriander leaves, salt, garam masala powder, carom seeds, chaat masala and mix well so that no lumps remain.

•          Now take wheat flour in a large mixing bowl. Add water gradually and knead into soft dough. Make 5 to 6 small-medium balls of the dough and roll them out into 3 to 4 inch circles.

•          Next take one circle and place a spoonful of potato filling in the center.

•          Gradually seal all sides of the paratha. Repeat the process with other circles. 

•          Now roll them with a rolling pin into round parathas. Apply the pressure very evenly and gently on all sides, so the stuffing remains inside.

•           Heat a girdle and roast the parathas, cooking them on both the sides with a spoonful of butter or ghee or oil.

•          Serve with chilled yoghurt or pickle

                 

Recipe Credit: From my Ma’s Rasoi

Cook Tip: It is very important to insure that your potato mixture is mashed well and not lumpy or you will end-up with not so perfect parathas.

Yellow Peas Chaat (Matar Chaat)

Chaat or Chat is a very yummy snack! It can be found at roadside stalls or food carts across the India, and almost entire sub-continent.

Makes/Serves: 6 to 7 Servings

Ingredients:

•          2 cups dry whole yellow peas

•          1 chopped large onion

•          ½ tbsp grated or paste ginger

•          ½ tbsp grated or paste garlic

•          ½ tsp chili powder

•          ½ tsp coriander powder

•          ½ tsp turmeric powder

•          ½ tsp cumin powder 

•          ½ tsp amchur powder

•          1 tbsp tomato sauce

•          1 tbsp green chili sauce

•          1-2 tbsp oil                                                                         

•          ¼ cup chopped cilantro (coriander leaves)

•          ¼ cup chopped tomato

•          ¼ cup chopped onion

•          2 to 3 chopped green chilies

•          ¼ cup yogurt batten 

•          2 tbsp sweet chutney

•          2 tbsp green chutney

•          ¼ cup sev or bhujia sev

•          ½ tsp chaat masala

•          A pinch of cumin and chili powder

•          Salt as per taste

 Method:

•          Wash and soak whole yellow peas overnight or for 5 to 6 hours.

•          Drain the yellow peas and in pressure cooker add them with 1tsp salt and 2cups water to cook for 1 to 2 whistles. Open the lid and leave it aside.

•          In a separate pan heat oil add ginger, garlic, onions, salt and stir cook till the onions turn golden and the raw smell of ginger, garlic disappears.

•          At this time add turmeric, cumin, coriander and chili powder and cook for few minutes.

•          Add the cooked peas, tomato sauce, green chili sauce amchur (dry Mango) powder and stir cook till the curry blends together.

•          Now bring out them to a serving plate or dish and pour yogurt, sweet and green chutney over it.

•          Garnish with coriander leaves, onion, tomato and green chili.

•          Sprinkle them with cumin powder, chaat masala, chili powder, and fresh chopped coriander leaves.

•          Serve hot.

Recipe Credit: From my Ma’s Rasoi

Cook Tip:

Whole Yellow Peas Curry (Gugni )

Gugni is a hearty, warming curry made with the whole yellow peas. It’s simple and very easy to make and yet flavorful and goes well with fulka roti or rice.

Makes/Serves: 6 to 7 Servings

Ingredients:

•          2 cups dry whole yellow peas

•          1 chopped large onion

•          2 small potato cut in to cubes (optional)

•          1 chopped tomato

•          ½ tbsp grated or paste ginger

•          ½ tbsp grated or paste garlic

•          ½ tsp chili powder

•          ½ tsp coriander powder

•          ½ tsp turmeric powder

•          ½ tsp cumin powder 

•          ½ tsp cumin seeds

•          3-4 tbsp oil

•          ¼ cup chopped cilantro (coriander leaves)

•          ½ tsp amchur powder

•          Garam masala as per taste (optional)

•          Salt as per taste

 Method:

•          Wash and soak whole yellow peas overnight or for 5 to 6 hours.

•          Drain the yello peas and in pressure cooker add them with 1tsp salt and 2cups water to cook for 1 to 2 whistles. Open the lid and leave it aside.

•          In a separate pan heat oil add cumin seeds, when it start crackling then add ginger, garlic, onions, salt and stir cook till the onions turn golden and the raw smell of ginger, garlic disappears.

•          At this time add turmeric, cumin, coriander and chili powder and cook for few minutes.

•          Now add the potato cubes and cook for about 5 min and then add the cooked peas, chopped tomato, amchur powder and stir cook till the curry blends together and potato get cooked

•          Now finally sprinkle the garam masala, and coriander leaves and stir. 

•          Garnish Whole Yellow Peas with freshly chopped coriander leaves, onion and green chili.

•          Serve hot with rice or roti

Recipe Credit: From my Ma’s Rasoi

Cook Tip:

Meda Pitha

Meda pitha is very delicious and easy to make. You can serve this for breakfast with any kind of curry.

Ingredients:

•          4 cups rice flour (rice flour)

•          2 cups hot water (apox)

•          Salt to taste

Method:

•           First dry roast by continuously stirring the rice flour on medium heat till a nice aroma comes from it. (It will take about 10 to 15 mins).

•           Now combine all the ingredients in a bowl and knead into soft dough. (Do not use all the water at a time.) Use more water if needed.

•           Divide the dough into 20-25 equal portions and give a dumpling shape of whatever you like.

•           Now steam the dumplings on steamer for about 30 min. I use crock pot for my pitha.

Recipe Credit:  From my Ma’s Rasoi

Cook Tip: 

Mishti Doi

This is the most common Bengali Sweet. Basically, Mishti means ‘Sweet’ and doi (or dahi) means “yogurt” in Bengali. Some people loved to it with rice.

Ingredients:

•          3cup thick yogurt

•          ¾ cup fresh cream

•          1cup condensed milk

•          ½ evaporated milk

Method:

•           Beat all the ingredients in a bowl.

•          Pour this mixture in an oven safe bowls.

•          Let this mixture bake in oven for 1hr at 200 degrees.

•          After baking, allow the mixture to cool in the oven for 5 to 6 hrs. And then refrigerate it for an hour or so.

•          Serve chilled.

Recipe Credit:  From a friend.

Cook Tip: