Arbi ke kabab

Fasting Day #2

Arbi ke kabab

The fasting is feasting actually. You cook those dishes you never do regular

Here's arbi ke kabab

Ingredients

Arbi /colcassia 1/2 kg boiled
Singhara atta 5 tbsp
Salt
Black pepper
Oil

Method

Peel arbi and mash it with fork
Mix in Singhara atta and salt n pepper

Wet your hands and make kababs

Fry or grill

Serve with Pudina chutney

Malai Kulfi

Happy Navratra to all of you

Jai Mata di

Fasting means feasting.

Here is Jammu's famous malai kulfi
This kulfi is served on peepal leave and is also called Patte wali kulfi.

In Vaishno Devi Enroute you can find local people selling in their small pot covered with leaves.

I have recreated for you 

Malai Kulfi

Patte wali kulfi

Full fat cream/ Malai 1 and 1/2 cups
Mawa 1/2 cup
Sugar 1/2 cup or less

In a thick pan over low heat, add crumbled mawa. Let it cook 2 mins and add sugar.

Let it melt and get mix. Take care the crumbly mixture dont get stuck to pan.

The same as you do for making burfi

Mix well. Let it cool.

Beat malai with spoon

Mix in khoya sugar thick crumbly mixture. Mix well

Set in any mould or individual mould in Freezer.

Serve.

Mixed saag

JAMMU is all set to enjoy winters with lots of local saag and white makhhan, Desi ghee and also the waist meter is deliberately hidden.

Saag is not boiling and blending into paste and then tadka with lot of onion tomatoes to kill the actual flavors.

For Dogra households saag is just chopping leaves very fine. Then stir frying and cooking in its own juices. Throw in green chillies and it's ready with just few spices.

Mixed saag

baby spinach 1/2 kg
Mooli leaves fresh 250 gms
Coriander leaves bunch
Soy leaves /dill leaves 100 gms
Few methi leaves
Red chilli flakes 1 tsp
Desi ghee generous
Hing pinch
Haldi 1/2 tsp
Zeera powder 1 tsp
Green chilies
Salt to taste

Method

Wash n chop all leaves very fine .

In wok heat Desi ghee. Add hing, splutter, Add saags and stir fry and cover. Cook in very low flame. When saag half cooked, add spices and green chilies. Cook till ghee leaves sides.

Enjoy with Rotis.

Adrak instant pickle

Adrak instant pickle

Ingredients

Adrak/ginger root 250 gms
Salt
Red chili flakes 1 tsp
Turmeric powder 1/2 tsp.
Rai powder 1 tsp
Mustard oil
Galagal khatta 1/2 cup

Method

Wash and peel adrak. Cut half in thin strips and grate another half quantity.

In pan heat MO, When smokey, add adrak strips and grated one. Saute. Add all spices and saute at lower heat. Check the rawness of all spices vanish but adrak should not loose its crunch

Add Galagal juice and switch off flame. Let it cool and store in airtight container and enjoy

Alternate method

Soak strips in white vinegar overnight. Next day ginger strips turn pink. Discard the vinegar and use strips and Sautee in oil n spices for minute.

No need to add Galagal juice.

Til ki chutney

End of December is Strom cooking

. It has lots of dips, chutneys and sides for the celebration of new year eve.

Here's a chutney which is Very suitable for winters and go well with salads., fries etc

Til ki chutney

Ingredients

White Til 1 cup
Coriander leaves handful
Green chilli 2
Black salt
Red chilli flakes pinch
Sugar 1/2 tsp
Lemon juice 1/4 cup

Toast Til on tawa

Grind all except lemon juice in sil batta. Add lemon juice and enjoy

Saag mutton

Saag mutton

Winters special

1 kg of Mutton
1/2 kg spinach (Palak)
2 Tomatoes grated
2 Onions fine chopped
1 tsp. of feared Ginger (Adrak)
1 tsp. Coriander Powder
1 tsp. Red Chilli Powder
1 tsp turmeric powder
Salt
2 tsp. Garlic Paste
Garam masala 2 tsp
1 ladle Cooking Oil

METHOD

Add oil in a pressure cooker and heat.
Add the grated ginger, garlic and fine chopped onion and fry the onions for a few seconds. Add mutton and bhuno for, 20. Mins at low heat.

Add tomato puree and cook till oil leaves sides.

Add fine chopped palak nd mix. Cook till palak reduces to half qty.

Add salt and spices

Add enough water. Close the pressure pan and allow the meat to cook until soft. Or till 3-4 whistles

Open lid and simmer till water dries up

Add garam masala

Just bhuno meat in palak till oil leaves sides .
If necessary, add little water to get a gravy.

Serve with rice

Jammu Wali Kachaloo ki Chaat

Jai Mata di

Navratris are in full swing. Jammu is all set for nine days fasting and feasting.

Too much cooking and lots of fun.

Here a recipe for Jammu ki favourite Kachaloo ki chaat. Pure Falahari chaat

Navratra special

Jammu Wali Kachaloo ki Chaat

Boiled Kachaloo (Taro) 1 kg
Roasted ajwain 1 tsp
Red chilli flakes 2 tsp
Crushed green chilli 1
Kala namak 1/2 tsp
Tamarind pulp 2 tbsp dissolved in 1/4 cup water.
Juice of one lemon.

Method.

Peel and cut kachaloo into bite size pieces.
put in mixing bowl.
Add all ingredients .
Mix well with spoon gently.
Serve immediately.

Chaat is ready

Vaishno Devi wali Chaat

JAI Mata Di

Chaats are Indian Heartbeat . You find it in every nook and corner of India.

Many varieties , hot or cold, crunchy or mushy . It's full meal in itself

Almost everyone has visited Vaishno Devi Mandir . You must have tasted Chaat on enroute to Mata ka darbaar .

It's very spicy, fruity and fulfilling . So here's recipe

Vaishno Devi wali Chaat

Ingredients

Boiled potato 1
Boiled taro root (kachaloo) 1
Banana 1
Cucumber 1
Tamarind pulp 1 tbsp
Roasted carrom seeds/ajwain 1 Tsp
Black salt
Red chilli flakes

Method

Mix tamarind pulp in 3_4 tbsp water .
Peel and cut potato, taro root in big cubes.
Cut cucumber and Banana in bite size pieces .

In big bowl , add potato,taro , banana, cucumber . Mix well. Add salt, red chilli flakes , carrom seeds and tamarind pulp with water.

Mix everything well and serve immediately.

PS :- you can add other fruits like apple, pomegranate etc .

KIMB chaat

Dogra delicacy in winters . The famous kimb eaten in winter afternoons

 

KIMB CHAAT

 

 

 

Kimb/hill lemon 1
Salt 1 tsp
Sugar 1/2 tdp
Handful corrisnder 
Green chillies 2
Crushed walnuts 2-3
Charcoal 
Mustard oil

Peel the skin and squeeze out juice. 
Cut into pieces and put in bowl

. Blend salt, sugar ,green chilies ,corriander . Make a paste and add it tokimb pieces . Add chrushed walnuts.

Take charcoal and burn it keep in centre of bowl. pour raw mustard oil in it and close the lid of bowl. Give it a dhuni or dungaar.

Enjoy

Samosas

Winter and Hot samosa with cup of tea. A bliss in evenings

Just make these simple samosas, the truly old style evergreen samosa

 

Potli of happiness.

 

Simply Samosas

 

Ingredients

 

1/2 kg Refined flour/ maida
5 tbsp desi ghee
Salt to taste
1 cup boiled potatoes coarsely mashed
1/2 cup boiled peas
1tbsp red chili powder
1tsp Garam masala
2tbsp Coriander powder
2tbsp raw mango powder
1tsp cumin seeds
Salt
Vegetable oil for frying

 

Method:

 

Take 2tbsp oil in heavy pan.

Add the cumin seeds , potatoes and peas and sauté on low flame till the mixture is crisp and fragrant.

Add salt, garam masala, coriander powder, chili powder and raw mango powder.

Sauté for 30 seconds and Set aside to cool.

Sieve the flour, add salt. Add melted ghee and mix it very well.

Add small quantity of water

and knead to a stiff dough. Set the dough aside for 20 minutes.

Knead the two for a minute and divide the dough into 10- 15 balls of equal size.

Roll out each ball to a small rotis Cut it into 2 semicircles .
Wet the edges with a little water along the diameter. Bring the two ends together to overlap a little. Join and press together to make a cone.

Place a tbsp. of filling in the cone and seal from above.

Fill all the cones and set aside.

Heat plenty oil in a pan. Put the samosas in hot oil,

Keep low medium and deep fry till light brown.
Drain and enjoy

Makki ki roti

Winter is best season. Great desi food all around.

 

The maize flour from Jammu hills best in the world. That too grinded in stone grinding mills ( we call it Karrat ) with the help of Fresh Mountain water falls.

Gajar wali makki ki roti

 

Ingredients

 

Maize flour / makki ka atta. 1 cup
Carrots 2
Cumin seeds 1 tsp
Red chilli flakes 1/2 tsp
Salt
Fresh chopped coriander

Method

Peel and grate carrots . Never squeeze its water. This will help in making dough.

Put in big bowl. Add flour , all spices and make a dough with warm water

You need patience to make a dough. Just rub with palm till everything binds well and you get smooth dough.

Make balls and roll into rot is.

I use plastic sheets to roll a roti.

Put roti in hot tawa and with little oil , cook from both sides

Enjoy

Dogri Sarson ka saag

Dogri Sarson ka saag

Jammu style

 

Mustard leaves /(sarson ka saga ) 1/2 kg
Spinach leaves (palak) ½ kg
Green chillies 2-3
Garlic , finely chopped 5-6 cloves 
Desi ghee 1 ladle
makki ka atta - 1 tbsp
Salt 
Mustard oil (2tbsp)
Cumin seeds (jeera) (1 tsp)
Dry red chillies 2-3
Garlic (lehsun), finely chopped (2 tsp)
Onion, chopped 3
Tomato grated 2
Asafoetida (½ tsp)

 

Method

 

Clean all leaves greens and remove their stems. 
Thoroughly wash the leaves under running water.

Then, finely chop them.

Put the greens in a pressure cooker and add the garlic, green chillies and salt, along with 2 cups of water. Pressure-cook on a high flame up to 5 whistles, and then open the lid immediately putting under running water.

This way leaves remain in green colour.

Turn off the flame

Open the pressure cooker lid and thoroughly mash the greens with a ladle till it becomes thick paste

Add in the Makki Ka Atta and mix thoroughly. Keep aside.

In a pan, heat mustard oil on a high flame till smokey

Wait for a few seconds, then add the cumin seeds As it begins to splutter, add the red chillies

Add the onions.

Keep frying till the onions turn golden brown and then, add a pinch of hing.

Add tomato and cook till oil leaves sides
Add the Saag to this mix and simmer on a low flame for at least 10 minutes.
At last pour desi ghee over it 
Serve hot with tawa rotis

Rajma khichdi

Winters means Mitthi mitthi dhoop and khichdis and achaars

Here Today Jammu's special Rajma ki khichdi and instant green chilli pickle

 

Rajma khichdi

 

Ingredients:

 

½ Cup Rajma
3/4 Cup rice
1 tsp cumin seeds
Pinch of asafetida (Hing)
salt
Ginger strips 7-8 
2 -3 dry crushed red chilies
Pinch haldi
2 tbsp Ghee.
Refined oil 2-3 tbsp

Soak rajma for six hours.
​
In a pressure cooker heat oil on medium flame, add cumin seeds , turmeric pwdr , ginger strips and asafetida and fry for 1 min.

Add whole broken red chilli. 
Add rajma , salt and 2 cups of water and pressure Cook for 5-6 whistles. Then open lid and add rice and rice .
Add 1 cup of water and mix.
Close the lid and cook for another 2-3 whistles​.
Open the lid and pour melted desi ghee.

Microwave stuffed green chilli pickle

 

Ingredients

Big green chillies 7-8
2 tbsp Garlic ginger paste 
4 tbsp dry mango powder 
1/2 tsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp red chili powder
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
2-3 tbsp mustard oil
Lemon juice 2-3 tbsp
salt to taste

 

Method

 

1. Wash and pat dry green chillies and slit them in half .

2. In a bowl put gg paste, dry mango powder, coriander powder, red chili powder, turmeric powder , mustard oil and salt to taste. Mix well. Keep masala aside.

3. Add slit chilies and one cup of water. Micro-wave for 3 mins at 100% power and stir occasionaly.
Drain water and cool chillies.
Stuff carefully chillies with Masala . Again rub them with mustard oil and put in microwave safe bowl and m/w for 1 min at high.
Let it cool and sprinkle lemon juice.

Enjoy

pakodi Raita

Jammu is famous for its pakodi Raita also. Many Halwai shops do sell pakodi wala dahi.

You can buy readymade pakodi too from shops.

Here's the recipe of pakodi Raita 

I have made medium sized pakodis . Generally pakodis are made very small

Pakodi Raita

Ingredients

1 cup besan or gram flour
1 green chili, chopped
1 tsp ginger grated
1 tsp cumin seeds
pinch of cooking soda
Salt to taste
Oil for deep frying

For Raita

1/2 kg curd , whisked
rock salt
Handfull coriander leaves, fine chopped
1 tsp roasted cumin crushed
1 tsp chaat masala
1 tsp red chili powder

Method

Make a slightly thick batter of besan with water, Add baking soda, salt, ginger, cumin seeds, green chilli .

Heat oil in wok, using hands , make small/ medium size pakodi and fry till golden brown.

Put these pakodis in warm water and drain well so excess oil will get released.

Whisk chilled curd and rock salt.

Arrange the drained pakodis on the serving bowl.

Pour whisked curd, sprinkle roasted cumin powder, chaat masala, red chili powder, and coriander leaves.

Serve Pakodi Rita immediately.

PS :- 

you can make pakodi chaat by adding sev, crushed papdi, chopped opinion and chutneys to this Raita

Dried mint leaves chutney

During winters , we don't get fresh herbs .

So dried herbs are always at rescue

We Jammu people dry mint leaves under sun during summers and store the powdered leaves in container for using them in winters. 

 

Here's very tasty Pudina chutney in dogra cuisine

 

 

Dry mint leaves chutney

Ingredients

 

Dry Mint Leaves Powder- 4-5 tbsp
Yogurt- 1/2 cup
Dried kashmiri Red Chilies- 3-4
Garlic cloves 2-3
Black salt
Juice of one lemon

Method :-

In a blender, add dry mint leaves powder , dry red chillies. Garlic and black salt, 

Blend them in powder form.

Take a bowl. Add mint leaves mixture and add curd into it.
Mix it well.

Add few drops lemon juice. Mix

Keep in a refrigerator to chill.

Serve with Any meal.

PS :- If you don't have dry mint leaves, take fresh mint leaves and put in micro safe bowl .M/W at high for 5-6 mins. Crush leaves with hands discarding stems

Dhuni wali chutney

Dogricuisine

 

  Dhuni wali chutney

Ingredients...

1 bunch mint leaves
1 bunch coriander leaves
5-6 green chillies
black salt
1 tbsp carrom seeds / ajwain dry roasted
lemon juice 5-6 tbsp
1 tsp sugar

Method

Blend all with little water in mixer.

Pour in Bowl.

Take burning charcoal in a Katori. Place katori in centre of bowl. Pour 2-3 drops of mustard oil over burning charcoal and immediately cover bowl with big plate. Keep as it is for 5 mins. Remove plate and katori. Serve immediately

Dhuniwala Kimb..

Dhuniwala Kimb..

 

 The old tradition of dogra people to relish this fruit in winters which only grows here .

Distributed in mohalla too because when you give coal -oil tempering, the...
aroma spreads.

Ingredients

kimb /Hill lemons one
mint leaves handful
Green chillies 2
Red chillies 2
Sugar 2 tbsp
Salt
Coal
Musturd oil
Crushed walnuts

Method

Peel kim. Cut in half Squeeze all its juice.

Cut in pieces. Blend , mint leaves ,both chillies, sugar and salt.
Mix this with kimb pieces. Add crushed walnuts. Mix Put a kaori in bowl having kimb. Put burning in katori. Pour 1 tsp mustard oil over burning coal.

Cover with plate. Let aroma spread in bowl .

Remove plate and relish.

Paneer Chana Masala

Paneer  chana masala

Ingredients

Paneer cubes 5-6
White channa/chickpeas - 1 cup
Green Chilies - 2
Onion -2 Large
Ginger/Garlic Paste - 1 tbsp
Tomatoes - 3
Red chili Powder -1 tsp
Turmeric powder 1/2 tsp
Garam Masala - 1 tsp
Oil - 2 tbls
Salt to taste

Special chana masala powder

Corriander seeds 2 tsp
Cumin seeds 1 tsp
Black peppercorns 4-5
Chana dal 2 tsp
Black  cardamon 1
Garlic cloves 2
Dry red chilli 2

Dry roast all above ings and blend to coarse powder

Method

Soak the Channa/chickpeas overnight .

Pressure Cook the Channa with some salt.

Fry paneer cubes till pink. Dip them in bowl of warm water containing pinch of haldi. Keep aside.

Grind the onions and tomatoes together.

Heat oil in a pan.
Fry the grounded onion-tomato paste along with the ginger-garlic paste.

Add some red chili powder, turmeric powder and salt.

Add the boiled channa .

Fry till the oil leaves sides.

Add garam masala .

Stir well. Add special chana masala .

Mix well and cook for two mins.

Add fried paneer cubes discarding the water in which they are dipped .

Mix and add one cup  water.

Simmer for 20 mins at low heat. The panner cubes will soak all chana flavours.

When serving garnish with green chilies.

  

Tribal Green chilli Chutney

Tribal Green Chilli chutney

Very tasty and flavourful chutney prepared by tribals of Jammu and Kashmir. ( Mostly Bakkarwals and Gujjarwals)

Ingredients

Green chillies 10-12
onion chopped one big
mint leaves few leaves
Garlic cloves 2
lemon juice 1/2 cup
Red chilli flakes pinch
Salt
Method
Prick all green chillies with fork all over.
Roast them on flame.  They do it on burning charcoal.
Grind these chillies with salt,  onion, garlic and mint leaves on sil batta.
Put in a bowl. Mix red chilli flakes and lime juice.
Serve.

Teekhi aur karari Bhindi

Jammu Cuisine

Another dogra delicacy . This is cooked in monsoon season and really enjoyed by everyone.

Bhindi Thiki karari

Ingredients

Bhindi/okra/lady finger 1/2 kg
Rice flour 1/2 cup
Zeera powder 5-6 tbsp
Red chilli powder 1 tsp
Haldi 1 tsp
Salt
Oil

Method

Cut caps of  bhindi.
Cut each bhindi into strips.
Mix rice flour and spices.
Spread over all bhindi strips evenly.
Fry in hot oil till crispy.
Relish with dal and rice.