Kala Chana nu shaak | Desi Chana | Black Chickpea recipe | Healthy Protein packed vegan meal | Dry Kala Chana

This Gujarati kala chana nu shaak is one of my favorites!! It is so easy, so healthy yet so tasty!! I enjoy making it and I love eating it!! It can give you a healthy dose of protein.. The combination of this kala chana curry the way my mom makes it with kadhi and bhakhri is simple yet deliciously filling!

It tastes good on it's own too. This is just a little different than Kondakadlai Sundal (Chana Sundal)..
The day your fridge is empty or your energy level is low, make this simple gluten free & vegan curry and see your mood soar!! Just don't forget to soak it overnight :)

In north India this simple chana are made on the 8th day of Navratri festival (Kanjak) and offered to young girls, considered as Goddesses, along with halwa & puris!! Delicious!! My little girl and her papa loves it with Puri (puffed Indian bread) and that is how it is often eaten at my place!!
Sometimes I make a healthy chane ki chaat by adding finely cut onions, tomatoes, chaat masala and green chutney to it!

Kala Chana | Deshi Chana | Black Chickpea curry | Healthy protein packed vegan meal

Kala Chana | Deshi Chana | Black Chickpea curry | Healthy protein packed gluten free meal

Ingredients:

1 Cup Kala chana / Deshi Chana / Black Chickpeas soaked for at least 8 hours.
Salt to taste
1/ teaspoon Green Chilli and ginger paste (Adjust according to taste)
1.5 teaspoon dhania jeera powder (Cumin coriander seeds powder)
1/2 wedge of lemon (Optional - but I love adding it)
2 tablespoon oil
1/4 teaspoon mustard seeds / rai/ sarson
pinch of hing

Method:

1) Pressure cook Chana (chick peas) with salt till tender. It's really important to cook it properly. To check if it is properly cooked, take a cooked chana and squeeze it between your thumb and a finger. It should squeeze easily. If it doesn't then you should cook it further.
2) In a kadai (pan/wok) heat 2 tablespoon of oil and add mustard seeds (rai) to it.
3) Once rai (mustard seeds) crackle, add a pinch of hing to it.
4) To this immediately add properly cooked chana without water.
5) Add green chilli and ginger paste and dhania jeera powder and mix well.
6) Let it cook for 5-10 minutes, or till no water is visible.

Squeeze lemon juice before serving.

Kala Chana | Deshi Chana | Black Chickpea curry | Healthy protein packed vegan meal

+techie ZM

Gawar Phali ki Sabzi | Guwar Phali nu shak | Gujarati Shak | Cluster beans curry

Guwar phali is something that I relish with Gujarati dal and Phulka Rotli!! Naturally Guwar phali doesn't have a pleasing flavor, but add to it 2 secret super flavors and the resulting healthy curry is bursting with flavors!! Miss adding them and you have food fit for cows ;)

I had a rather interesting mis adventures with this sabzi during my second job. Two of my colleagues (& friends) and I were sharing a home and kitchen. It was a last day of job for one of our roomie and she decided to surprise us with some cooking. 

She was generally dis interested in cooking and related chores but that day as a gesture of farewell she wanted to cook something for us. So she went ahead and cut the only sabzi we had in stock  - Guwar phali!! She also kneaded the dough!! But there were a few catches.. The dough was too sticky to roll and the she had used up all the flour!! We didn't have garlic and carom seeds  - the 2 secret flavors needed to make the tasty guwar phali curry!! After she realized the mess we were in, she decided to wake us up and share the news!! Needless to say we had one of the worst meal of our lives, but at the same time we had one of the hardest laugh of our lives :) Sometimes bad food too can create good memories ;)

So without further ado, here is the healthy, tasty, quick and vegan curry with 2 secret flavors ;)

Ingredients:

250 gms Cluster beans (Guwar Phali) - stringed and cut inch long

1/2 teaspoon green chili and ginger paste 

4 garlic cloves - peeled and crushed (Lahsun / Lasan)

1/4 teaspoon mustard seeds ( Sarson/rai)

1/4 teaspoon carom seeds (Ajwain)

2 Tablespoon oil

1 teaspoon besan (Chick pea flour)

pinch of hing

1.5 teaspoon dhania jeera powder (Cumin corrinader seeds powder)

1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder (haldi)
1 teaspoon sugar (otpional - but I like it)

Method:

1) Pressure cook Guwar Phali.

2) Now in a kadai (pan), take oil and heat it. Add mustard seeds to it. Once they crackle add carom seeds and hing.

3) Now add besan (chick pea flour) and Pressure cooked Guwar Phali sans water.

4) Add salt, dhania jeera powder, green chili ginger garlic paste and turmeric powder. Mix well.

5) Let it cook till all the water evaporates and masala is coated well to the phali. Add sugar if using..

Serve with daal and roti.. From leftover you can also make guwar dhokli (shaak ma dhokli) something that I am crazy about!!

+techie ZM 

Gaajar no Sambharo | Carrots Stir Fry Gujarati Style

This quick, yummy and healthy stir fry comes in handy on the days when you are hard pressed for time yet want to eat something healthy.
Have with roti and curd and you have a healthy meal ready in jiffy!! Though at my place it was treated more like a salad than a curry. But now a days I don't mind having it is on my mains..
Make some before those delicious carrots disappear...

Gajar no Sambharo | Quick Carrots Stir fry

Gajar no Sambharo | Quick Carrots Stir fry

Gajar no Sambharo | Quick Carrots Stir fry

Ingredients:

5 Carrots peeled and grated
Salt to taste
1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 tablespoon oil for tadka
1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
1 green chili, slit
pinch of asafoetida (hing)
Juice of 1/2 a lemon (Optional)

Method:
1) Heat oil on medium flame in a pan.
2) Add mustard seeds to it. Let them crackle.
3) Once they crackle add asafoetida and green chili to it.
4) Let the chili fry properly and then add the grated carrot.
5) Add turmeric powder and salt. Mix well.
6) Cook on high flame for 4-5 minutes. Keep stirring continuously.

And your gajar no sambharo is ready!! Squeeze half a lomon in it if you wish, mix well and eat!!

Gajar no Sambharo | Quick Carrots Stir fry

Gajar no Sambharo | Quick Carrots Stir fry

+techie ZM

Jalebi!!!

Jalebi is a dish that is loved across India!!! So, when i saw Jalebi's recipe in a newspaper long back, i thought it's so easy...Why doesn't anyone make it at home?!? Well, i tried it and came to know "Why"....

Though it's very quick to make, it's not as easy as it looks. So 1st time i tried it (4 years ago), in place of Jalebi, i got Boondi!!!! It tasted good but the shape was all messed up. So i gave up on Jalebi....

Recently again i came across it's recipe in a Neeta Mehta book that i have and thought of trying it again. And this time i could manage to make something in between Jalebi and Boondi, still shape was not perfect. But the taste was of authentic Jalebi!!!! Yipee......

I realized that here, consistency is the Key. The batter should not be too watery at the same time it should not be too thick.

Once you figure out the consistency, making Jalebi is Cakewalk!!! The consistency should be thicker than Dosa (It should be of dropping/ribbon  consistency)

And next time i made it, i could manage decent shape as well!!! Here is the pic!!!

Jalebi.....

As i said, the recipe is  from a Neeta Mehta cookbook, this will make a lot of Jalebis, if you are making for 2 people then please use half the quantity.

Ingredients:

For Jalebi:
Maida - 1 Cup
Besan - 1 Tablespoon
Soda - 1/4 teaspoon
Oil - 1/2 Tablespoon
Thick Curd - 1/2 Cup
Warm Water - 3/4 Cup (Based on the Maida you are using, the amount of water needed may vary)
Oil for Frying

For Sugar Syrup:
Sugar - 1+1/4 Cup
Water - 3/4 Cup
Saffron strands - 2 pinches (though the recipe said to use Orange-red colour, i used saffron)

Method:
1) In a mixing bowl, take Maida, Besan and Soda.

2) Add thick curd & oil. (I have realized that if you use 1/2 days old curd just out from the fridge then it gives better results).

3) Now comes the consistency part, so very carefully, add warm water to the mixing bowl.

4) Beat everything together and till you get the batter of dropping consistency (thicker than dosa batter)

5) Cover it and leave aside for 30-40 minutes (Don't skip this, it is important).

6) Heat oil in a kadai.

7) The book says that using a piping bag make circles (from outside to inside) in the hot oil.
Initially i used my Sev no sancho (Sev maker, Kitchen Press or whatever it is called) to drop jalebis..It gave me okay results.
Later i put the batter in an old hanky and made a hole in the center (to get a potli like thing) and it gave me correct shape.
Next time i am going to try the empty milk packet, where after washing the drying the milk packet, i will fill it with batter and will make a hole at the bottom to drop the jalebis in the oil. (Idea from Hubby's aunt)
Edited to add photo: These one's are made using empty milk packet and they came out perfect, so i am going to stick to them for Jalebi making :)

Jalebis (dropped using empty milk packet)

8) Fry the Jalebis in the oil till they are the heavenly golden coloured, like a jalebi should be :) take out on tissue paper.

9) Meanwhile make Sugar syrup. For that Mix water, sugar and saffron strands in a kadai and heat. we have to get the syrup of single string. For that after the 1st boil, keep the flame low and keep stirring for 5-7 minutes.

10) Let the syrup cool for a minute and then dip Jalebis in the syrup (Don't dip all of them together, do in the batch of 3-4 Jalebis at a time) and serve hot!!!
You can garnish it with saffron strands soaked in warm water, or serve with Rabdi or cream!!! We had it even with Vanilla ice cream :)

Notes:
1) Dip the Jalebis in the syrup only when you are ready to eat them.
2) Make the syrup only when you are ready to eat Jalebis as the syrup will become thick after some time (though you can heat it up again on low flame, but still it is good to make fresh syrup).

+techie ZM

Instant Khaman (Dhokla) | Nylon Khaman | Khaman Dhokla recipe

My hubby is mad about them and everybody outside Gujarat knows these Khaman as Dhokla and love them. My colleagues at Hyderbad too were no exception and requested me to make them, so i learnt how to make this instant variety of Khaman also known as Nylon Khaman.

Before that i had never made them, as nobody at my home is particularly fond of them, we all love our fermented Dhokla (The one with rice and daal) and vaati daal na khaman.

So i called up my mom and asked for the recipe, after few trials, i could make the perfect (the kind you find in the Ahmedabad shops) Khaman (ok, say dhokla if you have to). And now they are regular feature at our home :)

Here is how i make it.

Instant Khaman Dhokla

Ingrediants:

For Khaman

1.5 Cup Besan (Bengal gram flour)

5 teaspoon Sugar 

1/2 teaspoon Citric Acid (Limbu na ful - available everywhere in India -in case you are not able to find it then use lemon or sour curd)

Salt to taste

1/4 teaspoon Soda

2 pinches of Turmeric

For Tadka

2 Tablespoon oil

1 teaspoon Rai (Mustard seeds)

1 teaspoon Til (Sesame Seeds)

Hing (2 pinches)

Lemon juice of 1 small lemon

Sugar powder (3 teaspoon)

1 cup water (Yes, you read it right, water!!!)

2 green chillies, cut in small pieces (Optional - i don't use it as my hubby is not fond of it)

Dhania patta for garnishing

Method:

1)Take Besan, Salt, Sugar, Turmeric powder, Citric Acid and soda in a mixing bowl and mix well.

2) Add water to it to make thicker than dosa/pancake batter. (Don't mix too vigorously and don't use the beater at all, i did it once and my Khaman didn't rise at all)

3) Because of combination of soda and citric acid, you will see that your batter becomes frothy.

4) Now, keep it aside for 10 mins.

5) Meanwhile take a big pateela (deep pan), take water in it, put a stand inside(or a bowl on which you will be putting your khaman plate) put it on a medium flame. Cover it using a lid (Wrap the lid in a cloth to avoid soggy khaman).

Big Pateela/Pan before putting khaman plate - you can see the circular stand in center to keep the plate on it

After covering with a lid wrapped in a cloth

6) grease a thali (deep plate), or dabba (or anything in which you plan to pour the batter for making khaman - But should be deep enough so that khaman can rise properly)

7) After the water heats, pour your khaman batter in the thali and put the thali inside the Big Pateela, on the stand (Or Katori, whaterver you chose).

8) Cover with the lid.

9) Steam the Khaman for 20 mins (or till the knife inserted in it comes out clean).

10) Once steamed take the plate out and let it cool. Once cooled, cut into square or diamond shape.

11) For Tadka, Mix water, lemon juice and sugar in a bowl.

12) Then in a kadai, take oil, add mustard seeds.

13) Once they crackle, add Til, let them crackle then Add hing and turn the flame off. if using green chilies then, add the cut green chilli pieces carefully.

14) Now using a ladle, very carefully and slowly add the prepared mixture of water, sugar and lime juice to the kadai. (Very very carefully)

15) Mix the Tadka properly and pour it on the cut Khaman.

Garnish with Dhania patta and dive in :)

you can have it with green chutney or as it is...

Now, what if you don't have the big pateela and other taam-zaam for making the khaman?!?! Don't loose heart, you can use your Idli stand instead.
And recently i was telling my neighbour P how to make it and told her that Khaman needs to be steamed, so she came up with this brilliant idea of steaming it in Rice cooker, so if you have a rice cooker you can steam khaman in that!!! In place of big pateela, you use rice cooker, everything else remains exactly same!!!but don't forget to cover the lead with a cloth).

once the Khaman shaped as Idli gets steamed and cooled, take them out in plate, or bowl and cut into squares.

Then proceed with the Tadka and pour it over these khamans and enjoy!!!!!!

+techie ZM

Gujarati Dal | Khatti Meethi Dal | Arhar Dal | Tuver Dal

In a Gujarati home, this daal is a staple food. Whatever else may have been cooked, you will find either this daal or kadhi made everyday to be eaten with rice. Though i don't make it everyday, i make it often as all of us like it :)

In different homes it is made differently, some make it thin, some make thick. Then some use kokam, some use imli and some use Lemon. Some use Sugar and some use Jaggery. My mom makes it a little thinner than what i like as my papa likes it that way, but I like it the way my grandmom makes it..thick, with jaggery and lemon...Perfectly sweet and tangy :)

And everybody in my family says that my daal tastes like my grandmom's daal, you know how proud i feel?!?!!

Well, the secret of the tasty daal is nice boiling over low flame. and secret behind my daal tasting good is that i keep it on the flame and then tend to forget that i am cooking it, till i get the delicious aroma of daal wafting through the house and telling my nose that it is cooked and about to get burnt ;) Some advantage of forgetfulness ;)

Gujarati Daal / Khatti Meethi Dal / Tuver Dal 

Here is the recipe for it..

Ingredients:

Toor daal (Arhar Daal) - 1/2 cups soaked and pressurecooked

Red chili powder - 1/4 teaspoon (or to taste)

Turmeric powder - 1/4 teaspoon

Dhania-Jeera powder - 1 and 1/2 teaspoon

Green chili and ginger paste - 1/4 teaspoon (optional)

Salt to taste

Grated Jaggery - 1/4 cup

Oil for tadka - 2 tablespoon

Rai/ Sarson for tadka - 1/2 teaspoon

Methi seeds for tadka - 1/4 teaspoon

Hing for tadka - 1 pinch

1 medium sized Lemon

Method:

1) Pressure cook the daal nicely.

2) Once it is cooked, beat it thoroughly using a beater or Valoni/Ravoi. You should not be able to see any grain of daal, it should all be liquidy.

3) Add water and make it of thin consistency (like sambaar)

4) Now add salt, turmeric powder, red chili powder (if using green chili and ginger paste then you can reduce this to 1/4 spoon), green chili and ginger paste, dhania-jeera powder and jaggery.

5) Mix well and keep on low flame. Keep stirring till the jaggery is dissolved, if you leave it un-dissolved then it will get burnt.

6) Now you can leave it on low flame, occasionally pop up in the kitchen and stir the daal.

7) Once the daal thickens (may take upto 20-30 minutes), it's the time for tadka.

8) So in a kadai (my mom uses a small iron bowl for tadka, as it adds extra iron to the daal), take oil, add rai/sarson to it and put on a low flame.

9) once the rai crackles, add methi seeds, and as they turn brown, add hing and turn off the flame.

10) pour this tadka over daal and mix well. Boil daal on high flame for 3 minutes

11) Add the juice of 1 medium sized lemon and the daal is ready.

With rice and ghee it tastes heavenly!!! If you eat ghee, then do add it. Ghee notches up the taste to a higher level.

Notes:

1) You can keep consistency as per your liking. for thinner consistency add more water, but boil it properly.

2) You can also have the daal with roti.

3) It goes well with any sweet made of wheat, like churma laddu, kansaar, laapshi etc.

Gujarati Daal / Khatti Meethi Dal / Tuver Dal 

Gujarati Daal / Khatti Meethi Dal / Tuver Dal 

Gujarati Daal

+techie ZM

Nimbu Soda | Fresh Lime soda | Lakhoti Soda | Banta Soda | Shikanji

Do you remember those Nimbu soda available on streets during hot summers or on humid sweaty weather, where the bottle is sealed using a lakhoti (marble)?!?! It is also called Banta Soda in Northern India..

Here, i have tried to recreate that version without using aerated(soft) drink!!!

We don't store soft drinks at home. So i use the Meetha Soda (Soda Khar - powdered) that i have at home to make this refreshing drink!!! And this way of making it is so easy and you get to customize the taste to suit your palate!!

The inspiration is from my mom, she used to make home-made soda by mixing limbu na phool (Citric acid) and soda. And later in a science class i realized that Soda is basic in nature and Citric Acid is, well, acidic in nature. When they meet in the water, you see the (re)action in form of the bubbles!!! This exact trick is used in making Khaman also, where both the soda and citric acid are used.

Fresh Lime Soda / Limbu Soda

Ingredients:

1 Big Lemon

4 teaspoon sugar (you can make it less if you like it less sweet)

2 cups of cold water (you can keep temperature as per your liking)

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon rock salt (Sanchal)

1/4 teaspoon Meetha Soda (Soda Khar)

2 pinches of Black pepper ground (optional)

few leaves of fresh mint-Pudina finely cut (Optional)

2 pinches of chaat masala (optional)

2 pinches of bhuna jeera powdered (optional)

2 ice cubes (optional)

Method:

1) In bowl take all the ingredients except Meetha soda and mix well (to make nimbu paani).

2) If you are don't like to have any solids in your drink then, keep aside the nimbu paani for 15 minutes (so that all the flavors seep in the drink) and then drain using a channi.if you don't mind the mint leaves and black pepper solids in your drink then don't drain.

3) Pour out in the glass at the time of serving and add meetha soda to it, mix for 2-3 seconds and enjoy your homemade Nimbu Soda!!!

Notes:

1) You can customize this drink to your choice. i.e my hubby doesn't like mint, black pepper and bhuna jeera in his drink. But i like everything except black pepper, especially fresh mint!! and my in laws love everything including black pepper!!! So 1st make nimbu paani/lemonade as per your taste and then add meetha soda to convert that into fresh lime soda customized to your taste buds.

2) If you have and want to use the drinking soda / sparkling water then skip mitha/powdered soda and water. Mix everything except soda in a tablespoon of water, use powdered sugar. Once everything mixes well, add sparkling water/drinking soda and enjoy immediately.

3) You can also use the Shikanji powder readily available. In that case skip every masala except sugar and mint.

4) In case you have drinking soda then skip water, soda powder and citric acid. In very little water mix all other ingredients and then at the end add the Drinking soda and mix and serve immediately...

Fresh Lime Soda / Limbu Soda

+techie ZM

Masala Puri / Jeera Mitha ni Puri

This one is from my mom, and it is my all time favorite.

It is oh so simple to make and tasty to eat. It is hit with almost everybody i know including Zini. These puris also make a very convenient travel food (They stay ok till 2 days), i normally make these while travelling with Zini. They are also great lunch box item. The lunch box with puri in it, always returns empty :)

And if you don't want to fry then you can make bhakhari out of it. that too tastes yummy.

Do give them a try, Kids love them :)

Ingredients:

1 Cup whole wheat flour

Salt to taste

Turmeric

Red Chilli powder - 1/2 teaspoon (you can increase or decrease this as per your taste)

Hing - 1 pinch

Dhania-Jeera Powder - 1/2 teaspoon

Ajwain - 1/2 teaspoon

Oil (for mixing) - 4 tablespoon

Water to knead the dough

Oil for frying

Method:

1) In a mixing bowl (or paraat/Kathrot) take the wheat flour.

2) Now, add salt, chilli powder, hing, dhania-jeera powder, turmeric and ajwain to it. (Crush the ajwain using your hands for better aroma).

3) Mix well. Now, make a well in the center of flour and add oil. Mix well.

4) Using water, knead a tight dough. (It should not sticky, you should be able to roll out the puris without applying extra flour to it)

Dough

5) Heat the oil in Kadai for frying.

6) Roll out small puris using your chakla belan and fry them in the oil.

Eat with Chundo, Achar, Chutney, ketchup, Tea/Coffee, milk, curry (basically anything that you can think of) or just like that :)

Masala Puri

You can also make the crispy version of these puris (They stay ok for a week!!!). For that you have to put small cuts on the rolled out puri using a knife. and then fry on a medium flame till the puris turn a little redish in colour.

If you are not keen on frying then make bhakharis out of them. Here is how to (I have added the pics of simple bhakhari - masala bhakhari will look yellow in colour- but the procedure remains same) :

1) Heat a tawa on the gas stove.

2) Roll out round bhakharis using your chakla belan(Of the same size of roti, but a little thicker than rotis)

The rolled out bhakhari

3) Now, grease the tawa with little oil.

4) Put the bhakhari on the tawa, carefully.

Bhakhri on a greased Tava

5) let it cook on one side.

6) Flip it using a spatula (Tavetho/Chaletho/Palta)

7) let it cook on the other side also.

Flipped and cooking on the other side

8) Now apply oil on both the sides of the bhakhari (you can skip this step, but it reduces the yummyness of the bhakhari)

9) roast on the tawa while pressing the bhakhari using the same spatula or a cloth (or Datto as traditionally used).

Roasting using the traditional Datto (you can use a cloth also)

10) Do this on both the sides of bhakhari.

Again you can have it with any thing you can think of...

+techie ZM

Mango Shrikhand

Now, you already know that I love shrikhand, you also know that i love mangoes. So how can i not love mango Shrikhand?!?

I absolutely love it :) and this is how i make it. This version of Shrikhand is also very nutritious (and also fattening ;) )

Mango Shrikhand!!

Ingredients:

Fresh Curd (Should not be sour)

Sweet Mango Pulp

Powdered Sugar

Elaichi Powder

Kesar (Saffron) strands soaked in warm water

Kaaju (Cashew nuts) (cut in small pieces or powder – i used powder as it removes choking hazard for Zini and i don’t like to chew nuts  )

Badam (Almonds) (again i used powder, you can choose to blanch/soak and cut it into small pieces)

Method:

1) Put the fresh curd in a muslin cloth and hang it for 3 hours.

2) Once you get the hung curd, take it out in a mixing bowl.

3) Cut the mango in the pieces and put the pieces in the blender to get the pulp (See that the mango should be sweet).

4) Add the mango pulp to the hung curd and beat well using a beater (i use 1/4 cup of mango pulp for 1 cup of hung curd, but you can vary amount of pulp as per your taste).

5) Add sugar to taste and mix well. (keep tasting till you get the desired result, we will need less sugar than the regular Shrikhand as Mango pulp will also add sweetness)

6) Beat it using a beater.

7) Add Ilaichi, Kesar, kaaju powder and badam powder. Mix Well.

8) Store in refrigerator at least for half an hour.

9) Before serving, mix well again.

You can garnish it with Kesar strands/ small pieces of kaaju/badam or even mango. Serve immediately after taking out of fridge.

This too is eaten with Puris, but you can also have it with hot Phulkas…

Kesar - Ilaichi Srhikhand

I looooooove Shrikhand, so does Zini. But i couldn't find Amul Shrikhand in Noida, and i remembered that my maasi had recently made Shrikhand at home, so i called up my maasi to ask the recipe.

This is a very easy to make dessert. Also it is very nutritious for kids (though not for weight watcher). In place of Ice-cream, i have been giving this to Zini :)

So here it is :)

Kesar Ilaichi Shrikhand...

Ingredients:

Fresh Curd (Should not be sour)

Powdered Sugar

Elaichi Powder

Kesar (Saffron) strands soaked in warm water

Kaaju (Cashew nuts) (cut in small pieces or powder - i used powder as it removes choking hazard for Zini and i don't like to chew nuts :) )

Badam (Almonds) (again i used powder, you can choose to blanch/soak and cut it into small pieces)

Kishmish (raisins) cut into small pieces (Optional)

Method:

1) Put the fresh curd in a muslin cloth and hang it for 3 hours.

2) Once you get the hung curd, take it out in a mixing bowl.

3) Add sugar to taste and mix well. (keep tasting till you get the desired result ;) , i have thumb rule of 4 small spoons of powdered sugar for 1/2 cup of hung curd, but you can vary the amount of sugar as per your taste)

4) Beat it using a beater.

4) Add Ilaichi, Kesar, Kishmish, kaaju powder and badam powder. Mix Well.

5) Store in refrigerator at least for half an hour.

6) Before serving, mix well again.

You can garnish it with Kesar strands/ small pieces of kaaju/badam/ kishmish. Serve immediately after taking out of fridge.

Traditionally it is eaten with Puris...

Winter Special - Gaajar Halwa

I remember my mom peeling truckloads of Gaajar , then grating them(sometimes with our help or sometimes all by herself) and then magically transform them into most amazing Gajar ka Halwa in a big big kadai!!!! And then all of us devouring that halwa, sometimes piping hot, sometimes cold.

There was always a steady supply of this halwa at home throughout the winters...I loved loved it big time....But the thing with me is that i never learnt to make the things that i loved when i was at mom's place. Only after shifting to a different city i realized that to enjoy my favorite foods i will have to learn to make them...And then started the phone calls to mom to learn  the recipes...This is one of those recipes....Very easy to make but time consuming...But worth all the time it takes...

Ingredients:

Grated Carrots - 3 cups (remove the yellow core, only red part to be grated, for quick grating use food processor)

Full cream milk - 500 ml (approximately)

Ghee - 2 tablespoon

Fresh Cream - 3-4 tablespoon (I used the malai saved from the everyday milk)

Almonds - 5-6 finely cut or powdered  (optional)

Cashew - 5-6 finely cut or powdered  (optional)

Kishmish - 5-6 (optional)

Elaichi (Cardamom) powder - 1/8 teaspoon (optional)

Sugar - 3/4 cups (you can increase or decrease this amount as per your liking)

Method:

1) In a thick bottomed pan add ghee, once it turns liquid add the grated carrots and saute for 3-4 minutes.

2) Add milk to the pan, ensure that all the carrots should be submerged into milk.

3) Add fresh cream, almonds, cashew and kishmish and mix thoroughly.

4) Now, keep stirring and cooking on low flame till all the milk evaporates. May take upto 2 hours.

5) Now add sugar and mix well, cook on medium flame till the water from sugar evaporates.

6) Add Elaichi powder, mix well and Viola!!! The Halwa is ready!!!

Notes:

1) There are different methods of making this halwa.You can add khoya or condesed milk and cook carrots in pressure cooker or microwave. But for me nothing beats taste of this halwa, where the carrots are cooked in the milk directly....Heavenly!!!!

2) You can make it and store it in fridge for up to a week. I am sure you must be able to freeze it, though never tried it.

3) Even without sugar this tastes good. so if you want to avoid sugar you can do that by reducing the amount of sugar or by completely skipping it.