Tuesday, 28 April 2020

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.







Sunday, 26 April 2020

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.






Wednesday, 22 April 2020

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.








Sunday, 18 August 2019

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.















Friday, 16 August 2019

Soft Groudnuts Barfi ( Moongfali ki Swadist barfi )

Hello friends,
Namaskar....
I am Sangeeta Agrawal and heartily welcome you at my food blog.
#  "Groudnuts" are not less than cashews in taste and benefits. They are also called peanuts and earth nuts. These are popular all over the world for its delicious taste.
#  peanuts are an excellent plant based source of proteins, various vitamins, minerals and helps in weight loss.
So Peanuts butter is also consumed by people.
#  Mostly peanuts are consumed roasted and salted but if you make its barfi, you will find it as delicious, soft and healthy as cashews barfi.
This recipe needs very few ingredients and can be made easily at home.
#  "Peanuts Barfi"recipe is as follows...
#  Prep Time...20 minutes
#  Cook Time....10 minutes
#   Serving....4
Ingredients For Groudnuts Barfi
1. Roasted peanuts....150 gram ( 125 gram peanuts powder )
2. Milk powder....50 gram
3. Cardamom powder....1/2 tea spoon
#  Ingredients For Sugar syrup
1. Sugar.....120 gram
2. Water....60 ml.
3. Strands...1 1/2 ( ek tar se jyada )
#  For Garnishing
1. Silver verk or chopped pistachios and almonds as choice.
#  Method of Making
1. Firstly, roast the peanuts well in the slow medium flame for 5 minutes till crispy.
2. Let it cool for few minutes and remove its skin by rubbing with hands and seperate its white nuts.
3. Now grind these peanuts in the mixer jar for 30 second in few round coarsely so that its oil could not come out while grinding.
Be careful....its constant grinding can release its oil....and it will become sticky.
4. Now sieve this grinded peanuts powder in a strainer. This step will help in making the barfi... soft and mouthnelting.
( Remaining coarse powder of peanuts can be used in chutney or curry Gravy )
5. For Sugar syrup.... Place a heavy bottomed kadhai on medium flame with sugar and water.
6. Keep on stirring it till the sugar melts in water.
7.  Then slow the flame and cook it 5 minutes more till more than 1 strands consistency.
Just check it with the help of thumb and first finger.
The other sign is that you will find big white bubbles in the sugar syrup.
8. Meanwhile, grease the back side of a plate for this barfi and spread a butter paper on it and grease it again.
8. Now....as the sugar syrup is ready....off the flame and immediately add peanuts powder, milk powder and cardamom powder in the sugar syrup and mix them well stirring continuously.
9. Transfer this peanuts barfi mixture on the greased plate and level it by moving the plate or with greased roller pin.
10. Let it cool for 10 minutes. Then garnish it with silver verk and make the cut marks in Diamond shape.
11. After 2 hours, seperate this moongfali barfi in a container and enjoy.
You can store it till 15 days easily because mawa is not added in this barfi.
#  Note....
1. For enhancing the taste of Barfi... peanuts should be roasted well.... otherwise you can get raw taste of moong phali or peanuts.
2. You can add some cashews while grinding the peanutts.
3. If you like coarseness in taste of Barfi...then don't strain the peanuts powder.
4.  If milk powder is not available, then don't worry.....just make the sugar syrup of two stands.
Off the flame.
And add the coarsely grinded peanuts powder in it and mix well.
Just transfer it in a greased plate spreading a butter paper.
5. In place of silver verk if you are garnishing the Barfi with chopped nuts..Then sprinkle them immediately as the mixture is hot and press them with a greased wooden spatula.
Thanku Friends,
Thanks again.

Wednesday, 7 August 2019

Fresh Coconut Laddu ( Taaja Nariyal Ke Laddu )

Hello friends,
Namaskar....
I am Sangeeta Agarwal and heartily welcome you at my food blog.
Today's recipe "Fresh Coconut Laddu" is a very delicious and quick recipe that can be made at home easily.
# Prep Time...10 minutes
# Cook Time....10 minutes
# Servings....6
# Ingredients For Coconut Laddu....
1. Fresh Coconut....1 ( grated 150 gram )
2. Milk....100 ml.
3. Sugar....75 gram ( half amount of coconut )
4. Milk powder...100 gram or Mawa
5. Cardamom powder....1 Tea spoon
6. Some dessicated coconut powder for wrapping the Laddu.....50 gram
#  Method Of Making.....
1. Firstly, seperate the coconut and wash it with clean water.
2. Now peel its black skin with the help of a peeler.
3. Then grate it in a grater and keep aside.
4. Now transfer this grated mixture of coconut in the mixer jar with milk and sugar altogether.
Grind the whole things  slightly in the mixer jar with 30 seconds 4 or 5 rounds...so that it can become a smooth but coarsed paste.
5 Place a heavy bottomed Kadhai on the medium high flame and add this grinded mixture of laddu.
Just stir it touching the bottom of Kadhai so that it could not burn.
6. It starts splitting ...so cover it with a plate but keep on stirring.
7. After 4 minutes you will see that it is gathering and is not splattering.
8. Just add milk powder or roasted  mawa in this mixture and mix it well.
9. Again keep on stirring till it takes the form of a laddu dough.
It will take 5 minutes.
10. Add cardamom powder in it for a nice flavour and mix well.
11. Off the flame and let it cool.
12. After that...Take a lemon size portion from the coconut mixture and bind it in the form of Laddu with the help of your hands. ( I have made 15 laddu from this mixture )
12. Just wrap all the laddus in the coconut powder one by one and place them in a container to set well.
Garnish them with some rose pettals or pistachios as choice.

You can transfer them in the refrigerator for a cool taste.
The real taste of these laddus will come on the next day....when they would become well set.
#  Note....
1. In place of grating the coconut...You can cut it in fine pieces and grind them in the mixer jar with milk.
2.  You can add powder sugar directly at the time of cooking like coconut Barfi.
3. You can add chopped dry fruits as your taste.
4. You can add rose water in place of cardamom powder.
Thanku Friends,
Thanks again.