Lauki ka kofta

The word Kofta comes from Classical Persian kōfta (کوفته) meaning "rissole", from the verb

kōftan (کوفتن), "to pound" or "to grind", reflecting the ground meatuses for the meatballs. The languages of the region have adopted the word with minor phonetic variation. Kofta, A gastronomic delight that has transcended many borders and continents to reach India. According to the Oxford Companion to Food, kofta appears in some of the earliest Arabic cookbooks, they have likely travelled from Arab to Persia, Afghanistan to reach India in the east and along trade routes to Greece and Spain to reach Europe. Kofta originally was prepared from minced meat but as it crossed borders, the recipe absorbed many local flavours and spices. In Europe, it came to be known as meatballs with gravy, which is usually preferred with spaghetti in Italian cuisine. It can be assumed that in the East this recipe reached as far as China, where it took the name Manchurian, which is one of many varieties of kofta. In India, though kofta was prepared with minced meat too but to appeal to the food palette of the huge vegetarian population in India, the meat was replaced with vegetables and also dairy products like paneer.

Lauki ke kofte is a light tomato and onion based delicious curry with deep fried bottle gourd koftas dipped in it.

ingredients for kofta:

• 2 cups grated lauki (bottle gourd)
• 2 cloves garlic grated
• 1/2 inch ginger grated
• 1 small onion finely chopped
• 1 green chilies finely chopped
• 1 tbsp coriander leaves
• 4 tbsp besan (gram flour)
• a pinch of asafoetida
• 1/4 tsp red chillies
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• 1/4 tsp garam masala
• 1/4 tsp amchur powder
• one pinch sodabicarb
• salt as per taste
• Oil to deep fry

to be ground into a paste:

• 2 medium sizes onions
• 5-6 cloves garlic
• 1 inch ginger
• 1 green chilli

ingredients for gravy:

• 2 tbsp oil
• 2 dry red chillies
• 1 tsp zeera
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 1/2 tsp red chilli powder
• 2 tsp coriander powder
• 1/2 tsp amchur powder
• 1/4 tsp garam masala
• a pinch of asafoetida
• tomato puree of 3 medium sized tomatoes
• 1/2 tsp sugar (optional)
• 2 tbsp cream
• 1 tbsp coriander leaves finely chopped
• salt according to taste

Method

(for making koftas)

1. Peel and grate the bottle gourd. Squeeze to remove excess water.
2. Take the squeezed lauki in a bowl and add rest of the ingredients mentioned for the kofta to it. Mix well and make it like a dough. It will be a little sticky but you can increase or decrease the besan as required.
3. Place oil in a wok to heat for deep frying the koftas.
4. Grease your hands with a little oil and make small balls of the prepared mixture.
5. Once the oil is hot drop these balls carefully in the oil. Fry the balls on medium heat so that they cook from inside as well. 
6. Once they a golden brown remove them from the oil and place them on a tissue paper so that excess oil is absorbed by it.

(preparing the paste)

1. Take all the mentioned ingredients in a mix jar and grind it into a paste.

(preparing the gravy)

1. Heat the oil in a non stick pan. Once the oil is hot, add the whole red chillies and zeera to it.
2. As the zeera starts to crackle add the prepared paste to the the pan with one pinch of asafoetida.
3. When the mixture starts to fry and turn into golden colour add the tomato puree, red chilli powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder, amchur powder and garam masala to it.
4. Keep frying the mixture on medium heat till it starts leaving oil from the sides.
5. Now add two cups of water (water can be adjusted according the consistency you want) to the masala. Let the gravy cook on medium flame for 5-10 minutes.
6. You can now add the koftas to the gravy along with the cream, sugar and salt.
7. Let it cook for 4-5 minutes without covering.
8. Your lauki ke kofte are ready. Garnish it with coriander and serve hot with chapati, naan or parathas. 😊 

Photo: Foram, 2014, November. foodviva.com. http://www.foodviva.com

Hope you children are enjoying your holidays, happy happy holidays!!😘😘

Delicious Aloo poori -

Salonie’s kitchen

Photo: Surai, Sumit. 2012, May. Own Work at Gangaur Restaurant, Kolkata.

This is my favourite Sunday breakfast, so filling and tasty. Puri bhaji (sometimes spelled as poori bhaji) is a dish originating from the Indian subcontinent. Puri (deep-fried rounds of flour) is an unleavened deep fried bread which is usually served with a savoury curry or bhaji. Bhaji is a spiced potato dish which may be dry or with curry. This is a traditional dish of North India.

Let us now learn to make this simple and tasty breakfast which will ignite your taste buds😊

Ingredients for Aloo bhaji:

·           4 medim sized potatoed: boiled and broken into small pieces by hand

·           1 large size onion cut finely

·           2 medium sized tomatoes cut into small pieces

·           4 cloves garlic, peeled and grated

·           1 inch ginger, peeled and grated

·           2 green chillies finely chopped

·           1 tbsp coriander leaves finely chopped

·           2 whole red chillies

·           1 tsp zeera

·           3/4 tsp turmeric powder

·           1 tsp red chilli powder

·           2 tsp coriander powder

·           1 tsp amchur powder

·           ¾ tsp garam masala

·           a pinch of Asfoetida

Ingredients for puri:

·           Wheat flour – 2 cups

·           Salt – ½ tsp

·           Carom seeds (Ajwain) – ½ tsp

·           Oil 2 tbsp + for frying

·           Water to knead 

Method:

(for Poori)

1.   In a bowl mix whole wheat flour, carom seeds, salt and oil.  Add water to make a firm dough.

2.   The dough should be firm but smooth.

3.   Cover the dough with a damp cloth and leave it for 10-15 minutes.

4.   Now take some oil in your palms and divide the dough in 20 equal parts and roll them into balls and then press them.

5.   Roll out each ball into 5 inch diameter by putting some oil on it so that it does not stick to the rolling surface or pin.

6.   Deep fry these to light brown and then take them out on a tissue paper so that it soaks the excess oil.

7.   Your poori and bhaji is ready to serve. For extra flavour serve some pickle with puri bhaji.

(for bhaji)

1.   Heat oil in a wok over medium heat. When hot add whole red chillies, cumid seeds and Asafoetida. Quickly add grated ginger, garlic and green chillies to the wok and then the onions.

2.   When the onions turn golden brown add turmeric powder, chilli powder, coriander powder, amchur powder and garam masala to it. Fry for one minute and then add the tomatoes.

3.   Cover the wok and let the tomatoes cook, once the tomatoes are soft mash them properly and let it fry till the oil seperates.

4.   Once done add the potatoes to the masala and fry for one minute on low flame.

5.   Add 1 ½ cup water and salt according to taste. Adjust the water in gravy to your liking; gravy will thicken as it will cool.

6.   Let the gravy come to a boil and cook on medium flame for 5-8 minutes.

7.   Garnish with coriander leaves. Bhaji is ready to be served now. 

ENJOY😋😋😋😋!!!

Some Incredible Facts and Health Benefits of Palak + Recipe of Palak Ka Saag

The benefits of eating palak or spinach as we call it in english are innumerable. This is one of the leafy vegetable found in plenty in the winter season. We include spinach in our meals in so many ways on a daily basis. We make palak paneer, palak ka saag, aloo palak, palak corn, palak paratha, palak pakoda, palak dal etc etc...there are so many ways in which we can use this leafy vegetable.
Did you know including spinach in your daily diet is excellent for weight reduction😲..This is because it is low in calories and fat. Spinach contains fat soluble dietary fibre which helps in digestion and restrains overeating. 
Another important fact about spinach is that it is a super food which comprises of nutrients like vitamin B, C and E, potassium, calcium, iron, Magnesium and omega-3 fatty acids. These help in healthy growth of hair. 
Loaded with Vitamins like Vitamin A, C, E, K and vital minerals, spinach help a lot with skin care as well. 

So now lets move on to the recipe of Palak ka Saag and after hearing the benefits of this green leafy vegetable I am sure you will be tempted to try this recipe.

Ingredients:

3 bunches (around 500gms) of spinach (palak), finely chopped

1/2 a bunch (around 100gms) of fenugreek (methi), only leaves, finely chopped

1 large onion, finely chopped

2 medium sized tomatoes, finely chopped

1 inch ginger, peeled

4-5 cloves garlic, peeled

1 green chilli, finely chopped

2 tbsp chickpea flour (besan) or maize flour (makki ka atta)

2-3 dry red chillies

1 tsp cumid seeds

1/4 tsp Asafoetida

3/4 tsp turmeric powder

1/2 tsp chilli powder

1 1/2 tsp coriander powder

1/4 tsp amchur powder

1/2 tsp garam masala

salt to taste

ghee as needed (2tbsp)

Method:

1. Clean the finely chopped spinach and fenugreek leaves nicely so that no mud is left in it. Put it for boiling with one glass water added to it. Let it boil for 10 mins.

2. In a non stick wok, take 1 tbsp ghee, when it is hot add the the whole dry red chillis and cumin seeds to it. Now grate the ginger and garlic in it and add the onion and Asafoetida to it too and fry till the onion turns golden brown in colour.

3. Now add turmeric powder, chilli powder, coriander powder, amchur powder and garam masala to the onion mixture and fry it for 1 min.

4. After this add the tomatos and some salt to the masala. Cover the wok and let the tomatoes cook on low heat. After some time remove the cover and mash the tomatoes completely and fry till it starts leaving oil from the sides.

5. Now add the green chillis and the boiled palak and fenugreek mixture to this masala after straining out the water (keeping the water aside) . Mix it well with the masala.

6. Take a masher and mash the palak and fenugreek nicely in the wok so that it mixes nicely with the masala.

7. Take the water that you had kept aside and mix in it the besan or makki ka atta, make sure that no lumps are left. Pour this in the wok, add salt and mix well. Cover the vessel and let the saag cook on low flame for 7-10 mins.

8. Remove the cover and mix well. Switch off the gas.

9. In a tempering pan take 1 tablespoon desi ghee. Once it is hot add 1tsp zeera, 1/4 tsp Asafoetida, 1/4 tsp red chilli, 3/4 tsp coriander powder to the ghee. Let fry for 5-10 seconds and add with to the saag.

10. Saag is ready now, you can serve it with plain aata roti or makki ki roti.

😋😋😋😋😋😋😋😋😋😋😋

HAPPY COOKING!!!

Winters-Some healthy tips

Hi friends, 

Winters have arrived...I am sure all of you must be thrilled...I am🙂 

Every morning I am in a rush to finish all my work quickly so that I can go and sit in the sun for some time. I enjoy myself thoroughly sitting in the sun eating mufalis (peanuts), oranges, gazak (A sweet made by grinding sesame seeds with Gur or Sugar) etc.....Oh, how I love winters for the small little pleasures that it brings with it. Added advantage you get to take in Vitamin D sitting in the sun - free of cost😁

Another thing that make me ecstatic in winters is the variety of vegetables and fruits that we get. It is such a pleasure to cook in winters with an array of ingredients available at your disposal.

Photo: Chilukoti, Bhavyajyoti. 2016, December. The Health Site

Photo: Farhan, Ahsan. 2016, October. Planting, Vegetable Garden

So now I'll come to the point and share what I really wanted to share with you, otherwise I am just going to go on and on about my love for winters and the various advantage of this season.

I am sure all of you are familiar with the fruit kinnow or malta (as many call it), this is a fruit we find in the market during winters...and we find it in abundance...it is cheap too. I am not here to talk about all the health benefits of this fruit, you will find abundance of that information on the internet. I am here to motivate you to use this fruit in your daily diet (by telling you how easily you can use it) plans during winters. I am sure you know that this fruit is a rich source of vitamin C and having a glass of its juice every day during winters (that is when it is available) is going to make you glowing and healthy for the rest of the year. 

There are many things that we know are beneficial for us but we are just too lazy to implement them in our lives....don't worry I am the same but one of my friends who also happens to be a homeopath doctor, recently guided me about all the health benefits of this fruit and how easy it is to add it in our diet. So here, I want to share with you, this so easy method of taking out the juice of Kinnow  Wash the fruit and cut it into four pieces. Just take a bowl and squeeze out (it is so soft that this process is really easy) the juice in the bowl, the same way you do with a lemon. Let the fibre go in the bowl as well with the juice (added benefits). Add some black salt and drink it...see how easy. No need for a juicer, no need to strain it and you know it doesn't even get bitter like the orange juice, even if you keep it for some time. Isn't this amazing!

Another absolutely amazing tip - dry the peels of the fruit in sun and then grind it into a powder. Keep this with you in a container. Every once in a while take some portion of this powder, add some rose water to it and apply it on your face. Let it dry and then wash it off. See how your face glows after this.

Are these not such easy ways to do something good for ourselves!!!!

HAPPY WINTERS!!!