Bottle gourd And Chana Dal Recipe ( Lauki Aur Chana ki Dal or Sabji )

Hello friends,

Namaskar....

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

# Friends.... summer is going on and seasonal bottle gourd is abundant in the market. This Lauki ( doodhi, ghiya ) has always been one of the healthiest vegetables. It is full of water and helps in hydrate our body and helps in weight loss.

# Chana dal is high in fibre and is an excellent source of vegetarian protein.
So the combination of these nutritious food is super healthy.
Chana dal is also called "Split Bengal Gram" and "Split Chickpeas".

# In Indian kitchen this "Lauki and Chana dal curry" is prepared once in a week or alternatively.

# The taste and flavours of this "Chana dal curry" is as delicious like chickpeas or chole but this bottle gourd makes this chana dal more healthy.

# Let us start the recipe of " Lauki and Chana dal curry"

# Prep Time....7 minutes
# Cook Time.....20 minutes
# Calories....230 gram
# Person...2 to 3

# Ingredients for pressure cook

1. Chana dal.....70 gram
2. Lauki....200 gram
3. Water....3oo ml.
4. Salt to taste...3/4 Table spoon
5. Turmeric powder....1 Tea spoon

# Ingredients after pressure cook

1. Garam masala...1/2 Tea spoon
2. Chopped green chillies..1or 2 

3. Ginger.....1 spoon
4. Chopped coriander leaves

5. Lemon juice...2 spoon


# Ingredients For Tadka...

1. Desi ghee....2 or 3 Table spoon
2. Cumin seeds....1/2 Tea spoon
3. Asafoetida...2 pinch
4. Red chili powder...1/4 Tea spoon

# Method of Making...

1. Wash well chana dal and soak it in the water for 1 hour because it takes time to soak.

2. Meanwhile Prepare bottle gourd or lauki.
Just wash, peel and cut in small pieces.

3. Now transfer soaked Chana dal and chopped lauki with salt and turmeric powder in the pressure cooker with 300 or 350 ml. water and let it boil on the high flame.

4. As the first boil comes....just take out all the foam ( impurities ) over the dal and cover the lid.

Like the following picture...( It is a healthy step or tip always done by our mom and grandma in olden times....when there was no pressure cooker )

5. Now pressure cook this Lauki and chana dal curry till one whistle on the high flame and 18 to 20 minutes on the sim flame.

Just off the flame as you smells good and let it pressure down by itself.

6. Add garam masala, lemon juice and chopped coriander leaves.

Chopped green chillies and ginger are optional...if you like.

7. Lastly transfer the tadka in this curry.

For making Tadka...

Add ghee or oil in the tadka pan...as it heats up...just add cumin seeds and asafoetida to crackle.

Off the flame...as it cools down a little then add red chilli powder to avoid from burning.

In this way.... "Delicious Lauki And Chana Dal Curry" is ready to enjoy.

# Note....

# Soak the Chana dal sufficiently....at least 1 hour...it will lessen the cooking time and make soft.

# One Tip more... beans, grains, pulses, Kabuli chana etc.if soaked in less water then it takes less time in soaking.

# You can replace lauki into Tinda, Zucchini and more veggies.

# like chole...lemon juice enhances the taste of this curry.

In absence...use amchur powder or tomatoes.

# You can make its dry curry using less water but usually it is consumed as  a main dipping dish in the lunch or dinner.

Thanku Friends.

Thanks again.

Kalakand Milk... Popular Indian Sweet

Hello friends,

Namaskar....

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

# Kalakand is a popular Indian Sweet made by reducing milk and sugar.

Kalakand is much preferred for its moist and delicate grainy texture that is produced by using alum or lemon juice.

#  It is widely sold in sweet stalls. It is made by simmering milk for a long time using alum to form solids by halwais.

#  So kalakand Barfi is not commonly made in households. People refrain from making it at home.

# But today I am sharing with you a quick and simple method of making this Kalakand Barfi. Through which you can make it easily with milk only..

# Prep Time...5 minutes

# Cook Time....45 to 50 minutes

# Serving....6

# It needs few ingredients.They are as follows....

#  Ingredients....

1. Milk.......1 1/2 liter

2. Sugar.....150 gram

3. Lemon juice....3 Table spoon ( khaane wali chammach )

4. Cardamom powder...1/2 Tea spoon

5. Some chopped pistachios for garnishing....2 Table spoon

# Method of Making...

#  Boil the milk in a heavy bottomed kadhai on the high flame.

# As the milk starts boiling, set the flame on the medium and stir the milk constantly  or 1 or 2 minutes intervals from the all sides.

In this way, you have to stir the milk till it remain half or 50 percent.

# This stirring process of milk will take 30 to 35 minutes.

As the milk reduces half...just off the flame.

# Now add 3 spoon lemon juice with 3 spoon water....as it starts cursing...just add sugar and mix.

Cover it with a plate and let it sit for 1 hour.

# After 1 hour...you will find grainy texture of kalakand as is needed for the recipe.

Just see the picture below.

# Now on the flame...stir the mixture of Kalakand constantly on the medium high flame.

Just half cover the kadhai with a plate avoiding from hot drops of it.

#This total stirring will take 10 to 12 minutes.

As it comes in the form of Barfi dough... immediately off the flame.

Don't overcook it. Because later as it cools down....it will become more thick.

The Picture is below...

# Just transfer it in a greased tray or container and level it with a greased wooden spoon or greased bowl.

# Sprinkle some chopped pistachios and almonds and press them with a spatula to fix.

# Let it rest for few hours for good results.

In this way,  Delicious Kalakand Barfi is ready in less time and without troubles.

# Note...

1 Always cook sweets in a heavy bottomed kadhai because it tastes better and avoids sticking.

2. Adding a little water in lemon juice makes the curdling slow in forming solids.

3. Accordingly you can adjust the amount of milk for desired kalakand more or less.

Suppose...

1 kg. Milk needs....100 gram sugar and 2 spoon lemon juice

1/2 kg.  Milk needs 50 gram sugar and 1 spoon lemon juice.

4. Don't overcook the dough of Kalakand. It should be little soft....later it will become tight itself.

Transferring in the refrigerator...you can eat it for a week.

Thanku friends for your liking.

Thanks again.

Lemon And Green Chillies Pickle ( Neembu Aur Hari Mirch Ka Swadist Achar )

Hello friends,

Namaskar..

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

# "Pickles or Achar" plays an important role in our Indian cuisine. It not only enhances the taste of our any meal but also makes the food digestive due to its super healthy spices like turmeric powder, asafoetida, fenugreek seeds etc.

# Today's recipe is a tangy...sour and spicy pickle recipe of..."Lemon and green chillies Pickle".

# you can make it instantly with very few ingredients available at home without any trouble.

# Let us start the recipe of "Instant Lemon and green chillies Pickle"....

# Course.... side dish

# Cuisine.... Indian

# Prep Time....15 minutes

# Cook Time.....3 minutes

# Person...10 to 15

# Ingredients For The Pickle...

1.  Yellow Lemon....100 gram

2. Green chillies....125 gram

3. Mustard oil....50 ml.or 4 Table spoon

4.Turmeric powder...1 Table spoon ( haldi )

5. Fenugreek seeds....1 Table spoon (Methi )

6. Asafoetida....1/2 Tea spoon or 3 pinch ( heeng )

7. Fennel seeds....3 Table spoon ( saunf )

8. Sendha Salt....2 1/2  Table spoon

# Method of Making....

1. Firstly wash lemons well. Make it dry with a clean cloth. 

 Keep aside 1 lemon....then cut other lemons in  8 small pieces equally seperating its seeds.

Just look at the following picture...

2. Then sprinkle 1/2 spoon turmeric powder and 3/4 spoon salt over the pieces of lemon....mix well and transfer it in a clean glass bottle or bowl and add 1 lemon juice which we kept aside before.....so that lemon pieces could become soft and bitterless with its skin.

3. Let the lemon pieces rest for 3 or 4 days on the kitchen counter.

keep on shaking the jar of lemons daily...it will help in making it soft quickly.

4.After 3 days....just get ready your green chillies for the pickle.

For this....wash the green chillies ( small green chillies always available in the market ) well in the water. 

Wipe them with a clean cloth.

Cut them in 2 pieces seperating the stalks of it....as shown in the following picture or as your choice.

Now spread it under the fan for 1or 2 hour so that all the moisture could come out.

5. Meanwhile roast the fenugreek seeds in a hot  frying pan or kadhai for 30 or 40 seconds till a nice aroma.

Just grind it coarsely in the mixer jar or immam dasta ( pestle )

Take out in a bowl.

Then grind the fennel seeds coarsely but without roasting....it will bring a nice texture and taste.

6. Just heat a pan or silver kadhai with oil on the medium flame.

As the oil heats up...just add asafoetida and fenugreek powder to sizzle.

Sim the flame and  add turmeric powder, salt then lemon pieces from the  jar and mix well for 1 minute only.

7. Now you will see that lemon pieces have become more soft and fluffy....just add green chillies...stir it with oil and lemons for a minute.

8. Lastly add fennel seeds powder in the pickle and again stir it for a minute.

Just off the flame.

9. Take out in a bowl. As it cools down completely.... transfer it in the sterilized food  jar. ( Jar washed with hot water and dried in sun )

In this way, delicious pickle of lemon and green chillies is ready to enjoy.

Transferring in the refrigerator...you can eat it for 10 to 15 days.

# You can make this pickle any time because lemons and green chillies are always available in the market.

So it is usually made fresh.

But if you want to store it for more time....then add a little vinegar and oil in this pickle.

It will enhance its self life.

# Note...

1. While making pickle.... lemons and green chillies should be fresh, well washed and dried.

No moisture should be there.

It will maintain its taste, nutrients and self life.

2. Don't over heat the oil at the smoking point....just check it by dropping a cumin seed or methi dana....if it starts sizzling...it is enough.

It again will bring a nice texture,  taste and aroma.

3. If anyway, your lemon pieces are hard.. not get soft.... don't worry ..just after adding the lemon pieces in the oil....let it cook for 2 minutes in the steam covered with a plate.

You also can put a weight over it like traditional cooking of our mother and grandmother.

Soon you will find your lemons fluffy and soft.

4. After making the pickle in any pan...just take out it in a bowl. Don't leave it.

This step will maintain a nice texture.

5. Better to store the pickle in a glass bottle or jar....it is more healthy and helps in maintaining its self life.

https://youtu.be/T7qji29n2HE

Thanku friends.

Thanks again.

Poha Bhel / Indian breakfast recipe / kids friendly

Hello friends,

Namaskar....

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

# Today I am presenting a very simple but delicious and healthy recipe of "Poha Bhel". Poha is flattened or beaten rice in English.

It can be prepared in no time with few home ingredients so it is mostly prepared by people in the breakfast and sometimes in the evening at tea time.

# Course... breakfast

# Cuisine.... Indian

# prep Time....5 minutes

# Cook Time...2 or 3 minutes.

# For person...2

# Let us start the recipe...

# Ingredients For Poha Bhel.....

1. Poha or flattened rice....100 gram

2. Boiled potatoes...1or 2

3. Tomatoes.....1 or 2

4. Onion...1 ( optional )

5. Coriander leaves...1Table spoon

6. Desi ghee or oil.....2 Table spoon

7. Mustard seeds...1 Tea spoon

8. Curry patta....10 to 15

9. Turmeric powder....1/4th Tea spoon

10. Salt to taste or 3/4 Table spoon

11. Lemon juice.... Half lemon 

12. Mix Namkeen...half bowl or 50 gram

13. Peanuts...15 to 20 as required

14. Sprouted moong....30 gram

14. Green chillies...1 or 2

# Method Of Making....

# Firstly clean and wash poha well in an open water in a soup strainer and let it rest for 20 minutes so that it would become soft, fluffy and seperated.

# Now Keep ready other ingredients.....chop the tomatoes, Onion, green chillies,  and potatoes in  small pieces like "Bhel poori"... Indian street Chaat.

# Place a kadhai with 2 table spoon oil on the medium flame.

As the oil heats up, just add mustard seeds to crackle and then curry leaves to sizzle.

# Then add peanuts and fry a little brown and crunchy.

( You can skip peanuts if you have peanuts mixture namkeen )

# Just add turmeric powder and salt to taste and immediately add soaked poha and sprouted moong and fry it well so that all spices could mix well with poha.

Fry poha well for 2 minutes only.

Just off the flame.

Poha is ready.

# Now trasfer this hot poha in a plate.

Mix some chopped tomatoes, boiled potatoes, Onion, Namkeen, coriander leaves and little lemon juice to taste.

In this way... Delicious and healthy  "poha Bhel"...a famous Indian breakfast recipe is  ready to enjoy.

It is liked by both kids and elders equally.

# Note...

1. Poha should be soft and seperated before frying.

If you find that poha is little hard then dip poha in the water and immediately strain it.

2. For making sprouted moong....just soak moong over night. Next day transfer it in a strainer covered with a plate... sprinkle a little water.

Let it rest whole day and night...now you will find well sprouted moong grains.

3. You can add so many things of your choice in this recipe like roasted cashews, raisins, chutney and sauce etc.

4. You also can add chopped and boiled potatoes after adding salt and turmeric as choice.

5. Ready made Namkeen already contains  spices and salt..if you like more then can sprinkle a little chaat masala in this recipe.

Thanks and regards.

Thanks again.

Kadha...An Ayurvedic Drink To Boost the Immune System And To Treat The seasonal Infections Like Cold, Cough And Flu.

Hello friends,

Namaskar....

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

# Today I am present with a demanding recipe of "Kadha" a healthy Ayurvedic drink,  in strengthening the immune system to fight against Covid 19 and to treat seasonal Infections like cold, cough, Flu, throat pain etc.

# Infact Our Respected Prime Minister "Shri Narendra Modi Ji" himself advised the citizens to consume "Hot water" ( very beneficial to overall health ) and "Kadha"frequently..one or twice a day to boost the immune system.

# Let us start the recipe of "Kadha"...

The following recipe is for 1 person. You can add more amount accordingly.

# Ingredients....

1. Cinnamon....2 pinch or half stick

2. Dry Ginger powder.....1/2 tea spoon or half inch ginger piece or adrak

3. Basil leaves ( Tulsi ji )...6 or 7

4. Black pepper....2 pinch or 5 to 6

5. Black Raisins or Munakka...7 to 8

Lemon, honey and jaggery are optional. You can add a little.

#  Method of making....

1. Take 250 ml.water in a pan and get it boil. 

2. Add all the ingredients like cinnamon, black pepper, ginger, ( crushed or in powder form ) basil leaves and black munakka.

3. Slow the flame and let it simmer till half quantity. Off the flame and cover it with a plate.

4. As it becomes luke warm... just intake it little by little.

In this way,  your home made immunity booster drink is ready to be consumed.

# Besides the following guidelines as....

1. Wash hands frequently

2. Always use Mask and Sanitizer

3. Follow social distance....1 meter distance

4. Stay at home.

"The Turmeric Milk" is also very beneficial for overall health. 

# Turmeric is an old Indian spice with powerful medicinal compound which helps protect cells from damage, fight off diseases and infections.

# It is loaded with anti oxidants and has anti bacterial, anti-viral and anti fungal properties... so helps in joint pain, inflammation and heart disease.

Turmeric milk is called golden milk due to its benefits.

# It is an alternative to boost immune system so it is also recommend by Ayush Doctors against Corona Virus.

# How to prepare this Turmeric Milk....

Just take 150 ml.milk. Get it boil and mix 1/4 tea spoon of turmeric. 

Beat it well or make it boil again for 2 minutes.

As it becomes luke warm....just consume it.

You can take it anytime...day or night as comfortable.

# Besides this...do exercise, yoga and Pranayam daily. It will also help to boost immune system and overall health.

# Note...

If a person is diabetic...then skip black munakka or kishmish in this recipe.

Thanks and regards.

Traditional Coconut Paagh Panjiri ( Janmashtami Gola paagh without Mawa )

Royal Ginger Pickle ( Adrak Ka Shahi Achar )

Hello friends,
Namaskar...

I am Sangeeta Agarwal and heartily welcome you at my food blog.

# "Sweet Ginger Pickle" is a very delicious and healthy Pickle recipe. It will not only enhance the taste and flavour of your food but also will help in the digestion of your food.

#  Ginger is among the healthiest and most delicious spices on the planet. It contains 'Gingerol', a substance with powerful medicinal properties.
It reduces muscle pain and osteoarthritis.

#  Ginger also helps in constipation and weight loss. Due to its unique benefits and flavour ginger is added in almost all the food.
Chutney, Curry, soups etc.are incomplete without ginger.

# Ginger is much used in the monsoon ( rainy season ) and winter. ...and this is the best time for Ginger Pickle because
Pickled ginger or young ginger is available in the market during these seasons.

# The sign of the young ginger is that its skin is very thin, tender, easy to peel and has a fine fleshly texture.
It is found in very light brown and pink colour.

# Let us start the recipe of "Royal Ginger Pickle".....

#  Prep Time....25 minutes
#  Cook Time...7 minutes
#  Total Time...25 to 30 minutes

#  Ingredients for "Sweet Ginger Pickle"...

1. Fresh ginger....150 gram
2. Fresh Lemon....250 gram
3. Sugar....250 gram
4. Dates dried...60 gram ( chhuhaara )
5. Raisins....30 gram
6. Rock salt...1 Tea spoon
7. Black salt....1 Tea spoon
8. Coarsed black pepper....1/2 Tea spoon
9. Roasted cumin powder...1 Table spoon
10. Red chili powder...1/2 Tea spoon
11. Garam masala....1/2 Tea spoon
12. Asafoetida....1/2 pinch

#  Method Of Making...

1. Firstly, wash and clean the dirt of ginger in the flowing water and wipe out with a clean cotton fabric.
Wash and clean the lemons also in the same way.

2. Let it dry under the fan for 2 hours or overnight.

3. Now peel or scratch it slightly with the help of a knife, spoon or peeler.

4. Cut the ginger in stripes length wise and again place it under the fan for sometime so that if there is any moisture left out...could remove.
( Don't make it dry in the sunlight )

5. Wash and clean the raisins ( kishmish ) and dried dates ( chhuhaara ) in the water placing in a strainer.

6. Spread out the raisins on a cotton cloth under the fan for some time.

7. Then place the chhuhaara in a pressure cooker on the high flame with 200 ml.water.
Let it boil till one whistle and 5 minutes more on slow flame.
Let it pressure down by itself.

8. Meanwhile take out the juice of all lemons by squeezing them with the help of your hands or with the help of a lemon squeezer.

9. Transfer all the juice of lemons in a big glass bowl or cheeni mitti bowl ( martvan ) for making the ginger Pickle.

10. Now drain out the boiled chhuhaara in a strainer.
Let it cool completely under the fan.
Then remove its cap and cut it into thin strips length wise like ginger.

11. Keep ready all the spices like... rock salt, black salt, black pepper, red chili powder, asafoetida, garam masala, roasted cumin powder, measured sugar etc

12. Now everything is ready for making the delicious pickle of ginger.
Just transfer all the ingredients in the lemons juice one by one and mix well or toss it.

13. Cover the Pickle with a plate or with its lid.
After few hours stir or toss the Pickle again so that all the spices and sugar will dissolve in the ginger well.

In this way, "Royal Pickle of ginger" is ready to enjoy.

Just place it in the sunlight ( Dhoop ) for 3 days if available at your home... otherwise leave it in a dry place and stir it two times a day for 3 days only.

You can eat it from the next day with roti, Parantha, poori and mathri.

This Pickle of ginger can go long till a year on the room temperature.

#  Note....

1. For any pickle...all ingredients should be fresh. It will enhance the taste and self life of Pickle.

2. Much better if Pickle jar is of glass or cheeni mitti martvan.
It should be well cleaned with boiling water and dried in the sunlight.

3. You can add or less all ingredients as your taste and choice.

4. With the squeezed peels of lemons, you can make another delicious and healthy Pickle of lemon...that is called....
" Neembu ke chilkon ka Achar" or just put these lemons peel in your drinking water for few hours.....and enjoy this flavoured and healthy water.

Thanku Friends,
Thanks again.