PANEER FINGERS

 INGREDIENTS

500 gm Paneer

Oil for frying

For batter: 

1 cup hung curd

1 tsp red chili (adjust according to your taste)

1 tsp coriander powder

1 tsp black pepper

1 tsp ginger-garlic paste 

salt according to taste

 

For  coating: 

6-8 Papads

1 cup cornflour

1 tsp salt 

1 tsp red chili powder

 

METHOD:

1. In a bowl, add hung curd and all the spices mentioned under it. Mix well.

2. Roast and crumble papad using hands. Set aside

3. In a separate bowl, mix together cornflour, salt and chili powder. Add water to make thin slurry.

4. Slice paneer in vertical shape as shown in the video.

5. Gather batter, slurry, paneer and papad.

6. Coat paneer with curd batter, then dip in slurry and finally coat with crumbled papad.

7. Deep fry in medium hot oil.

PEPPY PANEER CANAPES

 INGREDIENTS:

250 gm diced paneer cubes

Canapes for filling

1 tsp black pepper 

1 tbsp cornflour

salt to taste 

1 tbsp chopped garlic

1 tsp ginger paste 

1 tbsp chopped cashews 

1 tbsp raisins

1 tsp sugar

1 tbsp vinegar

1/2 tbsp soy sauce

1-2  tbsp tomato sauce

1 tsp schzewan sauce (optional)

1/4 cup pineapple juice

1/2 cup finely chopped capsicum

1 tbsp cornflour & 1/4 cup water for slurry

1/2 glass of water

1 tsp beetroot powder or red colour (optional)

freshly chopped coriander leaves

METHOD

1. Leave the paneer in kitchen counter for 30 minutes to 1 hour so that it releases the water.

2. In a bowl, add diced paneer cubes, cornflour, salt and pepper. Mix well and deep fry. Set aside.

3. In a pan or kadai, add 1-2 tbsp oil, add 1 chopped garlic and ginger paste. Saute for 1-2 minutes.

4. Add cashew and raisins. Roast till golden.

5. Add salt, sugar, red chili powder, vinegar, soy sauce, tomato sauce, schzewan sauce, chopped capsicum, pineapple juice and cornflour slurry.

6. Cook for 1-2 minutes and add 1/2 glass water.

7. Cook till it thickens.

8. Add fried paneer cubes.

9. Fill the canapes just before serving else it will get soggy.

CHEESE BALLS

INGREDIENTS

For Balls:

5-6 large boiled and mashed potatoes

1/3 cup grated cheese

1 tsp mixed herb or oregano

1/2 tsp black pepper powder

2-3 tbsp boiled corn

2-3 tbsp cornflour

some freshly chopped coriander leaves

chili flakes to taste

salt to taste

For Filling:

1/2 cup grated mozzarella cheese

For Slurry:

1/4 cup cornflour

1/2 cup water

For Coating:

1 cup cornflakes powder or breadcrumbs

METHOD:

Boil the potatoes, let it cool down completely. Don't use hot potatoes. Best is to use one night prior refrigerated potatoes.

Mash potatoes well, there should not be any lumps.

Add grated cheese, oregano, pepper powder, salt. Mix well.

Now add boiled corn and cornflour. Mix everything well.

Take a handful of potato mix and make a well inside.

Add around 1 tsp of grated cheese in it. If you find it difficult to handle, make small balls of cheese and place it in the potato ball.

For Slurry:

Mix together cornflour and water. Dip each ball into it and then coat well with cornflakes powder.

Deep fry in medium hot oil till golden and crisp.

SOYA MANCHURIAN

 








 




















INGREDIENTS
For Boiling Nutrela:
2 cups soya balls (Nutrela chunks)
water for boiling nutrela
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar

For tempering: 
1 diced onion
1-2 diced capsicum
1 tsp finely chopped ginger
1 tbsp finely chopped garlic

1 tbsp soya sauce
1 tsp vinegar
1 tbsp schezwan chutney (optional)
2-3 tbsp tomato sauce
1/2 tsp sugar
2 cups water
2 tbsp cornflour
2-3 tbsp besan (gram flour)
salt to taste
few chopped spring onion leaves

Method:
Boil nutrela with salt and sugar with enough water. Once it doubles in size, strain the excess water.

Spread besan all over the balls.

In pan, add some oil and roast besan coated balls till brown and crisp.

In kadai or wok, add oil, roast onion till sweaty, add ginger-garlic, diced capsicum.


Add soya sauce, tomato sauce, vinegar and schezwan, sugar, salt.

Make slurry of cornflour with some water. Add it. Bring it boil.

Add roasted balls. Sprinkle with chopped spring onion leaves.

DHOKLA / KHAMAN DHOKLA

 



















INGREDIENTS
2 cups besan
2 cups warm water
1 tbsp salt
2 tbsp sugar
1.5 tsp citric acid

2 tbsp oil
1/4 tsp turmeric powder (haldi)
3/4 tsp eno (fruit salt)
1/2 tsp baking soda

For tempering:
1 tsp oil
1 tsp mustard seeds
10-15 curry leaves
2 cups water
1/3 cup sugar

Method:
sift besan and set aside.

In warm water, mix together salt, citric acid, sugar and oil. Mix well.

Add sifted besan little by little mixing at the same time. Add haldi.


Just before pouring the batter in pan, add eno and baking soda.

Steam on high flame for 10 minutes and on low flame for another 10 minutes.

Once it cools down completely, demould and slice it.

Make tempering by adding oil, let mustard seeds splutter, add curry leaves. water, sugar and boil the water. Once sugar is completely dissolved turn off the flame.

Pour it over the dhokla.

SUJI VEGETABLE TOAST / RAWA TOAST / SUJI SNACKS

Suji toast is made with 100% suji or rawa with added vegetables.

It's crispy from top and soft melt in mouth from inside.

Made without deep frying it's a very healthy breakfast or school tiffin recipe for kids. 



INGREDIENTS 
1 cup suji / rawa
1 cup water
1 chopped onion
1 medium sized finely chopped carrot
1/2 cup grated bottle gourd (optional)
1 small finely chopped capsicum

2 large boiled potatoes
10-12 finely chopped curry leaves
some fresh coriander leaves
1 tsp mustard seeds (rai)
1 tsp fennel seeds (saunf)

Dry Spices:
1 tsp coriander powder (dhaniya powder)
1 tsp turmeric powder (haldi powder)
1 tsp kasuri meethi
1 tsp chaat masala
1/2 tsp cumin powder (jeera powder) (optional)

1/2 lemon juice
butter or oil for toasting 

METHOD
1. Heat oil in pan, add mustard seeds, let it splutter, add curry leaves and fennel seeds, add onion and roast till translucent, don't turn it brown.

2. Add finely chopped carrot. Saute and cook till it's tender.

3. Once carrot is tender, add finely chopped capsicum and grated bottle gourd.

4. Add roughly mashed potatoes and freshly chopped coriander leaves. Mix well.

5. Add all the dry spices mentioned above.

6. Add suji and water.  Mix well. Add lemon juice. Keep the flame low and keep stirring till you get thick dough like consistency. After few minutes it will start leaving the sides of pan. Turn off the flame.

7. Spread it evenly on greased plate or in square pan lined with baking paper.

8. Keep it in fridge for 30 minutes.

9. I always prepare it one night prior and keep it in fridge covered overnight, next morning it becomes very easy, Just toast and pack in kids school lunch box.

10. After 30 minutes or next morning, melt some butter with oil, cut it in squares and toast on hot tawa or pan.

11. Serve hot with sauce or chutney.


Pictorial:









1.  Heat oil in pan, add mustard seeds, let it splutter, add curry leaves and fennel seeds, add onion and roast till translucent, don't turn it brown. 










2. Add finely chopped carrot. Saute and cook till it's tender.










3. Once carrot becomes tender, add finely chopped capsicum. 

4. Add grated bottle gourd.

5.Mix well.










6. Add roughly mashed potatoes and freshly chopped coriander leaves. Mix well..












7. Add all the dry spices. 

8. Add suji.  Mix well.

9. Add water. 

10. Mix well. Add lemon juice. 

11. Keep the flame low and keep stirring till you get thick dough like consistency. After few minutes it will start leaving the sides of pan. Turn off the flame.

12. Transfer in greased plate. Keep in fridge for 30 minutes or overnight if you are planning to give kids in school lunch box.

13. Cut in squares or any desired shape.










13. Melt some butter and some oil.

14. Toast.










15. From both the sides.

BREAD PAKORA / STUFFED BREAD PAKORA / ALOO BREAD PAKORA

Bread Pakora is a very famous breakfast or snack recipe mostly enjoyed during winters or rainy season.

I am sure we all have grown up eating this during our childhood, but I saw many people making it by just dipping the bread in the batter and deep fry but when you go to market they will make it more palatable, in market you will find paneer bread pakora, aloo bread pakora being more famous.

Today I am sharing recipe of aloo bread pakora with a special tip to make it more soft and fluffy. You can see in the picture above it's bubble-free, crack free and soft and silky. 



INGREDIENTS
FOR BATTER:
2 cups besan / gram flour
1/4 cup cornflour
1 tsp ajwain (carom seeds)
1 tsp jeera

1/2 tsp haldi powder
1/2  TSP baking soda
salt and red chili to taste
handful freshly chopped coriander leaves
warm water for making batter

For Filling: 
3-4 medium sized boiled potatoes
1 small finely chopped onion
1/2 inch finely chopped ginger
1 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp jeera powder
1/2 tsp black salt
1/2 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp chaat masala
1 tsp kasuri methi
handful freshly chopped coriander leaves
cheese slice for cheesy version

10-12 bread slices
oil for deep frying

METHOD
For Batter:
1. Mix together all the ingredients except water.

2. Gradually add the warm water and make thick but flowing consistency batter.

3. Cover and keep aside for 10 minutes. Let's prepare filling during that time.

4. After 10 minutes you will see the batter have become thick, add little more water to get right consistency.

For Filling: 
1. Grate or mash boiled potatoes. Add all the ingredients mentioned under filling.

Assembling: 

1. Take bread slice, trim the edges, put generous amount of filling, close with other slice, if using cheese, add one or half cheese slice.

2. Cut the bread in triangular or rectangular shape.

3. Dip the slices in batter and deep fry in hot oil.


NOTES:
1. If you don't like the taste of onions in potatoes you can skip it, I feel it enhances the taste.

2.  It's better to use one day old refrigerated bread. Fresh bread will easily break while dipping in the batter and it becomes difficult to handle the fresh bread.


 
3. Adding cornflour and making thick batter is the key for smooth and silky pakoras. 

4. I will recommend to boil potatoes one night prior as it not only will save your time but potatoes will also become dry which will give good result. 

5. Make sure the batter is thick but of flowing consistency. If it will become thin, it will not get coated well and will result in hard pakoras.

1. Mix all the dry ingredients of batter.

2. Mix well.

3. Gradually add warm water.

4. Make a thick batter.

5. Cover and keep aside for 10 minutes.

6. If batter becomes too thick add some more water.

7. It should be thick but of flowing consistency.










8. Like this.











9. Mash boiled potatoes.










10. Add all the ingredients mentioned.

11. Mix well.

12. Trim the edges.

13. Keep generous amount of filling.

14. Keep cheese slice if you want.

15. Slice in desired shape.

16. This one with cheese.

17. Dip in batter.

18. Deep fry.

19. Look at this fluffy and soft pakora.

20. Closer look!!

21. Cheesy click!

22. Enjoy!!

VADA / MEDU VADA

Vada is a very famous South Indian breakfast and snack recipe. This fluffy and crispy vada's goes very well with coconut chutney, peanut chutney and sambhar.

There is only and only one trick to get perfect light, crispy and fluffy vada and that is to beat the batter till it becomes light and airy. This is the only trick for no-fail recipe. 

I used stand mixer which is used to beat egg, sugar and butter for cake....if you don't have one....you can use your hands...this will take sometime and lots of effort.

Do try and share your experience.

INGREDIENTS 
1 cup urad dal
1 tsp fenugreek seeds (meethi dana)
1-2 tbsp water (if required)


1 tbsp finely chopped ginger
1 tbsp finely chopped coconut (optional)
1 tsp salt
10-12 finely chopped curry leaves
handful finely chopped fresh coriander leaves
oil for deep frying

METHOD
Soak dal and fenugreek seeds overnight. Grind to make paste. Try not to add water while grinding if you find it difficult don't add more than 1 -2 tbsp water. The best way to grind is to mix with spoon in meantime and then pulse keep doing this in regular intervals.

Now the most important step of making fluffy and soft and vada is only and only in this step. You have to beat it really well.

I used stand mixer for that if you don't have stand mixer (which is used to whip eggs and other things not a blender or grinder) you can do it with your hands using whisk, doing manually will take little longer and will require hard work so let your hubby show his masculine strength here ;)

Keep whipping till you see change in colour and it will rise in volume.

Now add salt, coriander leaves, ginger and coconut. Mix.

Heat oil in pan, make sure oil it really hot. Keep the flame to low.

Wet your hands. Take handful of batter dig a hole in center and drop it in hot oil.

Fry on low to medium heat till nice golden and crisp.

Serve hot as snack with coconut chutney, peanut chutney or with sambhar.


Pictorial:

1. Transfer soaked and grinded dal and fenugreek seeds in stand mixer or beater.

2. Beat till you see the change in colour and it rises in volume.












3. Look at this, it's looking so fluffy and full of air.














4. Add rest of the ingredients.

5. Mix well.

6. Wet your palm well.

7. Take handful of batter, dig in a hole.

8. Drop in hot oil.

9. Deep fry till golden in color.

10. Serve hot with sambhar or coconut chutney or peanut chutney.

11. Closer look of fluffy, crispy and melt in mouth vada.