Lauki Kofta

Hello All

After a 15 days break ... I am back again... :) :).. hope you all missed my post ;) :).... 

Everytime when I take name of Bottle gourd or lauki... in front of my husband he makes a weird face...as if I took name of some weird thing.... In the same way whenever we go for grocery shopping... and If I touch the Bottlegourd to put in the basket... his expression will change immediately :) :).... The same happened with me in my childhood.... I was never in favour of such veggies like bottle gourd, snake gourd , etc... But then my mom came out with yummy dishes with these veggies :) :) ... And now I also try my mom recipes and my hubby expression changed from big NO NO to YES YES for these veggies :) :)

I think same happens with most of us.... after seeing vegetables like bottlegourd , pumpkin , snake gourd , Sponge gourd , etc.... But all of us know these above mentioned veggies have several health benefits .... Bottle gourd rich in Vitamin C, Iron , Zinc and magesium... So we need to include such veggies in our diet some how.... and in such a way that everyone in the family eats it with enjoyment :) :) ........

Previously I discussed one such yummy recipe with bottle gourd... that is Bottle Gourd Parathas...  So today will take one step further.. and will prepare other yummy dish.. this time a curry that is Lauki kofta :) :)...  Lauki Kofta curry is very popular curry. Its a deep fried balls made from bottle gourd and some spices. So, lauki kofta means fried bottle gourd balls in onion-tomato gravy or onion tomato peanuts gravy or onion cashewnuts gravy or sesame seeds peanut onion gravy etc.... That is many different types of gravy can me made for this koftas... But today I am sharing a simple recipe with readily available ingredients :) :).. So lets start preparing...

Ingredients :-

Grated Bottle gourd (Lauki or Doodhi) – 2 cups (i.e one meduim sized lauki)
Chickpea flour (Besan) – ⅓ cup
Green chili – 2 
one small  ½  inch piece of ginger
Cilantro – ⅓ cup, chopped finely
4-5 curry leaves
8-10 cashewnuts
Salt – to taste
Oil – for frying
Onion – 1 medium (1 cup)
Tomatoes – 2 medium (1 ½ cups)
Oil – 2 tablespoons
Red chili powder – 1 teaspoon
Turmeric powder – ¼ teaspoon
Coriander powder – 1 teaspoon
Cumin powder – ½ teaspoon for koftas and  ½ teaspoon for gravy
Red chili powder – ½ teaspoon for koftas and ½ teaspoon for gravy
Yogurt – ⅓ cup, whisked
Cumin seeds - 1 teaspoon
Dry red chilli  - 2
Garam masala – ½ teaspoon
asfotedia -  ½ teaspoon for koftas and  ½ teaspoon for gravy
Carom seeds or ajwain 1 teaspoon
a pinch of meeths soda or baking soda
1/2 cup of grated coconut(optional) 
Salt – to taste

Procedure :-

Squeeze the extra water from lauki and keep water aside to use in gravy.In this we can get the dissloved vitamins also :) :) ... Now add besan , cumin powder , red chilly powder, carom seeds , meetha soda , asfotedia and salt to taste to the grated lauki.Mix it well and make a batter.Heat the oil for frying.Once hot lower the flame to meduim.And make the dumpling of your choice shape and size.The mixture will be sticky.Fry the koftas on meduim falme till golden brown.Take out on a paper towel so that extra oil can be soaked by paper...

In a jar take tomatoes, onion, green chilly , ginger and cashewnuts.Grind it in a paste with a minium of a water... very very less water to be used.In a pan take oil, once heated add cumin seeds and asfotedia, salt , dry red chilly.Then add cumin powder, red chilly powder , coriander powder and stir for a minute.Then add the paste from the jar.Continous stir for 10-15 mins until the oil separates from the gravy.Try to stir continously other wise as water pops out from the gravy you can get the hurt...be carefull....

Once gravy done add the water which we squeezed from lauki.If you want more water you can add plin water.Thickness of gravy depends on you.Then cover the pan.. and on the meduim falme let it cook till bubbles coming out.Once done now add garam masala... and yohgurt...And stir well.Then add the koftas to the gravy.. give a very smal and easy stir..Cover again the pan.. let it cook on slow flame for 7-8 mins.. Then close the gas... let it rest for 10 mins... Once 10 mins done garnish with coriander leaves and grated coconut :) :)... 

Serve hot with chapatis or parathas or rice :) :)...

Enjoy the koftas with friend and family :) :).. Waiting to hear from you all ... Share your views.. comments... experiences... :) :) .....Will again back soon with easy yummy tasty but as promised simple Recipes :) :)..till then good bye ..tc..

Mix Veg Soya Pulaw

Hey All Guys

Back again with a new simple full whole lunch recipe or even you can take in dinner :) :)... Your choice of time... but recipe is mine :) :) .... 

Most of the time we fill lazy to cook... like chaptis.. Rolling chapaties... in hot season or humid weather... is a tedious task.... sometime we will be full of sweat... while making chapatis... Yeah due to nutritional value... I prefer chapatis most of the time then rice... but sometimes we can prepare some rice platter also... and if veggies... then it will be good to eat..... Also I added Soya Chunks in pulaw.. which are very good source of protein and calicum... which are mostly needed for everyone... men ..women ...or kids... So again this Veg pulaw proofs a good healthy food :) :)

Also I love quick and easy recipe.... So many times I prefer Veg pulaw... Easy to make... and tasty to relish :) :)... And jst to chopp veggies of your choice and you are good to go... :) :)... many times if I add more veggies will take help of my hubby in chopping too ;) :)... the time when i feel too lazy to cook :) :).. and if accompined by bhoondi raita... its will be like... a famous hindi saying " Sone Par Suhgaha ".... means something like topping on your favourite icecream :) :).... 

If you want to cook more easily.. you can buy chopped vegetables...then it will be prepared in no time.... So now lets start with the preparation of yummy Veg Mix Soya Pulaw..

Ingredients

1 and 1/2 cup of rice washed and soaked in water for 1/2 hour

2 chopped onions

2 tsp grated giner

3-4 chopped green chillies ( depend in how much spicy you like)

2 cloves

1 tej patta ( optiona)

1 small cinnamon stick ( optional)

2 tsp cumin seeds

2 tsp ginger garlic paste

3 tbsp of oil

1/2 tsp of asfotedia

23 dry red chilly

salt to taste

1 tsp of red chilly powder

1 tsp of cumin powder

1 tsp of coriander powder

1 tsp of garam masala

1 cup of soya chunks

3 cups of water

2 tsp of ghee

1/2 cup chopped carrot

1/2 cup green peas

1/2 cup chopped caulifower(optional)

Procedure

In a cooker keep oil to heat.. Once heated add cumin seeds. dry red chilly , tez patta , cloves, cinnamon stick, asfotedia and then chopped green chillies. Wait for 2mins.. add chopped onions and some salt... stir it for 2mins.. then add ginger garlic paste... Again saute till the onions becomes soft and cooked... Then add all the spices... and mix it well... Then add all the veggies... give a quick stir... so that masala is incoporated with the veggies.. then add water ..soya chunks and rice... Mix it .. and taste once salt... then at last add ghee... Close the lid.. and wait for whistle... after the whistle wait for a min and swtich of the gas... let the cooker cool down.. open the cooker..mix it well..

Serve hot with raita :) :) 

So here is the recipe for the days you feel lazy... taste is yum yum... but making is so easy... so enjoy with friends and family and share your inputs .. suggestions.. queries... waiting to here from you all :) :).... willl back again with yet another tasty recipe but as promised simple :) :) ...

Banana Walnut Cake

Hello Guys...

Cakes ... loved by everyone... can be eaten any time.... carving for sweet in night... or your sweet tooth is hungary ;)... the best way to make it relax is by eating CAKE... Cake are easy to make with the most of the ingredients... lying in our kitchen.... also can be made in keep in air tight box... serves good for 10-15 days... So whenever we feels to eat something sweet jst go in the kitchen open the box.. and relish it... in no time... sweet hunger gone :) :)... 

Mostly cakes are made by all purpose flour or maida(in hindi) .... which mostly not good for health... So here I came with a good and healthy version of cake... that is cake made with Wheat flour :) :)... with jsut a small amount of all purpose flour... I can see smile on many of the faces... who are reading this blog :) :)... Yes you all read it right... Cake with wheat flour and that to simple and moist ... fluffy ... no one can tell after eating that it is made of wheat flour :) :).... Guilt free cake with the richness of Banana and Walnuts... both this ingredients have nutritious value of there own :) :)..... So lets start the preparation of this yummy cake :) :)

Ingredients :-

1 or 2 ripped mashed bananas(sprinkle some lemon juice to avoid it from changing color)
1 cup of wheat flour( multigrain flour also work fine)
1/2 cup of all purpose flour
1 stick of butter or 1/2 cup of butter
1 or 3/4 cup of sugar( according the sweetness you like)
2 tsp of baking powder
1/4 tsp of cinnamon powder( optional)
3 eggs
2tsp of vanilla essence
1tsp of salt
1/2 cup of chopped roasted walnuts
2-4 tbsp of milk

Procedure

In a bowl take butter at room temperature and sugar.Mix it well with blender.Now add one one egg at a time and blend it well.Once the mixture looks soft and fluffy.. Sieve all the dry ingredients in the bowl.Mix it well.Then add mashed banana and vanilla essence.Also add walnuts.Once again blend all the things.If you feel that mixture is not as cake batter... you can add some milk... in order to bring in the cake batter consistency.

Preheat the oven at 180 degree celsius ... Grease a tray with butter and dust with flour.Pour the mixture and garnished with some chopped walnutes.Bake the cake for 40-50mins.. Check in between...by putting toothpick in between.

Let it cool down and then cut in you choice of shape :) :)...
Enjoy anytime this guilt free cake... 

Hope you will like this cake... do share you views..comments and experience of journey with me..Waitng to hear you from all... 

Will back soon with new interesting mouth watering recipe... but as promised yummy and SIMPLE..till then cia.. bye tc..

Cheesy Square

Hello All

Everyone loves Cheese.... doesn't matter in what form...  its favourite of kids :) :)... I love to have overloaded cheese with Pizza... Whenever I will go to Domino's pr Pizza Hut... will always order extra cheese on Pizza :) :).... I will forget everything regarding calories... weight ...after smelling the yummy hot cheese.... I think it happens with everyone who is a chesse lover.....

I know we should not eat much cheese products... but sometimes..jst blink your one eye.. and eat ;) :)... without thinking anything  :) ;).. Many times I do the same.... 

There are many dishes with cheese like garlic bread with cheese... then in lasgana a lot of cheese is used... Cheesy stick and many more... but all these takes time to prepare... :) :)

Today here we will discuss a yummy tasty and ofcourse CHEESY Snack... That is CHEESE SQUARE :) :)... Its a very easy and made in no  time with only 3 ingredients :) :).. Kids will love this.. and also you can enjoy it anytime :) :)

My first trail..and I liked it... So let's start with it :) :)

Ingredients

1 cup grated Mozrella Cheese
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup All purpose flour
1 cup ice cold water

Procedure

Make a dough by mixing all the above mentioned ingredients.Then with thw help of cling..cover the dough and keep in refrigerator for 1 hour.After one hour with the help of dry flour roll the dough by rolling pin. Then cut it into desired shape.Pre heat the oven at 375 degree Frahneit.Then bake this Cheese Square for 15-20mins form one side and then again by fliping to other side... Check in between...

Let it cool down and then eat :) :)

hope you all will enjoy this Cheese Square :) :)... So as you see I always keep my promise by bringing in the simple but yummy Recipes... 

Waiting to hear it from you all... drop your suggestions... comments.. views..or doubts.. will surely help you :) :)

Till then gd bye..tc..