It's been awhile since I have made a blog post although I do think about posting almost daily but things have been hectic that I have just not gotten around to it. It seems like a forever ago since my last post. But here is fast and easy recipe to start off the year.

Makes: ~13
Ingredients:

2 lbs of ground turkey

1 bunch of cilantro

A few springs of mint

¼ tsp turmeric

2 tsp of dhana jeera masala

1 tsp of black pepper

1 small chopped onion

1 cup panko

2 tsp ginger garlic paste

1.5 tbsp Kashmiri chili  

Method:

In a large bowl add all the above ingredients, starting with ground turkey, dry masala, ginger garlic paste, panko, mint, chopped onion, cilantro, black pepper and kashmiri chili (for color). Mix all the ingredients thoroughly.

Divide the mixture in equal parts to form burger patties.

I have a large George Foreman Grill, which is what I used to cook the patties. I find it quick, easy and are done in 4-5 minutes. Easy-peasy!

Turkey

3:43:00 PM

One of my favorite dish made by my nanima (grandmother) is kachori. It is her signature dish, and since I started on this journey I knew I had to learn it.

Few days ago I was feeling confident in my cooking (which is rare) and decided to give it a try. I called up my nanima and got the recipe and gave it a go. I am impressed with how well it turned out, although not as good as my nanima’s but pretty close. Without further ado...here it is.

Makes: ~ 18

Ingredients:
Dough:

1.5 cup All Purpose flour
3 tbsp butter
1/5 tsp baking powder
Salt to taste


Stuffing:

2 cups Mixed Vegetable
2 potatoes
1/2 cup chana Daal
1 tsp Mustard Seeds
1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
1/2 tsp turmeric
2 tbsp cumin-coriander powder
Salt to taste
2 tbsp Dahi Bara Chaat seasoning (available in Indian Store)
1 tbsp Oil


Method:

Dough:

In a pan, mix All Purpose Flour, butter, baking powder, and salt, Refrigerate for half hour.

Stuffing:

Boil mixed vegetables, potatoes, and chaana dal. Strain and set aside.

On medium heat, in a pan add oil, followed by mustard seeds. Once the mustard seeds start to splatter, turn off the heat. Then add ginger-garlic paste, and rest of the dry ingredients as well as boiled ingredients and mix well. Add salt to taste.

Once the mixture has cooled down, make small size balls and set them aside in the refrigerator.

Take the dough, knead it well and divide it up in small balls to match the number of mix vegetable balls. Then roll the dough into neat circles and then place the ball of mix vegetables in the middle and neatly fold the dough around.


Fry on medium heat until golden brown.


Serve with coconut-cilantro chutney.

Veggie

3:37:00 PM

I finally got back in the kitchen!

For my birthday my brother and sister made me a book of my first year blogging. It's a nice remainder that I actually very much enjoy the process of cooking and sharing my experience. Moving forward my goal is to do weekly posts and keep at it.

Over the weekend I made Dahi Wara (dahi means yogurt). Dahi wara are served as deserts, easy to make, and light for a dessert. They are little buttons of heaven.

Makes 16.
Ingredients:


1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup sooji
3 tbsp melted ghee
1/4 tsp baking powder
Plain Yogurt to bind
Orange food color

For syrup:
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup water

Method:

In a food processor add flour, sooji, ghee, baking powder, and orange color (enough for the dough to catch the color). Then slowly add plain yogurt to bind all the ingredients together. Keep the dough aside for an hour.

While the dough kept aside, make the sugar syrup. In a pan add sugar and water, over medium heat let this mixture dissolve, until is thin in consistency, meaning when you dip your wooden spatula and pull it out there should be three drops of the mixture (on the third drop it a long thread should form).

Then roll out the dough and cut out small round circles.

Over medium heat fry until golden brown. Dip the dahi wara one by one in the sugar syrup and remove set it in another bowl, if you leave it in sugar syrup they become a bit soggy. Let it cool at room temperature and then serve.

Dessert

3:57:00 PM

This is one of the most easiest dish i have made thus far. It requires simple ingredients and it does not require effort-but it mouthwatering...delicious.

Lets get right into to it..

Ingredients:

15 pieces of skinless chicken (drumstick & thighs)

8 tbsp unsalted butter

5 tbsp grated ginger

4 tsp freshly ground pepper

2 tbsp lemon juice

4-5 seeds whole peppercorn

Salt to taste

Chopped cilantro for garnish

Method:

In a pan, heat butter on medium heat and add ginger. Once the butter & garlic starts to simmer add chicken (be careful not to burn the butter), followed by ground pepper, and salt.

Let this cook for 5 minutes on high heat until the  chicken changes color. Then turn the heat to medium-low and cover the pan. Cook for 20-30 minutes, until the chicken is tender. Let this cook for 5 minutes on high heat until the  

Remove the lid and cook on high heat again, add the lemon juice. Cook until the chicken is dry.

Garnish with cilantro and coarsely pounded whole peppercorn.

chicken

8:29:00 PM

Nan khatai are Indian version of shortbread cookies. I remember my mom use to make it all the time when I was little, so when she forwarded me the recipe I had to give it a try. There are different versions of the nan khatai, this recipe is simple and easy to make, no fuss. Theses are perfect for an afternoon tea (chai).

Prep time: ~ 20 minutes
Makes: 30

Ingredients:

2.5 cups All Purpose Flour
1 cup margarine
1 cup powder sugar
1 egg
3/4 cup of soji
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp rose essence

For the decoration
orange food color

Method:

Using a hand blender mix margarine and sugar together. Then add an egg and blend. Once the mixture is smooth add rest of the ingredients and blend.

Once all the ingredients are uniformed, knead for few minutes. Then in a baking tray, make medium size balls (rolling evenly in your palm and slightly flattening).

For the decoration, take orange food color and add little bit of water-just enough to make a watery paste. Using your ring take a little bit of color and slightly press on top.

Preheat oven at 350, for approximately 15 minutes or until golden. Once done let it cool before storing.

That's it!

Baking

9:31:00 PM