Shrikhand

Ingredients :

1 kg. Curd (Put in a muslin cloth and hung for 2-3 hours)
1 tbsp warm milk
3/4 to 1 cup powdered sugar
2 tsp cardamom (elaichi) powder
A few saffron strands
Slivers of pistachios & almonds (optional)

Method of Preparation:
Mix saffron in milk and keep it aside. Take a bowl and put Curd, sugar, saffron mixture and cardamom. Mix all the ingredients well either manually or with the help of a blender. Garnish it with almonds and pistachios.

Pedhas

Vrat Dosa with Peanut Chutney

Ingredients:

Ingredients for dosa:
1 cup – rajgiri flour (Vrat Atta)
Sour buttermilk as required
Rock salt to taste
Black pepper pinch
Cooking oil as required

For stuffing:
2 medium – boiled potatoes
2 small – green chillies
1 tbsp – chopped Coriander leaves
1/4tsp – cumin seeds
1/2tsp – cooking oil
1/4tsp – turmeric powder
Rock salt to taste

For chutney:
1/2 cup – roasted and husked peanuts
1/2 cup – grated coconut
2 small – green chillies
1tbsp – tamarind pulp
Rock salt to taste

Method
Mix Rajgiri flour with buttermilk, salt and pepper and make a batter of pouring consistency and keep aside.
Mash potatoes, add finely chopped green chillies and salt and mix.
Heat 1/2 tsp oil in a frying pan, add cumin seeds when they begin to sputter add turmeric powder
Stir a little, now add mashed potato mixture and stir till cooked evenly and slightly browned
Add chopped coriander leaves and remove from heat.
Grind all ingredients for chutney in a blender adding sufficient water to make a medium thick chutney.
Now take a dosa tawa or non stick pan, heat on medium and lightly grease it with cooking oil.
Add a ladle full of batter and spread it make a dosa.
When one side is cooked, flip very carefully to cook the other side.
Flip back, add a tbsp of Potato filling in the middle and fold dosa over.
Remove from heat and serve hot with peanut chutney.

Ingredients:

1 kg potatoes-boiled, peeled, mashed
1 cup saboodana (sago)
2 tsp sendha namak (rock salt)
1 tsp chilli powder
1 tbsp coriander-chopped
1 tsp green chillies-chopped
1 tbsp lemon juice
ghee (clarified butter) / oil for deep frying

Method:
Wash saboodana till water clears. Soak in water, with level coming upto 3 cm / 1 1/2″ above the saboodana, for about 1 1/2 hours.
Drain in a colander and mix in potatoes, salt, chilli powder, coriander, green chillies and lemon juice.
Shape potato mixture into flat, round vadas 5 cm / 2″ in diameter (grease hands if it sticks).
Heat ghee/oil for frying. Fry vadas golden and crisp on both sides and serve hot, with a chutney.

Ingredients :

2 cups sabudana/sago
2-2 1/2 cups water – for soaking the sabudana
1 medium potato – boiled and chopped
1/2 cup peanuts – ground into coarse powder
** reserve 1 tsp for garnish
10-12 raw peanuts
3 tbsp ghee(clarified butter)
** Ghee gives it a special taste, but you can substitute with veg oil
1 tsp cumin seeds
2 green chillies – finely chopped
6-7 curry leaves – whole
1-2 tsp sugar (adjust per taste)
salt and lemon juice – to taste
chopped cilantro – optional for garnish

Method :

Take the sabudana in a container, and add enough water that it barely comes above the surface of the sabudana. Leave it like this for at least 6-7 hours(or overnight) The sago will soak up all the water, fluff up to become soft and spongy, so it can be squeezed between your fingers, without feeling sticky or mushy. Drain out any excess water, if remaining.

meanwhile, chop your boiled potatoes into small cubes. Take a non-stick pan and add the ghee to it. When it’s a bit hot, add the cumin seeds, chopped green chillies and curry leaves and the raw peanuts.

Cook the potatoes for about 2 mins, then add the soaked sabudana to the pan. Add the coarsely ground peanut powder, salt, sugar and lemon juice and mix well, but gently. Cook the sabudana on medium-flame and stir gently to prevent clumping together. Once everything is mixed, and the sabudana khichdi gets a light-brown color, adjust for seasoning to your taste. Then remove from flame and set aside.

Microwave Method :

Microwave recipe for sabudana khichdi which can make your job easier! Just toss your boiled potatoes, ghee, cumin seeds, green chillies, peanut powder, and the soaked sabudana into a microwave-safe glass container and cook it for 6-8 mins, in spurts of 2 min each (m/w for 1 min, then let it stand 2 mins, then repeat the procedure till needed). Season with salt, lemon juice and sugar and give it a final whir for another 1 min till your khichdi gets cooked. I’ve never tried this method, but I’m inclined to try it soon!

Garnish with the reserved peanut powder ( and chopped cilantro if you like) and serve the hot Sabudana(Sago) Khichdi with a cup of tea for a light and fulfilling meal!

• 1 cup: Moraiyo ( known as Samo, Vari Tandool)
• 1 small: grated Potato ( you can use chopped too)
• 3 cups: boiling water
• 2 green chilies- chopped
• Few Curry Leaves
• Roasted Peanut powder – optional
• 1 tsp: Cumin Seeds
• 1 tbsp: Oil or Ghee ( Ghee tastes better)                                                                                                      (Moraiyo Pic)
• Salt, Sugar, Fresh Lemon Juice- to taste

Wash and drain the grains. In a deep pan, heat the oil or ghee, whatever you’re using. Add the cumin seeds and the curry leaves along with the chopped chilies. If using chopped potatoes, add them now and let them cook.

Add the grains and stir for a few seconds. Now add the boiling water and peanut powder, if using it. I left it out of mine. Stir well, and add the grated potato, salt and sugar. Cover and lower the heat. Keep checking and stirring so that it doesn’t stick to the bottom. When all the water evaporates, its done. Mix well and add some lemon/lime juice if you’d like and serve with some cold yogurt.

Nag Panchami Spacial Recipe

Vada

Ingredients:

1/2 cup Urad Daal (Black Gram)
1 Onion, finely chopped
1 tsp Ginger
1 or 2 Green Chilies, finely chopped
Salt to taste
¼ tsp Baking Soda

Method

Pick, wash and soak Urad Dal for 3-4 hours.
Make a smooth paste of the dal by grinding it in wet grinder. Make sure that you do not add too much water, because it should be a thick paste.
Add onions, ginger, green chilies salt and baking powder to the paste, mix well and set aside for 5 minutes.
Heat oil in a pan or kadhai and deep fry a spoonful of batter, till golden
Serve with coconut chutney or sambhar as a snack. It can also serve as meal.