SPICY Moth Beans (Spicy Matki)

Ingredients:

• 1 tsp Oil
• 1 tsp Mustard seeds
• 1 cup sprouted moth beans (Matki)
• 1 tsp Green Chili Paste
• ¼ tsp Turmeric Powder
• ½ tsp chaat masala
• 1 tsp Chili Powder
• Salt as per taste
• 1 tsp chopped Coriander for ganishing
• ½ Onion (finely chopped) for garnishing

Method:
1. Take a pan heat the oil and toss in the mustard seeds.
2. When mustard starts popping add green chili paste.
3. Add turmeric powder.
4. Now add sprouted moth beans to it. Mix well.
5. Now mix chili powder, chaat masala and salt. Cook for 1 minute.
6. Garnish with fresh chopped coriander and onion and serve hot.

Cabbage Raita (Kobi chi Koshimbir)

Cabbage Raita (Kobi chi Koshimbir)

Cabbage Raita/ Koshimbir/ Salad can be served with any Indian meal. It’s quick and easy to make with just a few ingredients. Ingredients:

• 1 medium size Cabbage grated
• 4 green chillies
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 1tbsp crushed groundnuts
• 1 tbsp chopped green coriander
• 2 tsp pure ghee
• ½ tsp Jeera
• salt to taste

Method:

1. Roast groundnuts remove the skin and grind to coarse in to small pieces.
2. Heat ghee in kadai, add jeera, when jeera starts popping add green chili pieces. Keep this tadka aside for cooling.
3. Grate the cabbage.
4. Mix cabbage, salt, sugar, lemon juice, crushed groundnut and coriander.
5. Pour the tadka over the mixture. Mix well.nut and tadka.

Cucumber Raita (Kakdi Chi Koshimbir)

Cucumber Raita (Kakdi Chi Koshimbir)

Cucumber Raita/ Koshimbir/ Salad can be served with any Indian meal. I simply adore it for its simplicity and crunchy texture. It’s quick and easy to make with just a few ingredients.
Ingredients:

• 3 medium size Cucumber/ Kakdi
• 4 green chilies
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 1tbsp crushed groundnuts
• 1 tbsp chopped green coriander
• 2 tsp pure ghee
• ½ tsp Jeera
• salt to taste

Method:

1. Roast groundnuts remove the skin and grind to small pieces.
2. Heat ghee in kadai, add jeera, when jeera starts popping add green chili pieces. Keep this tadka aside for cooling.
3. Peel and mince cucumbers.
4. Mix cucumber, salt, sugar, lemon juice, crushed groundnut and coriander.
5. Pour the tadka over the mixture. Mix well.
   

Chili Sauce

CHILI SAUCE

Chili Sauce or Hot Sauce is used all over the world as a condiment to spice up meals. There are hundreds of brands of chili sauce but I think there is nothing more satisfying than a homemade chili sauce made to your personal taste.

Ingredients:

• 4-5 dried red chilies
• 1 large garlic clove
• 2 crushed cloves
• 2 black ground pepper
• ½ tsp salt to taste
• 1 tbsp Olive oil

Method:
1. Working on one chili at a time, use a knife to cut a slit all the way down one side of a chili. Open up the chili and remove the stem and seeds. Remove as much of the veins as you can. Reserve a few of the seeds or veins for adding later if you want added heat.

2. Heat a pan on medium heat. Flatten out the dried chilies and place on the pan to heat. Press down on the opened chilies and leave for a few seconds. Turn the chilies over and heat a few seconds more. We do not want to toast or burn the chilies, just heat them enough to draw out more of the flavor.
3. Add the chilies to a small saucepan and add enough water so that they are just covered. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat and let sit for 10 minutes, until the chilies have softened and plumped up.
[OR] Place the chilies in a small saucepan and pour boiling water over them to cover. Let sit for 15 minutes, until softened.
4. Reserving the soaking water, remove the chilies from the pan and place in a blender. Add the garlic, salt, ground pepper, ground cloves, and 1 1/2 cups of the soaking liquid (taste the soaking water first, if it seems bitter, use water instead).
5. Puree for 2 minutes, until the sauce is completely smooth. Taste the sauce and adjust the seasoning. If you want more heat, add in a few of the seeds or veins and purée some more. Add more salt if needed.
6. Take a pan and heat olive oil in it. Add the sauce into a pan. Bring to a simmer and reduce heat to maintain the simmer, cook for 10 minutes. Skim off the foam.

7. Remove from heat. Use immediately or pour into a glass jar and refrigerate.

Diwali Festival Special Recipes

Diwali Festival Special Recipes

Wishing all friends coming over to Anjali’s Kitchen a very Happy Diwali !!
Every year on the dark nights of Diwali the sound of firecrackers announces the celebration of the favorite festival of Indians. Homes are decorated, sweets are distributed by everyone and thousands of lamps are lit to create a world of fantasy. Of all the festivals celebrated in India, Diwali is by far the most glamorous and important. Enthusiastically enjoyed by people of every religion, its magical and radiant touch creates an atmosphere of joy and festivity.

Those who are intrested in making diyas for Diwali can check out my link: http://anjaliscreativity.blogspot.com/2009/10/diya-decoration.html

Here is a delectable collection of traditional Diwali Recipes to help you make this Diwali celebration more zestful!! The collection includes Recipes for Diwali. Choose and cook your favorite Diwali Recipe with love and delight your dear ones in a very special way!!

1. Diwali Faral:
The traditional Diwali Faral items are Chivda, Chakli, Sev, Ladoo, Shankar Pali, Karanji, Anarsa.
'Diwali Faral' as these food items are collectively called, are sometimes the only dishes consumed during the odd 4-5 days. Check out Anjali's Kitchen for the Diwali Faral recipes :-)
Diwali Faral: http://anjaliskitchen.blogspot.com/2009/10/diwali-faral.html

2. Besan Ladoo:
One of the sweet dishes which is like a must for the Diwali Festival especially in the Maharashtrian household are these Besan Ladoos. The term “Besan” in Hindi denotes Chickpea flour and “ladoos” are Indian way of representing sweet balls. These ladoos come under sweet category in Diwali Faral with not so many complication involved in making them. Just few guidelines and you should be good to go.
Besan Ladoo: http://anjaliskitchen.blogspot.com/2009/08/besan-ladoo.html 3. Chakli:
Chakli is one of the most popular snacks in and it is even more popular at Diwali festival time. It has been long been the tradition at most homes to make delicious snacks such as Chakli along with some special Indian sweets for Deepavali.
Chakli: http://anjaliskitchen.blogspot.com/2009/10/chakali.html 4. Lambat Bhajke Pohe Chivda:
This chivda is specially made in Diwali.
Lambat Bhajke Pohe Chivda: http://anjaliskitchen.blogspot.com/2009/10/lambat-bhajke-pohe-chivda.html 5. Karanji:
Karanji’s are flour dumplings stuffed with a sweet mixture of fresh or dry coconut and sugar and deep fried. The health conscious can bake instead of frying. Though preparation of Karanji requires little time and effort, the taste is worth all the patience. One major advantage of Karanji is that it can be stored for weeks and used as dessert as well as snacks. In case, you have still not tasted Karanji, this Diwali give it a try. Here is the recipe.
Karanji: http://anjaliskitchen.blogspot.com/2009/08/karanji.html

6. Pohe Chivda:
Crispy beaten rice flavored with peanut and spices make a delicious any time snack.
Pohe Chivda: http://anjaliskitchen.blogspot.com/2009/10/pohe-chivda.html 7. Shankarpali: It is traditionally enjoyed as a treat on Diwali. It is rich in carbohydrates making it an instant source of energy. The mixture is made into dough and then mechanically cut into diamond shaped units which are deep fried in ghee or butter.
Shankarpali: http://anjaliskitchen.blogspot.com/2009/10/shankar-pali.html 8. Thin Poha Chivda:
Crispy beaten rice flavored with peanut and spices make a delicious any time snack. We generally make this chivda many times in the year, but on Diwali it tastes more delicious than any other time. Our Diwali faral is not complete without this Chivda.
Thin Poha Chivda: http://anjaliskitchen.blogspot.com/2009/10/thin-pohe-chivda.html 9. Rava Ladoo:
Rava Ladoo is a delectable Indian dessert.
Rava Ladoo: http://anjaliskitchen.blogspot.com/2009/10/rava-ladoo.html

"WISH YOU ALL A VERY HAPPY DIWALI"

Masala Dudh for Kojagiri Poornima

Masala Dudh for Kojagiri Poornima

Kojagiri Poornima

Kojagiri Poornima or the Full Moon day in Ashwin month is celebrated as Kojagiri Poornima in Maharashtra. Kojagiri Poornima is also called as Sharad Poornima. In Maharashtra we observe Kojagiri as Kojagiri Laxmi Puja. People stay awake throughout the night and spend time in singing bhajans and reciting stotras of the Goddess. Devotees believe that Goddess Lakshmi keeps moving from place to place asking ‘Kojagarti’ (who is awake?). It’s said that the Goddess blesses those whom she finds awake. Kojagiri Lakshmi Puja is a big event at Kolhapur Mahalaxmi temple. Main attraction of Kojagiri is "Masala Dudh (Masala Milk)". After preparing Masala Dudh, may be around 12'o clock in the night, we keep the vessel on terrace exactly under moon, so that we can see reflection of full moon in it. Then we serve that 'Masala Dudh’ to everybody.
And one more thing is that on Kojagiri Poornima day eldest child of the family is honored.

Masala Dudh Recipe

Ingredients:

• 4 Cup Milk
• 3 Tbsp Sugar or as per your taste
• Charoli (chironji) - 1 tbsp for garnishing

Ingredients for Masala:

• ¼ cup Almond Powder (unsalted)
• 1 Tbsp Pistachio Powder (unsalted)
• ½ tsp Cardamom Powder
• Pinch of Nutmeg powder
• 1 pinch of Saffron

Method:

1. Grind unsalted almonds and pistachio at home, use the amount of measurement given above.
2. Add Almond and Pistachio Powder, Cardamom Powder, Nutmeg powder and Saffron in the mixer and mix all the ingredients very well.
3. In a thick vessel, boil 4 cups milk on low flame. Boil it for some time, stirring continuously.
4. Then add 3 tbsp sugar or add as per your requirement.
5. Add prepared masala in it and stir well with spoon. Bring it to boil.
6. Add Charoli to garnish. (Optional). Remove from flame.
7. Pour the milk in broad vessel and see the reflection of full moon in Masala Dudh.

8. Then serve hot glass of masala dudh to everyone in family :-)

“Wish You All A Very Happy Kojagiri Poornima”

Dussehra Special - Bengali Pyaaesh

Dussehra Special - Bengali Pyaaesh

Dussehra

It is celebrated on the tenth day of the bright half of the Hindu month of Ashwayuja or Ashwina, and is the grand culmination of the 10-day annual festival of Dussehra. This day marks the triumph of Lord Rama over Demon king Ravana. On this day, Rama killed Ravana.
It is also considered to be an auspicious day to begin new things in life. So come and let's celebrate Dussehra along with some delicious Bengali Pyaaesh.

BENGALI PYAAESH

Ingredients:

• milk - 1 litre
• basmati rice - 1 cup
• pure ghee - 2 tsp
• 1 piece - black cardamom
• 1 piece - bay leaves
• jaggery to taste

For Garnishing:

• kishmish/raisinsbroken cashew nuts

Method:

1. Boil the milk, stirring frequently, till it thickens. Remember to stir from bottom of the pan since milk burns very easily.
2. Saute rice in a vessel containing 2 tsp ghee, bay leaves & a piece of black cardamom for 2 mins.
3. Add the mixture to the milk. Don`t boil excessively.
4. Then add the jaggery.
5. When the jaggery is properly mixed, sprinkle kishmish and broken cashew.
6. Cool paayesh offer it to godess Durga and serve. :-)