Shahi PaneerTukda / Paneer Double ka Meetha

         I was planning to make shahi tukda for a get together, I had some unused paneer left in the fridge, so i used it as a stuffing for the bread before frying it in ghee. 
         This is a rich dish reserved for special occasions, it's a popular sweet in Hyderabad and it originated in Pakistan. Shahi means royal, tukda means piece. Frying in ghee and soaking it in the creamy rabri makes the humble bread a royal fare. Other variants of this sweet, are double ka meetha ( bread sweet)  and indian bread pudding 

Shahi Paneer Tudka

Stuff the bread with paneer. Fry it in ghee, soak it in sugar syrup and creamy milk, finally garnish it with mixed nuts and raisins.  
Ingredients:
6 slices          white bread
1:1 ratio        oil : ghee to fry 
1/4 cup          sugar 
2                   cardamoms (powdered)
1.5 cup          milk
3-4 strands    saffron 
filling:          
3/4 cup        paneer (shredded)
1 tbs            sugar  
1                 cardamom (powdered) 
sugar syrup:
1/4 cup        sugar
1/2 cup        water  
to garnish:   
1/2 cup           finely chopped nuts and raisins
Method:
 Rabri: 
1. To make rabri, first soak the saffron strands in 2 tsp milk for few minutes
2. Heat the remaining milk and sugar in a pan on low flame, add the saffron milk to it, stir it and scrape the sides of the pan often.   
3. Remove from heat when the mixture becomes thick / when it reduces to half  it's original amount.
4. Add the cardamom powder.
Sugar syrup:
1. Heat the sugar with water and bring it to boil.
2. Lower the heat after the sugar gets dissolved. 
Filling and frying :
1. Carefully cut the crusts off the bread slices, spoon 2tbs of paneer  mix on each of the bread slice, fold and seal the edges together by pressing it.
2. Heat the ghee/oil in a frying pan and fry the stuffed bread slices till golden brown.
3. Soak the bread in the warm sugar syrup for a minute, repeat the process with all the bread slices. Now dip it in the rabri.
4. In a serving plate pour few spoons of rabri and arrange the bread slices over it pour any remaining rabri over it. Sprinkle the nuts and raisins over it.

white bread slices

paneer and sugar ....

paneer stuffed bread

fried bread...

rabri...

rabri

Shahi stuffed tukda....

    

Rice Khatta Dhokla with Green Chutney

Dhoklas are traditional Gujarati food. There are many variations of dhokla: it can be made with besan / kadalai maavu / garbanzo flour, lentils, peas etc. Khatta dhoklas are made with ground rice and urud dal. Khatta means sour in Gujarati language, we have to add khata dahi / yogurt / curd, which gives it a slight sour taste.  

Rice Khatta Dhokla

* Green chutney recipe is at the bottom of this post.
* To make this dhokla with (instant) rice dhokla flour follow this recipe: Khatta dokla made with rice dhokla flour

Ingredients: 

3/4  cup               rice

1/4  cup               urud dal / black gram /  ulunthu

1"                        ginger   

2                         green chillies

1 tsp                    oil / ghee 

1/2  cup               yogurt / curd / dahi

1  pinch               aesofoetida

1/2  tsp                coarsely ground black pepper / red chilli flakes

1/2  cup               warm water

1/4  tsp                fruit salt / uno salt

salt to taste

To temper:

1/2  tsp               mustard seed  

1/2  tsp               urud dal

3                        dry red chilli

1  tbs                  oil

few                     curry leaves

dhokla with chutney

Method:

1. Soak the rice and the dal separately for 2-4 hrs. Grind / blend it coarsely with some water.

2. Add the warm water, salt and yogurt to the batter and leave it overnight / 6-8 hrs to ferment.

3. Grind the chilli and ginger into a paste, mix it to the fermented batter along with aesofoetida. Check for salt.

4.  Add uno salt to the dhokla batter and add a few drops of water over it (it will bubble).

4. Grease a round metal pan / thali with ghee or oil, pour the batter into it.

5. Sprinkle the black pepper or the green chilli flakes over it. Keep the pan in an iddly or dhokla cooker and steam it for 10-15 mins or till the middle part of the dhokla gets firm. Take the dhokla out of the pan.

6. Heat oil in a tadka pan, add the mustard seeds and urud dal. When the mustard splutters add the red chillies and curry leaves and fry till it gets crispy.

7. Pour the seasoning over the dhokla and cut it diagonally. Enjoy eating it with green chutney. 

Chutney

Chutney:
2 tsp           oil
3                red chilli
1 clove       garlic
1 cup         shredded coconut 
2 handful   mint/ coriander leaves
 1. Heat  oil in a pan and add 3 dried red chillies and 1 clove of garlic and fry till it gets crispy.
2. Add 1 cup if shredded coconut and fry for few minutes, now add  2 handful of mint or coriander leaves and fry till the leaves starts to wilt. 
3. Add salt and 1 tsp of lemon juice, grind it in a blender and serve with the dhokla.

Tips for taste:

1. We can fry the dhokla pieces in the seasoning for a crispy snack.

2. Use a pan with a lid to steam dhoklas instead of cookers.

dhokla batter

add uno salt and water on it...

   2. Use a pan with a lid to steam dhoklas instead of cookers.

steam dhoklas in a covered pan

dhokla 

                                  ENJOY:)     

                                              

                                      

How to extract coconut milk and coconut cream

We can buy coconut milk in cans from the grocery stores. I use it occasionally in my indian cooking. Most of the time i use the fresh home made coconut milk. Many south Indian gravies have coconut milk as its base ingredient. 

thick coconut milk extract...

To make thick coconut milk:
1 cup - fresh, frozen or dry shredded coconut

1. If it's frozen, thaw it first. For dry shredded coconut soak it in 1/2 cup warm water for at least 10 mins before grinding.
2. Add 2 tbs of warm water to the coconut, grind it in a blender or mixer, squeeze the milk through a strainer or cheese cloth.

To make thin milk:  
Add 1/2 cup of warm water to the squeezed coconut pulp and grind it again and strain it. This milk will look diluted. 

To make coconut cream:
1. Keep the thick milk in the refrigerator. 
2. The liquid will get separated  
with a thick cream on top and thin liquid in the bottom.
3. Scoop out the cream and use the liquid as thin milk in a recipe or blend them together and use the thick milk in a recipe which calls for coconut milk.
  

coconut pulp....

thin coconut milk extract....

                                                            
                                                            
                                                            

Khatta dhokla made with rice dhokla flour

dhokla with chutney

Rice dhokla flour:

We can make dhokla flour in advance by dry grinding 3:1 ratio rice and urud dal. 
1. Wash the rice and urud dal and spread it on a cloth to dry - in a sunny spot outside or on the kitchen counter. 
2. Dry roast the grains, let it cool and grind it coarsely. 
3. Store it in an airtight container. 
Ingredients:

2   cups            dokla flour

1"                    ginger   

3                     green chillies

1 tsp                oil / ghee 

1/2 cup            yogurt / curd / dahi

1 pinch            aesofoetida

1/2 tsp             coarsely ground black pepper / red chilli flakes

4 cups            warm water

1/4 tsp             fruit salt / uno salt

salt to taste

To temper:

1/2 tsp               mustard seed  

1/2 tsp               urud dal

3                        dry red chilli

1 tbs                  oil

few                    curry leaves

Method:

2. Add the warm water, salt and yogurt to the dhokla flour, mix it nicely with the hand and leave it overnight / 6-8 hrs to ferment.

3. Grind the chilli and ginger into a paste, mix it to the batter along with aesofoetida. Check for salt.

4.  Add uno salt to the dhokla batter, it's consistency should be like cake batter,  add a few drops of water over it (it will bubble).

4. Grease a round metal pan / thali with ghee or oil, pour the batter into it.

5. Sprinkle the black pepper or the green chilli flakes over it. Keep the pan in an iddly or dhokla cooker and steam it for 10-15 mins or till the middle part of the dhokla gets firm. Take the dhokla out of the pan.

6. Heat oil in a tadka pan, add the mustard seeds and urud dal. When the mustard splutters add the red chillies and curry leaves and fry till it gets crispy.

7. Pour the seasoning over the dhokla and cut it diagonally. Enjoy eating it with green chutney. 

Green Chutney

Chutney:
2 tsp           oil
4                red chilli
1 clove       garlic
1 cup         shredded coconut 
2 handful   mint/ coriander leaves
 1. Heat  oil in a pan, add the red chillies, garlic and fry till it gets crispy.
2. Add 1 cup of shredded coconut and fry for few minutes, now add  the  mint or coriander leaves and fry till the leaves starts to wilt. 
3. Add salt and  lemon juice, grind it in a blender and serve with the dhokla.

Tips for taste:

1. We can fry the dhokla pieces in the seasoning for a crispy snack.

2. Use a pan with a lid to steam dhoklas instead of cookers.

                                     
                                     
                                                                                

Eraal Kheema / Minced spicy Shrimp

   Shrimp is a close relative of prawn. The larger ones are commonly referred as prawns and smaller ones as shrimps. It's called jhinaga, eral, chemmeen, konch in other indian languages. This eral kheema pairs well with any bread, plain rice or pulao.

Eraal kheema / spicy minced shrimp 

Ingredients:
1 lb/ 1/2 kg   shrimp / prawn
1                  onion or 20 - 25 small onions/ shallots/sambar vengayam        
 4 - 6            green chillies
1/4  tsp         sombu / fennel seed
2 clove         garlic
1 tsp             red chilli powder
1 tsp             garam masala
few sprigs     coriander / cilantro leaves
2 tsp             channa flour / kadalai maavu or corn starch   
2 tbs             oil 
salt to taste 
Method:
1. Mince onion, garlic and green chilli and keep it aside,   
2. Clean the shrimp/prawn and cut into small pieces, mix the chopped shrimp with channa flour and garam masala.
3. Heat the oil in a pan, add the fennel seed and fry for few minutes add onion and green chilli.
4. When the onion becomes soft and brown, add garlic and fry. 

5. Add the red chilli powder and salt.  
6. Reduce the heat and add the shrimp/ iraal mix, stir fry and cook till the shrimp is well cooked and the raw smell no longer remains.

                                         ENJOY:)           

Vegetable Choux

Choux is a light pastry dough made with butter, flour, eggs and water. Choux (pronounced - shoo) is baked first at high temperature and finished at low temperature. Instead of leavening agents like the baking soda, yeast or baking powder it's leavened by steam it creates from it's high moisture content and it's initial high cooking temperature. I took this recipe from 5 fruits and vegetables a day - cook book and modified it. 

Spicy vegetable choux

Choux Pastry:
1 1/4 cup            water
4 ounce              butter
5 ounce              all purpose  flour
4                        eggs
4 ounce              cheddar cheese
1 tsp                   chilli powder
salt to taste
    
For the filling:
1/4 cup                 carrots, finely diced 
1/4 cup                 green peas
1/2 cup                 potatoes, finely diced
1/4 cup                 bell pepper, finely chopped 
1                          onion, medium - chopped
2 tbs                     oil
1                          tomato- small, chopped
2 sprigs                coriander leaves, finely chopped
1                          garlic clove, crushed  
1 tsp                     chilli powder 
salt to taste   

Method:
1. Combine all the ingredients together in a skillet, cover it with lid and cook in med/ low till the vegetables are soft.
2. Preheat oven into 400* f. 
3.  To make choux pastry, heat water in a large saucepan. Add the butter to it.
4. Remove from heat when the butter melts, add all the flour to it and stir it well till the dough becomes smooth, allow it to cool slightly.
5. Beat in the eggs, one at a time and continue beating till the weather looks glossy. Stir in chilli powder, salt and cheese. 
6. Grease 6 oven proof dishes and pipe or spoon the pastry into the dishes.
7. Divide the vegetables between the six dishes, add spoonful of cheese over the vegetables
8. Bake it in the oven for about 25 - 35 minutes or until the choux pastry is puffy and golden.
9. Serve hot.
                                            ENJOY:) 

Vegetables...

Melt the butter...

cook the flour ...

Add egg one at a time..

Spoon or pipe the flour into a dish..

vegetable choux..

ready to bake :)

  

Porulvilanga Urundai / Mystery Balls

       This is one of the sweets you cannot find in a regular sweet stall in Tamilnadu- India. My grandma used to make this sweet whenever she visited us. It has this funny name, porul + vilanga + urundai, which is translated as, unknown round thing (!?!)    

Porulvilanga Urundai

As I said before, this blog is for my daughter and my nieces. I want them to learn about some of the traditional food and sweet i know. My older sister was one of the li'l helpers, who helped my grandma then, i got this recipe from her. It's a simple recipe made with powdered rice and vellam / jaggery / sugar syrup.  

rice, jaggery and spices...

Ingredients:
1 cup       uncooked rice
3/4 cup    water
3/4 cup  *jaggery / vellam     
1/2"         dried ginger
1 pinch    salt
2             cardamom  
2 tbs        dried coconut pieces
* made with unrefined cane sugar juice or with the sap of date palm tree.
Method:
1. Heat a pan and dry roast the rice till it becomes puffed and light brown in color, let it cool for some time. 
2. Grind the rice, dried ginger and cardamom in a blender / grinder to a fine powder. 
3. Sift the rice flour with a sieve to separate any remaining coarse rice, grind it again to a fine flour. Reserve 2 tbs flour for dusting.
4. In a separate saucepan heat the water and add the jaggery and salt, stir it till the jaggery gets dissolved. Remove from heat and strain it to remove any impurities in it.
5. Pour the liquid in the pan again and boil it for 5 more mins, to get a thick sugar syrup, remove from heat.
6. Make a mound of the flour on a flat work surface.
7. Create a hollow/ well in the middle of the mound and add spoonfuls of sugar syrup into it and stir the mixture with a fork.  
8. Make small balls with the wet flour. Roll the balls real quick as it tends to become dry and hard very soon. Coat the balls with the reserved flour. 
9. Allow it to cool and store it in an airtight container. This sweet has longer shelf life.
                                             Enjoy:)

dry roast the rice....

sift the flour and reserve some for dusting...

boil the sugar syrup....

mound the flour...

add the sugar syrup to the flour..

stir the mixture with a fork

hardened sweet balls ready