Rajma Masala

A punjabi recipe that goes well with rotis, parathas, naan and rice with goodness of kidney beans :)

Ingredients:

1. Rajma - 1/2 cup

2. Tomato - 1

3. Salt as per taste

4. oil for frying - 1 1/2 tbsp

5. Butter - 1/2 tbsp

6. Water - 1 to 1 1/2 cup

Spices:

1. Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp

2. Chilli powder - 1 1/2 tsp

3. Coriander powder - 1 tsp

4. Jeera powder - 1tsp

5. Garam Masala powder - 1/2 tsp

Seasoning:

1. Onion - 1

2. Ginger - garlic paste - 1tsp

Preparation:

1. Soak rajma/kidney beans overnight and pressure cook for 5 whistles with little salt and water. Water should be enough to soak the beans. Rajma should be soft and not mushy

2. Finely chop onions 

Method:

1. Heat oil and butter and fry onion till golden brown and then add ginger garlic paste and fry for few seconds

2. Now add tomatoes and all spices and salt and cook till tomatoes becomes mushy and oil leaves the masala mixture 

3. Add the strained rajma beans to the masala mixture and mix well and cook for couple of minutes

4. Now add the stock of rajma and remaining water as required to get proper consistency and cook for 10 mins

5. Mash few rajma with spatula, add salt and again mix well and cook for 5 mins

6. Simmer till the gravy is thickens. The proper consistency is neither too thick and thin

Enjoy with rotis/rice :)

Note:

1. Can garnish with coriander leaves

2. After 5th step, can add kasoori methi and cook 

Ven Pongal / Khara Pongal

Its the most easy and simple recipe. Its just 2 steps, one is to cook dal and rice and another is seasoning. Have a look and try :)

Ingredients:
1. Rice - 1/2 cup
2. Split yellow moong dal - 1/4 cup
3. Salt needed
4. Turmeric powder - a pinch
5. Water - 2 1/2 cups

For seasoning:
1. Oil - 1 1/2 tsp
2. Ghee - 1 1/2 tsp
3. Ginger - 1tsp finely chopped
4. Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
5. Whole black pepper - 1 tsp
6. Curry leaves - few

Preparation:
1. Dry roast moong dal and rice separately until it is hot to touch

Method:
1. Mix both rice and dal, wash them and pressure cook adding salt, turmeric powder and water to 4 whistle
2. It should be mushy, once pressure subsides, mash the contents
3. While the rice and dal is cooked, prepare the seasoning.
4. Heat oil and ghee in a pan, add finely chopped ginger and sauté for 3 4 seconds
5. Now add jeera, whole black pepper (you can add these both a bit more to enhance the flavour) and curry leaves and heat till the curry leaves are roasted
6. Pour this over the rice and dal mix
7. Mix everything well or you can add the rice dal mix to pan and mix well on low flame for 2 minutes
8. Switch off and serve hot! It makes good breakfast/lunch

Note:
1. Can add thinly sliced 1/2 onion to temper/seasoning, this is optional
2. Can add a bit more jeera and whole black pepper for flavour
3. Can have it with coconut chutney or as it it!
4. Can add ghee fried cashews

Ellu Bella and Sakkare acchu

Once new year begins, our first festival sankranti begins. So this year I wanted to try ellu bella(mixture of sesame and jaggery) and sakkare acchu(sugar dolls). Initially I thought doing sakkare acchu is difficult but its not that difficult but requires proper proportions and patience. Since I do not have mould to do sakkare acchu I had to relay on cookie maker/cups to try. The same can be done with wooden mould. 

Ellu Bella

Ingredients:

1. Peanuts - 1 cup

2. Dry coconut/Kopra - 1/2 (1 cup grated/cut into small cubes)

3. Jaggery - 1 or 1 1/2

4. White sesame seeds - 3/4 cup

5. Kadle pappu/Split dal - 2 cups

6. Dish cloth

Method:

1. Heat a pan/kadai on high heat for few minutes. When its hot but not smoky add half cup peanuts and keep stirring untill they crackle. Then transfer it to a plate and allow it to cool. Repeat with another half cup of peanuts. Do not do altogether.

2. Now add sesame seeds and repeat till they swell up but not browned. Transfer to a plate and allow it to cool

3. When peanuts are completely cooled, pour them on flat surface or plate and place cloth on peanuts and rub until the skin is loosen. Blow away the husk and clean the peanuts and transfer the cleaned peanuts in to a bowl (this is bit tedious job)

4. Cut whole copra into halves and grate the half the copra and pour into the same bowl OR

grate the upper brown part and slice the copra and cut them into pieces the size of peanut (I used the grated dry coconut/copra)

5. Cut the jaggery into small pieces to the size of the copra/peanut and add to the same bowl

6. Add the kadle pappu/split dal to the bowl and mix well

Sakkare Acchu

Ingredients:

1. Sugar - 1 cup

2. Water - 1/2 cup

3. Milk - 1/4 cup

4. Curd - 1/4 cup

5. Soft cotton cloth

6. Moulds (i used cups/cookie maker)

7. Lemon juice (optional)

Preparation:

1. Dissolve sugar in water, add as little water as possible only to dissolve the sugar and keep for an hour or two

2. If using wooden moulds, wash and soak the wooden moulds overnight and dry completely before using and assemble them securely and tightly using rubber bands

3. Spread the cloth on another pan/bowl to ready it for straining the sugar solution

4. Use thick bottomed pan/kadai 

Method:

1. Heat sugar solution and bring it to boil over medium heat. Once it starts boiling add the milk and curd and allow it to boil for a minute

2. Now strain the sugar solution. Do not throw the residue it tastes good and edible to eat

3. Now transfer the filtered solution and heat to bring it to a gentle bubble over low heat.

4. Take the kadai out and stir well with the ladle for 5-6 times

5. Return to stove and repeat the process. Do not increase the heat, this should be done on low heat

6. Repeat the process of heating and stirring for about atleast 8 to 9 times or until it begins to thicken and appear creamy

7. You can also check by dripping a sugar drop on water. It should not dissolve and stays in same place

8. This is the proper time and optionally now add few drops of lemon juice

9. Beating it again, pour the liquid to moulds/cookie maker

10. If the liquid thickens while filling, heat again and beat it with few drops of water and begin filling again

11. To remove the acchu, use sharp knife to trim the extras. Do not waste the extras or spilled pieces or broken pieces

That is it! Enjoy melt-in-your-mouth sakkare acchu! :)