Kakora or Van Karela Fry ..( Kantola ki Sabji )

Hello Friends,
Namaskar....

I am Sangeeta Agrawal and heartily welcome you at my blog.

# Kakora ( Phagila ) is also called Van Karela because it is found in van ( jungles ) .
It is little similar to karela (bitter gourd ) in texture but the taste is quite different....
Kakora is neither bitter in taste nor takes much time in cooking.

#  Its curry is very delicious in taste.
It is full of fiber and anti - oxidants so it is very helpful in easy digestion. It also reduces blood sugar level in diabetic patients.

# prep  Time...5 minutes

# Cook Time....15 minutes

# Serving....3 or 4

# Ingredients For "Van Karela Fry."...

1. Kakore....300 gram
2. Oil.....4 table spoon
3. Asafoetida...1 pinch
4. Cumin seeds..1|2 tea spoon
5. Green chili....2 ( chopped or slit )
6. Grated ginger...1 inch
7. Turmeric powder...1 tea spoon
8. Coriander powder...1and 1|2 table spoon
9. Saunf powder....1 Table spoon ( fennel seeds )
10. Red chili powder....1|2 tea spoon
11. Amchur or khatai...1 tea spoon
12. Chopped coriander...1 table spoon
13. Salt to taste or 1 tea spoon

#  Procedure Of Making...

1. Wash the kakora well.
Don't need to scratch or peel the skin like bitter gourd.

2. Cut it into 2 parts.

3. Pressure cook it with 1 glass of water on the high flame till 1 whistle and 2 minutes more.
It will not take much time to be soft.
Check it by pressing with your finger.

4. Off the flame and drain out the hot water and place the boiled kakore on a strainer so that extra water could come out.

Then cut it again into 2 parts.

5. Heat a kadai with oil on the medium flame.

6. As the oil heats up, add asafoetida and cumin seeds to crackle.

7. Then add green chili and grated ginger and saute it for a minute only.

7. Then add.... turmeric powder, dhaniya powder, saunf powder in the oil.

8. Just mix the spices and add boiled van karela in the oil and stir it well by adding salt.

9. Fry it well upto 10 minutes with a minute interval....Till the oil starts separating from the kakora or you find the kadai smooth and clean while frying.

10. Now add red chili powder and amchur in the curry and mix it and again fry it for 2 minutes  more.

11. Just add chopped coriander and off the flame.

Now very Instant, tasty  and healthy " Van Karela Fry Curry" is ready to serve.

You can enjoy it with roti, puree, paratha or rice.

# Note...

1. You can make this curry even without boiling the kakore.
Just cut the kakore and add in the hot oil with spices and 2 table spoon water and cook till 15 minutes.

2. Add the red chili powder and amchur at the last cooking.....It enhances the fresh taste in less quantity.

3. You can press a little the boiled kakora with light hands for removing the extra water.

4. The proper frying enhances the taste of all dry curries...Without adding extra things....
Do fry it well till a nice golden brown on the slow medium flame.

Thanku Friends

Thanks Again.

Mewa Mawa Pak ( Dry Fruits Mawa Dessert ) Janamashtami Prasad

Hello friends,
Namaskar..

I am Sangeeta Agrawal and heartily welcome you at my blog.

#Today's recipe is "Mewa Mawa Pak" that is specially prepared for the Janmashtami Festival.

# You can prepare this sweet dish at home very easily on any occasion.

# Prep Time....15 minutes
# Frying Time....20 minutes
# Cook Time....30 minutes
# Serving....6 person

# Ingredients For The Mewa Mawa Pak...

1. Mawa....200 gram
2.Sugar......200 gram
3. Grated coconut...1 or 1 bowl
4. Lotus Nuts...25 gram or 1 bowl ( makhana )
5. Almonds....50 gram
6. Raisins....20 gram ( kishmish )
7. Pistachios...10 gram
8. Chironji....20 gram
9. Melon seeds....50 gram ( Mingi )
10.  Cardamom powder...1|4 tea spoon
11. Deshi Ghee....75 gram or 1|2 cup
12. Roasted and chopped almonds and pistachios......2 table spoon ...for garnishing the Mewa Mawa pak

#  Method Of Making...

1. Firstly, add 1 spoon ghee in a heavy bottomed kadai and fry melon seeds on the medium flame till a little golden brown and fluffy. Take out in a plate.
It will take 3 minutes.

2. Then roast coconut till a nice aroma .
It will also take 3 minutes.

3. Now add rest of ghee in the kadai.
And deep fry almonds till crunchy one.
It will take 5 minutes.

4. After that fry raisins, chironji and pistachios in the same ghee and take out them.
It will take 3 minutes.

5. Lastly fry lotus nuts ( makhana ) in the same ghee till little golden colour and  crunchy. Otherwise you can't crush or grind them properly while making pak.

Now makhana will absorb the rest ghee of the kadai.
It will take 8 minutes at least.

6. Lastly, roast the mawa well till a little golden brown for 5 minutes.
Take out in a bowl and off the flame.

6. Now all fried dry fruits are ready to prepare mewa pak.
Coarsely grind the makhana, mingi, pistachios and almonds in the mixer jar for 30 seconds only.
You can also crush them finely.
No need of grinding coconut, choonji and raisins.

7. Now on the flame and add sugar with 150 ml. water in the same kadai on the high flame.
Make a thick sugar syrup of 2 strands consistency.

8. Now firstly,  add roasted mawa in the sugar syrup on the medium slow flame and mix well till without lumps for 5 minutes.
Now immediately add all the dry fruits in the mawa and mix well while stirring continuously till solidifying stage for 8 minutes or as needed.

9. Take out the mixture in a greased container or plate.
Level it with the help of a greased spatula or katori because it is too hot.
And garnish it with some chopped nuts.

In this way....Delicious Mewa Mawa pak is ready to enjoy.

#  Note...

1. You can increase or decrease dry fruits as your taste or availability.
You can also add 25 gram edible gum in it by deep frying well.
I have not added it because some people avoid it in the fasting time.

2. In place of grated coconut you can take dessicated coconut.

3. In place of making sugar syrup, you can make it with powder sugar.
Add mawa with powder sugar.
Stir it well as the sugar melts with mawa and mix all the dry fruits.
But the benefit of making sugar syrup is that....You can mix all the ingredients very well as coconut and makhana is much soaking.

Thanku Friends,
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Thanks again.