Mango Kulfi

Leave a comment May 20, 2020 sanikaskitchen

Alphanso season is officially in full swing – and for a mango lover, this has to be my greatest weakness! As a Maharashtrian, I’ve grown up enjoying different mango recipes such as Mango Sheera, Aamras Puri, and even, Mango Barfi! There is truly no better fruit that can beat the summer heat.

One of my favorite refreshing treats has to be a delicious Mango Kulfi. This is a fun twist on the traditional Kulfi recipe! It’s rich, creamier and so flavorful!

Matka kulfi or plain kulfi is an Indian version of ice cream. It doesn’t require any stabilizers, eggs, or even an ice cream maker. It’s made with some evaporated milk, condensed milk – and is flavored with cardamoms, nuts, or saffron. You can also make this with your favorite fruit purée to enhance its flavor.

During this lockdown, we were lucky enough to get some Alphonso mangoes straight from Ratnagiri. So I decided to make my favorite kulfi after eating mangoes, mango sheera, and aamras puri.

So let’s get started…

Ingredients :
1 ltr. Whole fat Milk
3-4 tbs milk powder
2 Alphonso mangoes
1 tsp Cardamom powder
4 tbs sugar
1/4 tsp saffron strands

First, in a heavy-bottomed pan add milk and keep on medium heat for boiling. While
simmering the milk either keep it on low to medium.

Once it starts to thicken, add the milk powder and stir and mix well. Keep stirring until the milk powder dissolves well and doesn’t form any lumps.

Additionally, you can also add 1-2 tbs of condensed milk to make it richer but I have not used it.

Once the volume of the milk has reduced, turn off the heat and allow it to cool and set. Keep the mixture in the chiller for 1-2 hrs.

Next, remove the mango skin and chop them into medium-sized pieces.

In a grinder, add the mango pieces, sugar, saffron, and cardamom powder and give a quick pulse.

Once the purée is ready to transfer it to the milk bowl and keep aside.

Remove the milk from the chiller and mix the purée until it combines well. Transfer the kulfi mixture to kulfi molds or some plastic molds.

Cover it with lids and place them in the freezer. Allow it to set for min. 12-15 hrs or overnight.

Garnish with some chopped pistachios or dry rose petals.

Enjoy!.😍

Green Moong Dal

Leave a comment May 11, 2020 sanikaskitchen

A delicious Green Moong Dal (Curry ) is comfort food at its finest. The best part is that it is not only easy to prepare, but it is also healthy as it is loaded with protein and fiber. This simple moong dal curry goes well with ajwain or plain paratha , jeera rice with some side dish.

So, let’s get started…

Ingredients

1 cup green beans (soaked for 6-7 hrs)
1 large tomato (crushed)
2 small green chilies
1 tsp grated ginger

For tempering:
2 tsp ghee
1 dry chili
Few curry leaves
1 tsp cumin seeds
Pinch of asafoetida (Hing)
2 cloves
4-5 black pepper
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/4 tsp red chili powder
1 tsp Dhania powder (coriander seeds powder) 1/2 tsp Garam Masala
Salt to taste

Before you prepare this dish, you will need to soak the green beans for 6-7hrs. After soaking, drain the water and wash the beans again and transfer it to a pressure cooker. Add some salt to taste.

Pressure cook for 1 whistle on low heat. Slow cook for another 2-3 mins.

In a small hand mixie, crush the tomato with green chilies and keep the puree aside.

Meanwhile, prepare the tempering.

Heat a thick-bottomed Pan. Add the ghee when it’s hot add cumin seeds. Once they start to splutter, add curry leaves, a pinch of hing, and dry chili and sauté.

Add turmeric and coriander seed and chili powder and quickly add the tomato chili ground purée. Add grated ginger to it.

Sauté and add cooked green beans to it. Gently stir the dal and adjust the salt if needed and add some water to it. Lastly, Add 1/2 tsp of Garam Masala. Allow it to cook for another 3-5 mins. and turn off the heat.

Your Delicious dal is ready! Serve it with hot parathas or rice with some side dish.

Enjoy!😍

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Channa Masala

Leave a comment April 24, 2020 sanikaskitchen

With lockdowns in place, I’ve been feeling more homesick and have begun craving some delicious hot and spicy food! However, as there are limited Indian ingredients available, I’ve tried making my own version of Channa Masala with ingredients I had in my pantry!

This dish is incredibly tasty and a perfect vegetarian option. The spicy channa accompanied with some fluffy Bhatura will make for the perfect Friday dinner – and even better, some delicious weekend leftovers.

Chana masala:

To prepare this dish you need:

1 big cup chickpeas (250 grams)

Wash and Soak it for (7-8hrs)

After the chickpeas have soaked for enough time, drain, and transfer to a pressure cooker. Add 1/4 tsp of bicarbonate soda, salt, and add 2 glasses of water. Pressure cook this on medium heat for at least 6 whistles and keep aside.

Prepare the masala powder:

4 Kashmiri chillies

6-7 byadgi chillies

2 tbsp coriander seeds (dhania seeds)

1 tsp cumin seeds( jeera)

1 tsp caraways seeds (shahi jeera)

1 tsp fennel seeds (saunf)

7-8 black pepper(kalimiri)

1” cinnamon (dalchini)

3 cloves (lavang)

1 black cardamom(kali ilaychi)

tiny piece of lace

Gravy:

2 tbs ghee

2 large onions finely chopped

2 big tomatoes pureed

1 green chili (slit)

1 tbsp of Fresh Cream

1 tbsp ginger garlic paste

Spices:

2-3 cardamoms

1 bay leaf

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 tsp kitchen king masala

Pinch of cardamom powder

Salt to taste

1 tsp Sugar

1 tbsp of Cashew Powder

Handful of coriander leaves for Garnishing

To prepare the freshly ground masala, roast the spices for 2-3 mins until fragrant. Next, roast the chilies until it forms a crispy texture.

Allow it to cool. Next, add one tbsp amchur powder with roasted spices and chilies and grind into a smooth powder. Keep the freshly ground Channa masala in the airtight container.

In a Kadai, add 2-3 tbsp of ghee. Once hot, add 2-3 cardamoms, 1 Bay leaf and1 tsp of cumin seeds.

Once it splutters, add 2 finely chopped onions and sauté until it turns golden brown. Next, add 1 tbsp of ginger garlic paste, one slit green chili, 1 tbsp of freshly ground chana masala. Sauté nicely and add 2 big tomato purée.

Allow it to cool for 5-6 mins on low flame. Add the boiled chickpeas and let it cook. Next, add salt to taste and1 tsp of Sugar. To thicken the curry, you can mash a few of the chickpeas before adding them.

After 7-8 mins, add 1 tbsp of cashew powder, and a tbsp of fresh cream. Mix. well. Add 1 tsp of kitchen king masala and a pinch of Cardamom powder. Add little water if required.

Finally, garnish with fresh coriander leaves.

Serve hot with masala Bhatura

Recipe for masala bhatura:

First mash the potatoes and add plain flour to it. Add salt, bicarbonate soda , chili flakes, kasturi methi, and slowly start kneading the dough. Since the potatoes have natural moisture, you don’t need to add water while making this dough.

If the dough is a little sticky, then you can add extra flour to it. Once the dough is ready, add a few drops of oil to smoothen it.
15-20 mins after making the dough, prepare the bhaturas. Divide the dough into small pieces. Roll into a disc shape and deep fry the bhaturas. Serve hot with Chana Masala and masala onion rings and lime.

If you don’t like the deep-fried version you can make small rotis and roast them. Aalu rotis also taste yummy and their texture is also super soft.

Hope you enjoy this tasty dish.

Sweet Coconut Rice (Narli Bhaat)

Leave a comment August 14, 2019 sanikaskitchen

Narli Bhaat, also known as Sweet Coconut Rice, is an authentic Maharashtrian dish. This dish is especially popular during the the full moon festival known as Narli Purnima during the month of Shravan. It is said that fishermen offer coconuts and pray to the sea – asking for tranquility – so that they can continue to fish and take their boats out to sea during the monsoon season. On this day, we also celebrate Raksha Bandan, which is a beautiful celebration of the loving bond between sisters and brothers.

As Maharashtra lies in a coastal region, there are plenty of coconut trees and rice produce which is why this sweet dish was created as a dessert for the observance of this full moon festival.

Here is the recipe of this delicious Narli Bhaat:

Ingredients:

3/4 cup Basmati rice
2 + 1/2 tsps of Ghee
3/4 cup of Sugar
1/2 cup Jaggery
2 cups of coconut milk
2-3 tbs of grated Coconut
Few Saffron strands
1/2 tsp of Cardamom powder
1/4 tsp of Nutmeg powder
3-4 green cardamom
2-3 cloves
7-8 cashew nuts
6-8 raisins
1 piece of Cinnamon

Method:

Begin by washing and soaking the rice for at least half an hour and then drain the water.

Next, take a thick bottomed pan. Once hot, add 2 tsp of Ghee, cloves and cardamoms. Once this begins to crackle, add the rice to the pan and continue sautéing for 2-3 minutes. Add 2 tbs of fresh coconut and sauté until it turns slightly golden-brown in color. Now, add the coconut milk and stir well.

Let this mixture cook on medium flame for 4-5 mins. Once its starts boiling and bubbles start to form, cover the pan and let this cook on simmer for another 4-5 mins.

Next, add jaggery and sugar and pinch of salt to it and mix well. Keep in mind, you can always adjust the sweetness according to your taste.

Cover the pan again and let it cook for some time. Add saffron,Cardamom and nutmeg powder to it.

Finally, remove the cover and add 1/2 tsp of Ghee, roasted cashew nuts and raisins to it. Stir and make sure the moisture has evaporated and rice is well cooked and nicely separated.

Once it’s ready then transfer to the serving dish and garnished with roasted cashew nuts on top.

Your delicious Narli bhaat (sweet coconut rice) is ready to be served.

Please be sure to check out this video recipe on my facebook page: What’s my plate all about?

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Pesto pasta with summer vegetables (Broccoli and Asparagus)

Leave a comment August 11, 2019 sanikaskitchen

With fresh Basil in season, what better time to make a delicious, creamy Pesto pasta?

Pesto pasta has always been one of my favorite, go-to summer recipes. It’s fresh, simple and so flavourful!

Did I mention it’s also easy to make?

Let’s get started, here’s what you’ll need:

Ingredients:

250g Spaghetti
250g of broccoli cut into florets
1 bunch Asparagus
1 tbs minced garlic
1 cup freshly made pesto
1 tbs Pine nuts
1 tsp Italian herbs
1/2 veg.stock cube
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
5-6 cherry tomatoes (halved)
basil leaves (for garnishing)
3-4 tbs olive oil

Method:

First, clean and chop the vegetables and keep aside. Boil some spaghetti – with a pinch of salt and oil – until al dente.

Once the pasta is cooked, drain and reserve some pasta water.

Next, in a large pan, heat 3-4 tbs of olive oil. Add chopped garlic and pine nuts to it.

Sauté and add veg.stock cube and pesto sauce to it.

Sauté and add the vegetables.

Give a quick stir and add salt to taste, freshly ground pepper, Italian herbs and stir well.

Add the reserved pasta water and cook for 3-4 mins. Now, add the spaghetti and toss over low heat until well combined.

Transfer to a serving dish and garnish with halved cherry tomatoes, fresh basil leaves and grated Parmesan.

Serve warm. Bon Appétit!

Narli Bhaat (Sweet Coconut Rice)

1 Comment August 25, 2018 sanikaskitchen

As Maharashtra lies in a coastal region, there are plenty of coconut trees and rice produce which is why this sweet dish was created as a dessert for the observance of this full moon festival.

Here is the recipe of this delicious Narli Bhaat:

Ingredients:

1/2 cup Basmati rice
2 + 1/2 tbs of Ghee
3/4 cup of Sugar
1/2 cup Jaggery
2 cups of coconut milk
2-3 tbs of grated Coconut
Few Saffron strands
1/2 tsp of Cardamom powder
1/4 tsp of Nutmeg powder
3-4 green cardamom
2-3 cloves
7-8 cashew nuts
6-8 raisins
1 piece of Cinnamon