Gulab Jaman (Gulaab Jamun) Recipe

Ingredients

For The Gulab Jamuns

• 3 cups milk powder
• 1 cup self raising flour
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 300ml fresh pouring cream
• 1/2 tsp cardamom powder
• 1 tbsp ghee [clarified butter]

For The Syrup

• 4 cups sugar
  3 cups water
  1 tbsp rosewater

Method

1. Combine all the ingredients for the Gulab Jamuns in a big bowl and rub the mixture with your fingertips till it starts resembling breadcrumbs.
2. Knead it well for a few minutes till the resulting dough is smooth.
3. Cover and leave aside for 30 minutes to cure.
4. Meanwhile combine sugar and water in a saucepan and simmer, stirring ocassionally for a few minutes on medium heat.
5. Bring to a boil, remove from heat when the mixture has become thick and syrupy.
6. Stir in rosewater and keep aside.
7. Divide the dough into 30 portions and shape them into balls with the palms of your hand.
8. Make sure there are no cracks in the balls by smoothing out the surface with your fingertips.
9. Heat oil in a fryer or deep wok/saucepan.
10. When it starts smoking, reduce heat, wait a minute and then fry the balls on reduced heat, turning them constantly so they brown evenly.
11. Transfer the fried gulab jamuns to the bowl of syrup and make sure they are well covered with syrup.
12. They will swell a bit and become soft with the syrup after a few minutes.
13. Enjoy hot or cold.

Gel's Notes

• Make sure that you have enough oil in the fryer, so that the gulab jamuns float freely while frying and not stick to the bottom.
• Adjust the heat while frying so that it is always medium-low when the jamuns are being fried. Slow frying is the key to evenly cooked and browned jamuns.
• The gulab jamuns will keep well outside in cool weather for 3-4 days or in the fridge for well over a week.

Read More

Boondi Laddu (Bundi Ladu) Recipe

Ingredients

For Boondi

• 2 1/2 cups gram flour (not superfine variety)
• 500 ml milk
• 1/2 teaspoon cardamom powder
• 3 cups ghee (for deep frying)

For Syrup

• 2 1/2 cups sugar
• 3 1/2 cups water
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 3 drops saffron, colour

Directions

For Boondi:-

1. Mix flour and milk to a smooth batter.
2. Heat ghee in a heavy frying pan.
3. Hold a fine holed shallow strainer spoon on top with one hand. With the other pour some batter all over the holes.
4. Tap gently till all batter has fallen into hot ghee.
5. Stir with another strainer and remove when light golden.
6. Keep aside. Repeat for remaining batter.
7. Immerse boondi in syrup. (For syrup see note below.)
8. Drain any excess syrup.
9. Spread in a large plate.
10. Sprinkle few teaspoons hot water over it.
11. Cover and keep for 5 minutes.
12. Shape in laddoos (like meat balls) with moist palms.
13. Cool and keep open to dry, before storing in containers.

For Syrup :-

1. Put sugar and water in a vessel and boil. When sugar dissolves, add milk.
2. Boil for 5 minutes till dirt forms on top.
3. Strain and return to fire.
4. Add colour and boil till sticky but no thread has formed.
5. Add cardamom powder and mix.
6. Serve

Read More

Roasted Vegetables (Rosted Vegitabals) Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 small butternut squash, cubed
  
• 2 red bell peppers, seeded and diced
  
• 1 sweet potato, peeled and cubed
  
• 3 Yukon Gold potatoes, cubed
  
• 1 red onion, quartered
  
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
  
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
  
• 1/4 cup olive oil
  
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
  
• salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 475 degrees F (245 degrees C).
   
2. In a large bowl, combine the squash, red bell peppers, sweet potato, and Yukon Gold potatoes.
3. Separate the red onion quarters into pieces, and add them to the mixture.
   
4. In a small bowl, stir together thyme, rosemary, olive oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper. Toss with vegetables until they are coated.
5. Spread evenly on a large roasting pan.
   
6. Roast for 35 to 40 minutes in the preheated oven, stirring every 10 minutes, or until vegetables are cooked through and browned.

Read More

Bombay Biriyani (Bombay Biryani) Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 Kg Mutton or chicken, washed / cleaned, cut into pieces
• 1 Kg Rice basmati, soaked for 15 minutes
• 4 Potatoes, steam lightly, peel and cut into large pieces
• 6 Tomatoes, quartered
• 4 Onions (medium, finely sliced)
• 1 bunch Mint, finely chopped
• 6 Green chillies (whole)
• 1½ tbsp Ginger / garlic paste
• 1 cup Dried plums , soaked in hot water.
• 1 tbsp Red chillies , powdered
• 2 tbsp Coriander, powdered
• 6 Peppercorns
• 4 Cloves
• 6 Cardamoms
• 1 tsp Black cumin seeds
• ¼ tsp Yellow food colour
• Salt to taste
• 1 cup Yogurt
• 1 cup Hot milk
• 1 cup Ghee/oil
  

Method:

1. Combine mutton or chicken with yogurt, ginger / garlic, red chilli powder and 4 green chillies, coriander, mint, juice of 2 lemons, plums and salt; mix well and set aside for 1/2 hour.
2. Heat oil in a pan and fry onions till golden brown. Remove half to absorbent kitchen paper.
3. To the remaining half in the pan add the meat with yogurt and spices.
4. Cook on low heat, do not add water, when the liquid evaporates fry a little and remove from heat.
5. Deep fry the potatoes and separately fry the tomatoes in a little oil and add both to chicken.
6. Boil the rice with a little mint, remaining green chillies, cardamoms, black pepper, cloves and salt. When the rice is 3/4 done drain in a strainer.
7. Put a little oil in the base of pan and make a layer of half the rice. Then put a layer of the
8. prepared mutton or chicken and cover with a second layer of rice.
9. Serves: 8 to 10 persons

Read More

Sesame Noodle (Seisaam Nudle) Recipe

INGREDIENTS

• Salt
• 1 package (16 ounces) Chinese wheat noodles or spaghetti
• 1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 2 teaspoons fresh ginger, grated, peeled
• 1 small garlic clove, crushed with garlic press
• 1 teaspoon Asian sesame oil
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 3 green onions, thinly sliced
• 1/2 English (seedless) cucumber, unpeeled, cut lengthwise in half and thinly sliced crosswise
• 4 radishes, cut into 1-inch by 1/4-inch sticks
• 1 medium carrot, cut into matchstick-thin strips

PREPARATION

1. Heat large saucepot of salted water to boiling over high heat; add noodles and cook as label directs.
2. Meanwhile, in small bowl, with wire whisk or fork, mix peanut butter, soy sauce, vinegar, vegetable oil, ginger, garlic, sesame oil, crushed red pepper, and 1/2 cup water until blended. Set sauce aside.
3. Drain noodles; rinse under cold running water and drain again.
4. In large serving bowl, toss noodles with sauce until evenly coated.
5. Top with vegetables; toss before serving.

Read More

Papdi Chaat (Papri Chat ) Recipe

Ingredients:

• ½ tsp Salt
• 25 gm Ghee
• 2 tsps Green Peas
• ½ tsp Cumin seeds
• 25 gm Sweet Curd
• ½ tsp Chaat Masala
• ½ tsp Garam Masala
• ½ tsp Cumin powder
• A pinch of Black Salt
• ½ tsp Ginger Chutney
• 100 gm Refined Flour
• A pinch of Asafoetida
• ½ tsp Ginger, julienned
• ½ tsp red Chilli Powder
• 100 gm Potatoes, boiled
• A pinch of Coriander powder

Directions:

1. Mix the flour with ghee and salt and sufficient water to make tight dough.
2. To make the papdis, roll the flour into a thin sheet, cut into small roundels of 1 inch diameter and deep-fry till light brown.
3. Mix boiled potatoes and green peas.
4. Put in all the powdered masala. Make a base of this mixture on a plate.
5. Put the roundels of deep fried papdi on top of the potato green pea mixture.
6. Top with some ginger chutney and yogurt and sprinkle cumin powder and ginger juliennes.
7. Check for seasoning and serve cold.

Read More