Chhena Poda (Paneer Cake) - For my 2nd blog anniversary

Today is my blog's 2nd year anniversary and I am so happy about it. I want to thank all the blogger/non-blogger friends and followers, without whom, I would have not continued this blog. Also a special thanks to my Mom, who takes care of my 2 little kids, when i sit in blog. (Though she shouts at me sometimes, when I say plz.... she leaves me and take care of my kids.... Mom is always Mom).

For this blog anniversary, I thought of doing something special...(what-else nothing but a sweet... but not a regular one... ) Saw many our blogger friends doing Chenna Poda last month for the ICC challenge. It was a very new recipe for me and finally decided to make this and it came out good.

Ingredients

• Milk - 2 litres ( I used full cream milk)
• Lemon juice/Vinegar - 2 tsp
• Semolina/Rawai/sooji - 1/4 cup
• Raisins - 3 tsp
• Cashews and Pistachios - 2 tsp
• Milk - 1/2 cup
• Ghee - 4 tsp
• Sugar - 1 cup + 1/4 cup
• Water - 2 tsp

Method

• Boil the milk and when it is boiling, add the lemon juice/vinegar.
• The milk gets curdled and strain the curdled milk in a muslin cloth and add plenty of water to remove the sourness of the lemon.
• Allow the water to drain from the chhena/paneer for 1 hr. or keep a heavy bottomed pan on this cloth for 30 min or till most of the water drains from the chhena (paneer) (its nothing but preparing paneer - crumbled paneer).

• To the chhena, add the rawa/semolina/sooji, sugar and 2 tsp of ghee and mix well.

• Meanwhile, in a small pan, add 1 tsp of ghee and fry the cashews, pistachios and raisins till golden brown colour and pour to the chenna mixture.
• Add the milk and mix well, to form a dough.

• In order to prepare the caramel, 2 ways can be choosen (this is a bit tricky part)

                  1. In a pan, add 1/4 sugar and water and bring to single thread consistency and pour immediately to the greased (with 1 tsp ghee) baking pan and spread it.

                  2. Add the 1 tsp ghee, water and sugar to the baking pan itself and show on the stove stop/keep in oven, till the sugar melts and spread it.

(I chose the 2nd method and since it has to be done quickly, cannot able to take the picture)

• After making the caramelized sugar, transfer the chenna mixture to this baking pan and bake it for 50 to 60 min. 
• By inserting a toothpick, check if it comes out clean without any dough sticking on it. 

• Allow the cake to cool, invert it, cut into slices and serve the delicious dessert. 
• Can be refrigerated and used within a week. (Thought of doing so, but got over within a hour)

Potato Poriyal

Potato - Who will say no to this... either it is a chips, masala, fry, poriyal, etc etc... everyone loves it in one or other way definitely... and I am not exceptional to it....

Ingredients

• Potato - 3 (Boiled and peeled)
• Onion - 1 (chopped medium size)
• Mustard seeds - 1/5th tsp
• Urud dal/Black gram dal - 1/2 tsp
• Curry leaves - few
• Turmeric powder - 2 pinches
• Chilli Powder - 2 tsp
• Coriander Powder - 1/4 tsp
• Salt - as per the taste
• Oil - 1-2 tsp

Method

• Boil and peel the potatoes and cut into medium cube sizes.
• In Kadai or wok, add oil.
• When it is hot, add mustard seeds, urud dal and curry leaves.
• Fry for a minute.

• Add in the onions and salt.
• When onions becomes soft or translucent, add the potatoes.
• Add in the chilli powder, turmeric powder and coriander powder.
• Check for the salt and if needed add some more. 
• No need to add any water. 

• When the masala is cooked along with potato, switch off and serve hot with any kind of dish or eat as it is as I do..... 

Chettinad Pepper Chicken

Chettinad Pepper chicken is one of my favorite chicken dish. If my family members does not go for any choice in chicken, then I always go with this. I always love the peppery flavor in it. 

Ingredients I

• Chicken - 750 gms
• Onion - 1 big (chopped finely)
• Tomato - 1 big (chopped finely)
• Curry leaves - 10 to 12
• Cumin seeds - 1/4 tsp
• Fennel seeds - 1/4 tsp
• Cardamom - 2 
• Cloves - 5 to 6
• Bay leaf - 1 (crushed)
• Star anise - 2
• Cinnamon stick - 2 (crushed)
• Green chilli - 2 (chopped finely)
• Ginger Garlic paste - 1 tsp
• Black Pepper - 1 tsp (coarsely grinded)
• Salt - as per taste
• Oil - 2 tsp
• Lemon juice - 1/2 tsp
• Coriander leaves for garnishing

Ingredients II (For marination)

• Chilli powder - 1.5 tsp
• Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
• White Pepper powder - 1/4 tsp (optional)
• Cumin powder - 1/2 tsp
• Coriander powder - 1/2 tsp
• Salt - 1/2 tsp
• Oil - 1 tsp

Method

• Wash the chicken nicely with salt.
• Marinate the chicken with the ingredients in II for 40min to 1 hr atleast.
• Meanwhile, you can start with the recipe.
• In a kadai or wok, add oil.
• When hot, add the cumin seeds, fennel seeds, cardamom, cinnamon stick, cloves, star anise and bay leaves and fry for a minute.

• Add curry leaves.
• Add in the onion and salt and fry till onion translucent.
• Add the Ginger Garlic paste, till the raw smell goes off.
• Now add in the tomato and cook till it becomes mushy or the oil starts oozes out.

• Now add the marinated chicken pieces and close with a lid.
• Do not add any water, as the chicken itself leaves enough water to cook and it cooks with all the masala's in it. 
• Keep the flame in low to medium, so as to take care, it is not burnt at the bottom.

• When chicken is cooked, add in the crushed pepper corns and mix well and allow to cook again for 5 min.
• Add the lemon juice and switch off the flame. 
• Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with any rice or roti. 

Note:

• Marination enhances the taste. You can do without the marination also. If you prefer without marination, then you can add the powders, after the tomato is cooked. 
• Pepper can be reduced or increased as per your family taste. 

Other Chicken recipes in this blog

Chicken 65

Chicken Kurma

Chicken cashew gravy

Chicken tikka in skewer

Chicken franks in Indian Style

Crispy Cauliflower Fry (Gobi fry) | Crispy Cauliflower Pakoda (Gobi Pakora) | Cauliflower Recipes | Easy Evening Snacks Recipes

Crispy Cauliflower fry or Crispy Cauliflower Pakoda is my favorite evening snack. It is also called as, crispy gobi fry or gobi pakora. I was waiting for a long time, to publish this post. I used to make it often, but since I always make in the evening time, I never found good lightings to take the photo. So I keep on postponing to take a good picture of this fry. Finally, I made these by 3 pm itself last Saturday with good sun light and here goes the recipe.....

How to make Crispy Cauliflower fry / Cauliflower pakora

I. Ingredients

• Cauliflower - 1
• Salt - while cooking
• Oil - for frying

II. Ingredients for making batter

• Besan flour/chickpeas flour - 1/4 cup
• Rice flour - 1tsp
• Corn flour - 1 tsp
• Chilli powder - 1 tsp
• Garam masala - 1/2 tsp
• Pepper powder - 1/4 tsp
• Asafoetida - 1/4 tsp
• Water - 1 cup
• Salt - for taste

III. Optional Ingredients

• Chat masala - for taste 
• Onion rings - for garnishing
• Coriander leaves - for garnishing

Method

• Wash and cut the cauliflower into small pieces.
• Cook it in a vessel by adding little salt for 7 to 10 min.

• Dry out the cauliflower florets.

• Now in another bowl, mix all the ingredients given in Ingredients II, to form a batter ( should be thin batter ).

• In a pan/vessel, add the oil and heat it.
• Dip the cauliflower florets one by one and fry in the hot oil until it turns light brown in colour.

• Sprinkle some chat masala on the cauliflower fry and decorate with some onions and coriander leaves.
• Serve hot with a ketchup.

Note:

• While cooking cauliflower, do not overcook (should not be cooked to soft). Little crunchiness should remain. 

Banana Bonda

This recipe, I got it from Priya's blog - Priya's Versatile Recipes. In blogger world, I think, there is no need to introduce priya as, everyone of us know her blog and her fabulous recipes. She is an awesome blogger with thousands of recipes... (Unbelievable.... isn't ). When I saw her post of this recipe, that evening itself I tried and it came out very well and everyone in our family loved it. Its very simple yet very yummy... The only difference is I didn't add honey, as I felt, the banana itself too sweet.

Ingredients

• Ripe Banana - 2
• All purpose flour - 1 cup
• Cardamom powder - 1/2 tsp
• Baking powder - 1/4 tsp
• Milk - 1/2 cup

Method

• Add all the above said ingredients and make into a thick batter consistency.

• Heat oil in a pan and drop a spoonful of batter to the hot oil and fry till it becomes dark brown in colour.
• Serve hot. 

Lemon Rice - Elumichai Satham

My mom used to prepare lemon rice or tamarind rice, mostly with leftover rice. I too feel it is a good alternate instead of wasting the rice. This is very simply but tastes so good.

Ingredients

• Rice - 2 cups
• Lemon juice - 1 (big - which yields 4 to 5 tsp)
• Salt - as per taste
• Mustard seeds - 2 pinch
• Urud dhal (Black gram dal) - 1/2 tsp
• Chana dhal (Bengal gram dal) - 1/2 tsp
• Peanuts - 1 tsp (optional)
• Red chillies (dry) - 2 
• Curry leaves - few
• Oil - 2 tsp

Method

• In a bowl, add salt and squeeze the lemon juice.
• In a vessel, add oil, and when hot, add mustard seeds, urud dhal, chana dhal, red chillies and curry leaves.
• Fry till the dhal becomes light brown colour, add in the lemon juice, give a stir and switch off the stove.
• Add this to the rice and mix well.
• Lemon rice is ready to serve. 

This goes to my event: Dish name starts with L
and Cooking concepts - Mom's recipes by srav's
and Cooking with love - Dad by simply food and sara

Goan Shrimp Curry

Here is another Goan recipe which is learnt from my friend. Since we add coconut milk or grated coconut, this will have a mild spiciness only. So it suits for people who could not eat spicy food.

Ingredients I (cleaning)

• Prawns - 1/2 kg 
• Salt - 1 tsp
• Water

Ingredients II (For marination)

• Prawns - 1/2 kg
• Ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp
• Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
• Chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
• Salt - 2 pinch

Ingredients III (To grind)

• Prawns - 6 to 8 (with or without marination)
• Grated Coconut - 1/2 cup
• Red chillies(Dry) - 2 to 3
• Cumin seeds - 1/4 tsp
• Water - 1/4 cup

Ingredients IV

• Oil - 3 tsp
• Cumin seeds - 1/4 tsp
• Onion - 1 (big - finely chopped)
• Tomato - 1 (big - finely chopped)
• Coriander powder - 1/2 tsp
• Salt - as per taste
• Curry leaves - few
• Coriander leaves - for garnishing

Method

• Wash and remove the black thread of the prawns.
• Clean with salt. 
• Marinate the prawns with the Ingredients II (for marination) for 20 to 30 min.
• Grind the Ingredients III (To grind) and make a paste and keep aside.
• In a vessel, add oil and when hot, add the cumin seeds.
• Add the onions and curry leaves.
• When onions become soft, add the tomato, coriander powder and salt.
• Now add in the marinated prawns.
• No need to add water, as the shrimp/prawn itself leaves out water. 
• When the shrimps starts curling, add in the grinded paste. 
• At this stage, if you feel, the curry is thick, can add little water.
• Allow to cook for 10 min.
• When the prawns are cooked, garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with steamed rice or chappathi or roti. 

Note:

• Instead of grated coconut, coconut milk can be added.
• Instead of Red chillies, green chillies can be added.

Lychee Juice with blueberry n lemon punch

Long time, I am planning to do this juice, but only now found the time. I usually eat the fruit as it is. After making the blueberry muffins, I find 10 to 15 blueberries remaining. So thought of adding that too. Its very simple to prepare n tastes very good.

To know more about lychee fruit - Lychee. I was so surprised to know that, 9 lychee fruit would meet an adults daily recommended Vitamin c requirement.

Courtesy: wikipedia

Ingredients

• Lychees - 15 to 20 (either fresh or canned) (Personally feel fresh is better)
• Blueberries - 10 to 15
• Sugar - as per taste (I used 4 tsp for 1 and 1/2 glass of juice)
• Lemon juice - 2 tsp (optional) 
• Water - 1/2 cup

Method

• Remove the skin n seed of lychee and grind adding 3/4th of 1/2 cup of water.
• Filter the juice in a glass.
• Grind the blueberries with the remaining water and again filter it.
• Mix the blueberry juice to the lychee juice.
• Add the lemon juice and sugar and mix well.
• Keep in fridge and serve cool. 

Sandesh

Ingredients

• Crumbled Paneer  - 1 cup
• Sugar - 1/2 cup
• Cardamom(crushed) - 2 to 3
• Pistachios - few (for garnishing)
• Saffron - few (for garnishing)

Method
Check here to make the crumbled paneer.

• To the crumbled paneer, add the sugar, cardamom and knead to a soft dough.
• Sugar will get dissolved by kneading.
• Now transfer this to a pan (non-stick would be better), and cook, till the raw smell of paneer goes off.
• Take care that the colour does not change at this time.
• When the paneer mixture, turns dry, transfer it to another bowl and again knead it to dough consistency.
• Now take small portion of the paneer and make into desired shapes.
• Garnish with pistachios and saffron.
• Sandesh is ready to be served.