Friday, October 28, 2016

Paan Coconut Laddu - Instant Recpie

 
Hello Everyone,
 
Happy Dhanteras to u all. May God showers his blessings on everyone.
Here I am sharing my Diwali sweet recipe which is a  very easy quick and instant recipe Coconut paan laddu.
 
 
Paan in hindi it is known as betel leaves. It is served as a meetha paan or saada paan at the end of the meal. Its very good for digestion and combined with gulkand (rose petal preserve) saunf (fennal) becomes a perfect mouth freshener.
 
 
In this preparation paan is combined with coconut and milkmaid and laddu is formed with gulkand filling in the center.
 
 
Ingredients
Prepares 24 medium size laddus.
Time taken 15 min.
  • 2 cup desiccated coconut
  • 3/4 cup condensed milk
  • 8-9 paan leaves (betel leaves)
  • 1/4 cup gulkand (rose petal preserve)
  • 1 tsp ghee
  • 1 tbsp chopped almonds
  • 1 tbsp chopped cashews
  • Green food color (optional)
 
Method
  • Take paan leaves and chopped them finely.
  • In a grinder add chopped paan leaves and add little condensed milk and grind it properly.
 
  • In a pan take 1 tsp ghee  add desiccated coconut roast it for 2 to 3 minutes. Do not roast more or avoid browning.
  • Add the condensed milk and paan mixture and rest of the condensed milk into the coconut & combine it well.
  • Add 2tbsp chopped betel leaves in  the mixture.
  • Cook for 2 to 3 minutes when the mixture thickens take it out in a bowl.
  • If u want add 2 -3 drops of green color to the mixture and mix it well.(optional)
  • Let the mixture cool for some time.
  • Meanwhile in a bowl take gulkand , chopped almonds and chopped cashews & mix it well this is the stuffing for the laddu.
  • Adding almonds and cashews is optional one may skip it also.
  • Grease hands with little ghee.
  • Take small portion from the coconut mixture, make a flat disc add small portion of gulkand nuts mixture in the center.
  • Roll it in the form of laddus.
  • Roll all the  laddus in desiccated coconut.
  • Store it in the refrigerator.
 
Enjoy these laddus this Diwali.

Happy and Safe Diwali,
Amrita.
 

Sunday, October 16, 2016

Katori chaat

Hello Friends,

Fall season is in the full swing ... rain and rain only. Friday evening sitting near the window thought of eating something spicy (chatpata) ...  so first thing which comes to mind was a CHAAT... but this time giving it a little twist made KATORI CHAAT.

Katori chaat
Katori Chana Chat
 
KATORI CHAAT / TOKRI CHAAT is one of the best appetizer for every occasion. Here katori or a canapé are savory bowls made up of all purpose flour (maida) and stuffed with filling  of your choice. Here I made chana chaat, using boiled blank gram, tossed with chutneys and tomatoes ,onion etc.

One can be creative and play with any filling for the katori (canapé). Few options are Aalu Chaat, Corn Chaat, Sprouts, Aalu Tikki or any stuffing of your choice.

Katories (canapés) can be baked or fried. I prefer baked version as they are more healthy but my daughter loved fried version of katories (canapés).

So what are you waiting for  hit your next party with these lip smacking Katori chaat ...

Ingredients
Prepares 12 katoris (canapés)
  • All purpose flour (maida) - 2 cups
  • Baking powder - 1.5 teaspoon
  • Salt - according to taste
  • Ajwain (carom seed) - 1/4 teaspoon
  • Oil - 2 tablespoon
  • Milk -3/4 cup to prepare dough (if baking katoris, it will make katori soft)
  • Water - Kneading maida (when  making fried katories)
  • Oil for deep fry - For fried version (if not baking)
Stuffing for Katori (Canapé)
 
  • 1 bowl boiled Kale Chane (black gram)
  • 1/2 cup chopped onion
  • 1/2 cup chopped tomato
  • 2 tablespoon Green chutney( mint coriander chutney)
  • 2 tablespoon Tamarind Chutney
  • 2 tablespoon Curd
  • 1 teaspoon chat masala
  • Sev for garnish
  • Pomogrenate  for garnish
  • Mint leaves.

Here is a step by step pictorial recipe.

Baked Katories (Canapés)
  • Take all the ingredients maida, salt, oil, ajwain, baking powder, milk  in the required proportion.


  • Make a  soft dough  if you are baking the kotories (canapés) then use milk for making dough and if frying the  katories (canapés) use water.
  • Divide the dough into equal size portions and roll it into a circle.
  • Take a muffin pan  Keep it upside down and grease it with little oil,  now cover the muffin molds  with rolled dough circles giving it a shape of katori (canapé).

  • Pre heat the oven at 350 Fahrenheit  and bake the katories (canapés) for 15 to 20 minutes or till katories (canapés) are golden brown in color.
  • Remove from the oven and let it cool . once it cooled these are ready to serve.  
Fried Katoris
  • Knead a dough using water.
  • Roll it into a circle and take a katori and wrap the rolled dough around the katori covering it full.        
  • Use a fork to prick it so that it will fry properly.  
  • Put oil for heating and carfully fry the katories as shown in the picture. Be careful as hot oil may splash.

  • Fry till golden brown. Its better to use small katori for making these tokris. ( I was without any option here so used bigger ones )
  •  
    
Preparing the Filling 
  • In a bowl take boiled chane , add chopped tomatoes, chopped onion.
  • Add Green Chutney, Tamarind chutney, Curd   and chat masala.
  • Toss them well.
  • Fill katoris with this filling.
  • Garnish with Sev , Little Pomegranate  and Mint leaves.
  • Enjoy the chatpati chat in katori :)

These katories can be prepared in advance and stored in air tight container for 5-7 days.
 
Enjoy these  katories  with your favorite fillings  in your next party. The delicious chat is ready to serve .
 
Valuable  suggestions & comments are highly welcomed .
 
Enjoy & Cheers
Amrita 
     
     
     

     
     

Monday, October 3, 2016

Arbi ke Tikki

Hello & Happy Navratri to everyone :)

It took me several months to convince myself that I can do it and with the motivation of Arnay I gathered courage and here I am and my blog Spice Crush.

Today is the third day of navratri. Here is my first recipe for Spice Crush is Arbi Ke Tikki" dedicating to all fasting friends and family.
Arbi / Colocasia / Ghuniya / Cheppankizhangu  provides a good source of dietary fiber and having high nutrient value. It is eaten during the fasting  also .

Arbi ke Tikki


Three years back we moved to US from India. Initial days went in excitement and happiness then I started feeling as if something is missing maybe it was family or good Indian desi food or something else ...

Being busy with my little 2 years’ daughter I started experimenting with food. One day Arnay (my husband) invited some of his friends for dinner so I thought of making arbi tikki. That was my first trial to this recipe and it was the Big Hit :)

Ever since this my family favorite. And yes, how can I forget this is my Winner recipe in Anand Mela Redmond 2016 :)

Tip: Make this tikkies with love and sure u gonna like it)


Ingredients:
serves 2-3 people
6 - 7 medium Arbi (boiled)
2 tbsp. Finely chopped cilantro
2 tbsp. Finely chopped green chili (If u eat less spice use accordingly)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp Carom seeds (Ajwain- this is the taste enhancer don’t skip it )
2 tbsp. Lemon
2 tbsp. Rajgira flour/ cornflour ( only required if mashed arbi becomes mushy U can skip This also )
Oil for shallow fry

Method:
In a cooker boil Arbi with little water for 2 to 3 whistle.
In a bowl mash boil Arbi.
Mix chopped cilantro green, chhilles, ajwain, salt and lemon.
Mix well.
Add rajgira flour/cornflour if the mixture is very sticky.
Heat oil for frying
Make small tikki with the mixture (use little ghee in hand for making tikki).
Shallow fry all the tikkies.
Enjoy with green cilantro or mint chutney.
Note: if not making for fasting days add chopped onion and it tastes so good

Here is a step by step pictorial presentation of recipe:
Here is a step by step pictorial presentation of recipe:

Boil arbi (colocasia)  in a pressure cooker with very little water. Overcooking makes it too much 
   mushy.


  

Peel  boiled arbi, mash it and mix all the cilantro, green chili , carom seeds, salt and lemon .



Grease your hand and take small portion of above mixture and give shape of a tikki. If mixture
   becomes too mushy  add rajgira flour.
Make all the tikkis.


Shallow fry it till golden brown from both the side.

Arbi tikki is ready serve it with green chutney




Arbi-ki-Tikki Ready to Eat.

Your valuable suggestions and comments are highly welcomed. See you with the next recipe soon.

Happy Navratri Happy fasting :)

Amrita :)