Shrutikas's food blog

Dahi Vada

Dahi Vada is a famous North Indian side dish that you can enjoy anytime. Made with lentil and yoghurt, this easy-to-make recipe is loved by people of all age groups. This recipe is a melange of spices, chutney, crunchy vada, yoghurt and freshly chopped coriander. The addition of yoghurt amps up the health quotient of this recipe, as it is easy to digest and is healthy. It tastes best when served with a dinner or lunch meal.

So, try this delicious recipe today with your cooking skills.

Ingredients :

Urad dal – 500 grams
Baking powder – 1/2 tsp
Refined Oil – 1 cup
Yoghurt ( curd ) – 2 cup
Sugar – 1 tsp
Red chilli powder – 1/2 tsp
Cumin powder – 2 tbsp
Black salt – 1/4 tsp
Salt as required
Dry Ginger – 1/2 tsp
Green chillies – 2
Chaat masala – 1 tbsp
Freshly chopped coariander leaves
Tamarind paste – 2 tbsp

Directions :

- Wash and soak the urad dal overnight and add it to grind with green chilli ,ginger to a make a fine paste by adding very little water. The batter should be thick enough to make the vada.
- Beat the batter very well till light and fluffy. Add salt, baking powder and beat well again.
- To test whether the batter is ready or not, slowly drop the batter in a glass of water. If the batter floats on the top, it is ready, if not you need to beat it more
- heat oil in a deep frying pan.
- Takesmall portion of the batter and drop into the oil and fry until golden and crisp remove to a plate .
- Drop fried vadas to a bowl of water while they are still hot .rest them for 15 – 20 mins .
- Remove and gently press between your palms so that excess water oozes out. Keep them aside. Finish making vadas with the rest of the remaining batter and put them in water like you did for the earlier batch.
- Passthe yoghurt through a sieve to ensure that there are no lumps. Add in the sugar, black salt and mix well.
- Toserve, place the vadas in a serving bowl and pour the curd mixture evenly all over the vadas and cover them completely. Sprinkle chat masala powder, red chilli powder and cumin powder. Also put a spoon of tamarind paste and serve it.

Paneer masala

Paneer Masala is a North Indian recipe made using Paneer, tomatoes,onions and variety of spices. This recipe is a delicious dish recipe and is a great option for occasions .

Ingredients :

Paneer cubes – 250 grams
Oil – 2 tbsp
Chopped Onions – 2 medium size
Chopped Tomatoes – 2
Green chillies – 2
Cumin seeds – 1 tsp
Cloves – 3 to 4
Black pepper – 4 to 5 seeds
Cardamom – 2 to 3
Cinnamon stick – 1 stick
Cashews – 2 tbsp
Almonds – 2 tbsp
Ginger and garlic paste – 1 tsp
Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp
Red chilli powder – 1/4 tsp
Coariander powder – 1 tsp
Garam masala powder – 1/4 tsp
Fresh cream – 1/2 cup
Salt as per taste
Water – 1/2 cup
Coariander leaves for garnishing

Directions

In a grinder add onion , tomatoes,black pepper,cloves, cardamom, green chillies, cinnamon stick ,cumin seeds , cashews, almonds,grind all together make a thick puree and put aside .
Heat oil in a pan.Add the ginger garlic paste and stir-fry for 30 seconds.
Now add the grinded puree saute 2 to 3 minutes add turmeric powder,red chilli powder, coariander powder ,garam masala, salt as per required and saute till the gravy thicknes and traces of oil are seen on top.
Now add the paneer cubes saute for a minute then add a fresh cream and saute for 3 to 4 mins .
After that add water and cook for about 2 to 3 min. Gravy is ready off the stove .
Garnish with fresh coariander leaves and serve it.

French fries

French Fries are deep fried potatoes hugely popular across the world.In India, French Fries form an inalienable part of the fast food culture and are served with burgers,and others continental food.French Fries are loved by children and can be enjoyed with ketchup. Mostly these potato chips are served as plain salted. But sometimes they also have variants like Cheesy French Fries, Masala French Fries, Mayo French Fries and Sweet Chilli French Fries.Try out this simple and easy to make snack recipe.

Ingredients :

Potato – 3 medium size
Cold water – 3-4 cups
Refined oil – 2 cup
Salt as per taste
Black pepper – 3 pinches

Preparation for french fries:

Wash the potatoes first in water, then peel them.
Then slices the potatoes having 1 cm thickness.
In a bowl add cold water put the slices into it and keep this bowl outside or in the refrigerator for 30 to 40 mins .
After 30 to 40 mins drain the potatoes in a colander.
Rinse the potatoes in a fresh water.Drain all the water.
Now place them on clean kitchen paper.
Dry the potatoes .the potatoes have to be completely dried before you begin to fry them

Frying french fries :

Heat oil in a pan. keep the flame to medium. The oil should be medium hot .
Add the potatoes in the oil .you can fry potatoes in 2 to 3 batches also.
Stir often while frying them for uniform cooking.
Fry till the potatoes get cooked.but they should not brown from outside.light Browning of the edges is fine . remove with a slotted spoon.
Place the half fried potatoes on kitchen paper towels.press paper from top also to absorb extra oil. Cool down the half fried potatoes at room temperature.
After removing this you can fry the second batch of potatoes.
Fry same as like first batch potatoes .
After that increase the flame to a high.the oil should be hot.
Add the Half fried potatoes to the hot oil.
Stirring often begin to fry the potatoes .fry french fries till crisp and golden .
Remove with a slotted spoon .place french fries on a kitchen towel or paper tissues again to remove the extra oil.
Place the french fries in a plate sprinkle with some salt and black pepper .you can also sprinkle any other spices if you want.
Serve french fries hot with some sauce or any dip of your choice.

Crispy cheese balls

Cheese ball is an easy to prepare tasty, made with potatoes ,gram flour and cheese.

Ingredients :

Potatoes – 3 medium
Grated cheese – 1/2 cup
Crushed black pepper – 1/4 tsp
Garam masala – 1 pinch
Chopped coariander leaves or parsley
Gram flour ( besan ) – 4 tbsp
Salt as per taste
Oil for frying

How to make :

Boil potatoes in a pressure cooker. boil it till they are completely cooked .
When the potatoes become warm peel them and wash very well in a mixing bowl.
Grate cheese and keep aside .

Making stuffing

To the mashed potatoes add crushed black pepper ,a pinch of garam masala and chopped coariander leaves or parsley.
Add besan .you can also use corn starch 2 to 3 tbsp . Mix very well.
Add the grated cheese and and add salt as per taste.
Mix the cheese with the rest of the potato mixture very well.
Make small balls from the mixture and make a tiny ball to test while frying .
Heat oil in a pan .
While the oil becomes hot add the tiny cheese ball .
When the tiny cheese ball does not break ,then you can easily fry the others balls.
With a spoon, turn over when the balls get to become golden.
Fry till they become golden and crispy.
Remove them on paper towels.
Serve cheese balls hot with chutney or sauce .

Tips :

You can use either cheddar cheese or processed cheese.
While frying tiny ball if it breaks ,then you have to add 1 to 2 tbsp gram flour ( besan) to the mixture again.
While frying oil has to hot, otherwise the cheese balls may break.

Chocolate lassi

Summer special recipe !!Try this easy to make.This Chocolate Lassi makes you refresh and feel light. You can beat heat with this Indian drink. Lassis is are very popular across India espescially in the north side of India. I wish I could go there and drink lassis in tall metal glasses one day there. Now there are various kinds of lassis made like cardamom lassi, dry fruit lassi, mango lassi, matka lassi, kesar lassi, namkeen lassi etc …… But it’s quite rare to find anywhere Chocolate Lassi you will have to make them by yourself if you want to have them .🙂

Ingredients:

Yogurt ( curd ) – 1/2 cup
Chocolate syrup -1/4 cup
Milk – 2 tbsp
Grated dark chocolate
Sugar – 1 tsp

Directions :

Beat the curd along with sugar and syrup in a blender till its foamy .add the milk finally and pulse again before transferring to serving glass .
Drizzle on top with syrup and garnish with grated chocolate .

Dark chocolate sandwich

Chocolate sandwich can be a quick breakfast or snack if you have the bread.If you are crazy for the chocolates then chocolate sandwich is definitely going to win your hearts .

You can use any nuts of your choice almonds, pistachios,cashews or even roasted peanuts.
The best part is it’s actually quite healthy for you! Dark chocolate actually has lots of antioxidants in it that promote healthy bodies and glowing skin.

Preparation time : 2 mins

Cook time : 8 mins

Total time : 10 mins

Ingredients –

Bread – 8 slices
Butter or ghee – 2 tbsp
Nuts ( almonds, cashews, pistachios)
Chocolate syrup – 2 tbsp
Grated dark chocolate

How to make –

Heat the bread on a pan on the inner side first , when they are hot enough ,turn them to the other side and lower the flame ,spread chocolate syrup,sprinkle nuts and grated dark chocolate, cover it with the other slice with the buttered side on top.
Toast on both the sides till crusty and golden .press the sandwich of top with a spoon .
Garnish with chocolate syrup ,nuts, some grated chocolate and serve it .

Note –

( These can be made on a sandwich toaster also if you Don’t want to made on a pan.)

chhole masala

Chole is also known as Chana Masala is a chickpea dish cooked in a spicy gravy. In this recipe, chickpeas are cooked with onions, tomatoes and lots of spices. A special blend of spices called “chole powder/masala” is easily available at every Indian store.

It is best enjoyed with bhatura (a puffed and deep fried Indian bread) and also goes well with rice, roti, poori etc. Use of Chole is very popular in Indian Street Food and chaats like Aloo Tikki. Its appeal increases when served with cut onions, chutneys, pickle etc.There are many variations and names of Chole preparations with subtle differences like Punjabi Chole, Chana Masala, Pindi Chole, Amritsari Chole etc.

Category – main course

Cuisine – Indian

Preparation time – 15 mins

Cook time – 45 mins

Total time – 60 mins

Ingredients :

Oil – 2 tbsp
White chickpeas or kabuli chana – 2 cups
Onion – 2 medium sized
Tomato – 2 medium sized
Green chillies – 2 to 3
Ginger garlic paste – 1 tsp
Cloves – 3 to 4
Cardamom – 2 to 3
Black pepper – 4 to 5
Cumin seeds – 1 tsp
Cinnamon stick ( dalchini) – 2 stick
Bay leaf ( tej patta ) – 1
Salt as per taste
Water as per required
Turmeric powder ( haldi ) – 1/2 tsp
Red chilli powder – 1 tsp or as per taste .
Coariander powder – 1 tsp
Garam masala – 1 tsp
Chana masala – 2 tsp
Dry mango powder ( amchur ) – 1/2 tsp .

Directions :

Wash and rinse 2 cups of white chickpeas. Soak them overnight for 7-8 hours. Be sure to add sufficient amount of water as the chickpeas will expand in size when they are soaked.
In a pressure cooker add the soaked and drained chickpeas, around 5 cups water and some salt. Pressure cook at high flame till you get 1-2 whistles. After that lower the flame to medium and let the chickpeas cook for another 10-12 minutes. Remove the cooker from heat and allow it to cool down. Once the steam is gone, open the cooker and check the chickpeas. You should be able to press them easily with your fingers. If not, close the cooker and cook for 2 more whistles.
In a grinder add onion, tomato , cloves, cardamom, bellpeppers, green chillies, cumin seeds , cinnamon stick grind all together and make a paste ready.

Heat 2 tbsp oil in pan ,once hot add bay leaf ,ginger garlic paste and saute for a minute . Then mix all grind ingredients and saute till the raw smell goes away and they are light golden brown in color.
Add the chana masala, red chilli powder, turmeric powder coariander powder, dry mango powder ,salt and mix for a 1-2 minute.
Drain the the chickpeas and add them to the tomato-onion mixture, stir till all the chickpeas are coated with spices, around 2 minutes.
We will add the water in the gravy.cover the pan and let it simmer at medium-low flame for around 30 minutes. The gravy will thicken after 30 minutes so add water accordingly.
After 30 minutes the gravy, chickpeas and all the spices would have mixed well together.
Sprinkle some garam and garnish with fresh coariander leaves and lemon slice.
Serve with roti, paratha or plain rice.

Veg steamed momos

Momos are very popular street food in a Northern part of India. Veg Momos, a steamed or fried stuffed with mixed vegetables, is a delicious snack food enjoyed in Tibet region. Momos are getting very popular in other parts of India and you can easily prepare them at home by either steaming or deep frying.
The momos are delightful as a snack, but they can also make a light and satisfying meal for any time of the day.The momos are delightful as a snack, but they can also make a light and satisfying meal for any time of the day.

As I mentioned earlier that there are different types of momos — steamed momos, fried momos and sauted and cooked in water. My personal favorite is the steamed one, so I have decided to share these steamed ones with you all.

Ingredients –

For the dough :

Maida – 2 cups
Oil – 1 tsp
Salt as per required
Water as needed

For filling :

Oil – 1 tsp
Chopped onion – 1 medium
Ginger garlic paste – 1 tsp
Grated carrot – 1 cup
Grated cabbage – 1 cup
Finely Chopped bell peppers – 1/2 cup
Finely chopped chillies – as per taste
Soy sauce – 1 tsp
Chilli sauce – 1 tsp
Black pepper powder – 1/2 tsp
Salt as per taste

Directions –

For the dough :

Add 2 cup maida , oil ,and salt in a large bowl .
Mix all ingredients well and prepare a soft pliable dough by adding water as needed. Cover the dough and keep it aside for 20-25 minutes.

For filling :

Heat oil in a pan .
Now add ginger garlic paste and stir well.
Add the chopped onions and saute for 2 minutes.
Now add grated carrots, grated cabbage, chopped bell pepper and chopped green chillies.
Stir well and cook on high heat for 3 mins or until glossy.
Turn off the heat, and add the soy sauce, salt, black pepper powder.
Let it cool.

For making momos :

Knead the dough again for a minute and divide it into 2-equal portions. Give each portion a round cylindrical shape like . Cut each one into 6-7 equal portions with a knife.
Give each small portion a round shape like ball and flatten it a little into pattie by pressing it in between your palms.
Place one dough pattie on a rolling board and Roll it from sides and keep the center portion little thick compared to sides. If required, sprinkle some dry flour while rolling.
Place 1 tbsp filling in a center.Lift the edge from one side and start folding ,Join them in the center to seal it.
Grease a steamer plate or any other plate with oil to prevent them sticking.
Heat 1-2 glass of water in a steamer or a deep vessel over medium flame.
place momos plate over it. Momos should not touch the water. Cover the steamer/vessel with a lid and steam them for 6-7 minutes over medium flame or until they look little translucent and shiny.
Remove the lid and check them by touching it. If they don’t feel sticky then it means they are cooked.
Transfer them to a serving plate. Serve hot Veg Momos with Momos Chutney or Schezwan Sauce.

Creamy carrot kofta curry

Kofta Curry is a creamy spicy tomato based curry with koftas made of vegetables or paneer.Koftas are deep fried balls made of either veggies and paneer mixed with other spices and all purpose flour or corn flour used as binding agents to hold its shape. It can be served with rice or a variety of flat breads like naan, roti, chapati etc.

In this recipe I made koftas using grated carrots, boiled potatoes, ginger and garlic paste, and some garam masala. For the curry, I used onions, ginger and garlic, nuts ,tomato puree or paste, and thickened cream .

Ingredients

For making koftas –

Grated carrot – 1/2 cup
Boiled mashed potato -2 medium
Ginger and garlic paste – 1 tsp
Garam masala – 1 tsp
Cornflour or plain flour – 1 tbsp
Salt as per taste
Green chilli -1 ( adjust as per taste)
Fresh thickened cream – 2 to 3 tbsp

For making curry –

Oil – 2 tbsp
Cumin seeds – 1 tsp
Ginger and garlic paste – 1 tsp
Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp
Red chilli powder as per taste
Coariander powder – 1/2 tsp
Garam masala – 1 tsp
Chopped onions – 1/2 cup
Roasted nuts – 1/4 cup
Chopped tomato – 1/2 cup
Cloves and black pepper – 1/2 tsp
Cardamom – 2 to 3
Salt as per taste
Water – 1/2 cup
Add onion ,ginger and garlic paste ,tomato ,cumin seeds ,roasted nuts ,cloves ,black pepper and cardamom in a jar and grind them together and kept aside .
Coariander leaves finely chopped.

How to make koftas –

Heat oil in a deep pan or kadai.
Grate the carrot and mix all ingredients of koftas together and make a small balls .
Fry the koftas in the oil till the colors turn into light brown .
Remove from oil on a paper to soak excess oil.
Turn off the heat and remove oil from the pan.

How to make curry

Heat the same pan, add 1 tablespoon oil.
Add the grind gravy paste .
Saute till the gravy thickens and traces of oil are seen on top .
Now add turmeric powder ,red chilli powder ,coariander powder,garam masala and saute for 5 to 10 mins .
Add salt as per taste
Regulate the flame to low and add cream ,stir well. you can also pour water and boil it , turn off the heat .
add the koftas, and garnish with fresh cream and coariander leaves .

Paneer wrap

Paneer Wrap is a perfect healthy tiffin recipe, which you can easily prepare. This high protein recipe is prepared by stuffing a chapati with grated paneer, frenchbeans,carrots ,potatoes, onion,tomatoes,green bellpeppers paneer wrap is also known as Frankie / kathi roll recipe which I m sharing here today is with paneer filling.

Ingredients

Paneer – 100 grams some grated and some cuts in small cubes.
Boiled beans – 100 grams
Finely chopped carrot – 1 cup
Boiled potatoes – 1 cup
Finely Chopped onions – 1 cup
Finely Chopped bell peppers – 1/2 cup
Tomato sauce – 5 tbsp
Lemon juice – 1 tsp
Chopped coariander leaves
Salt as required

For making dough

Plain flour – 100 grams
Salt as required
Water as needed
Oil 1 tsp

Directions

Make a dough of plain flour .
In a bowl mix grated paneer ,onion,tomatoes,beans,bellpeppers,potatoes,carrot ,cubes paneer ,chopped coariander leaves,lemon juice ,salt together .
On a medium flame take a pan heat a little oil and saute the mixture in it .
Now make a roti with the prepared dough and kept aside .
When mixture is prepared ,place a tomato sauce on a roti and place a mixture on prepared roti,now garnish with coariander leaves and wrap it carefully ,so that stuffing doesn’t come out .
Serve paneer wrap with green chutney or sauce .