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

Gujrati Idra

Sunday breakfast has to be special.

Let's go Gujarati healthy way

Gujrati Idra 

Ingredients

11/2 cup Rice( any )
1/2 cup Urad dal
Salt to taste
4 cup Butter milk
1 sachet Eno
1 tbsp red chilli flakes
Mustard seeds 1/2 tsp
Green chillies 2
Chopped corriander
Oil

Method

Wash and soak rice and urad dal in water for overnight separately.

Drain water from both.

Grind it in mixture with butter milk
Grind till it become like dosa batter. If needed add water.

Keep it in a warm place for atleast six for fermentation.

Add salt and eno in it. Mix properly.

Heat water in a steamer at medium flame.
Grease plate with oil.

Now pour the batter

Sprinkle chilli flakes powder on it.

Steam in steamer.

In a tadka pan heat little oil, add mustard seeds and slit green/red chillies . Crackle

Garnish Idra with mustard seeds and green chillies tampering

and coriander leaves. Cut in desired shapes

Hot serve with Green chutney.

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

Rogan Josh

Any dinner party at my home must have Rogan Josh.

The very authentic Kashmiri recipe

 

Ingredients

 

1.Mutton 1 kg
2. Mustard oil 150ml
3. Curd 1 cup
4. Cloves 5 nos
5. Salt 2 tsps
6. Cardamoms green and black 2-3 crushed
7.Kashmiri Red Chili Powder 1 tbsp
8. Turmeric 1/2 tsp
9. Dry Ginger Powder 2 tsps
10. Aniseed Powder 2 tsps
11. Cumin Seeds 1 tsp
12. Garam Masala 1 tsp
13. desi ghee 1 tsp
14. hing Powder 1 pinch
15. Saffron threads in little water 2-3

· Method

Marinade Meat pieces with the Curd evenly for two hours.

Take a heavy bottomed pan. 
Put Mustard Oil in it and heat it till smoky

. Add the merinaded Meat pieces Stir well with big ladle. Add Cloves, Cumin Seeds, cardamoms , Salt and a pinch of hing powder.

When all the liquid from the Meat and the Curd dries up and the Mutton begins to get sealed in the oil.

Continue turning it till mutton turn golden-brown. 
Now add half a cup of water, the Red Chili Powder and Turmeric powder

Go on bhunoing the Mutton till it in brownish red colour and almost all water evaporates. 
Add again 2 cups of water, Dry Ginger and Aniseed Powders.

Stir and mix well and let simmer on low heat, till the Meat becomes tender and the gravy is red,
thick and oil separates.

Now add the Desi ghee, saffron water and Garam Masala.

Cook for 2 or 3 minutes
more. 
Enjoy Rogan Josh

Adrak wali ALOO GOBI

Adrak wali ALOO GOBI

 

Ingredients

 

Phool gobhi /Cauliflower ,(cut into large florets )1 medium sized
Potato 2 cut in cubes
Ginger 4 tbsp, Finely crushed
Red chilli powder 1 tsp
Green /red fresh Chillies 1-2, slit
Oil 4 Tbsp.
Hing pinch
Cumin seeds /zeera 1 tsp.
Coriander powder 2 tsp.
Turmeric ½ tsp.
Garam Masala Powder 1 tsp.
Salt To taste

Method
Wash cauliflower florets.

Put florets in hot water and let it soaked for half an hour. Rub each floret again and Drain and keep aside

Heat oil in a large pan and add cumin seeds. When they splutter add hing and green chillies.

Add finely chopped ginger and sautee at low heat for few of minutes.

Now add all the powdered spices and salt except garam masala. Add cauliflower and potato and stir. Ensure that the vegetables are coated well with the spices.

Fry them on high heat first to brown them. Then cook at low heat till done.

Add Garam Masala and stir. Garnish with chillies.

Idli with chutney

Idlis with chutney

INGREDIENTS
1 Cup Urad Dal
4 Cups Rice
2 tbps fenugreek
2 tbps Salt

Method

Soaked all ingredients separately for a minimum of 3-4 hours and then ground
Wash all the ingredients in the beginning and then soak it in water. Wash the rice 3-4 times .

Grind the soaked fenugreek seeds in a cup of water for 3-4 mins.
Grind all separately with water required Once ground, transfer the batters in big bowl.
And add salt to the batter before fermenting.
Usually the batter needs to ferment for 8-12 hours.
Once the time is up, the batter should have increased in volume. Take a ladle and mix it well. Your batter is ready.

For the idlies : Steam the idlis as per your apparatus. I steamed in M/W full power for six mins.. Serve hot with your favorite chutney .

Tomato chutney
Ingredients

Ripened Tomatoes 6-7
Red onion 1
Dry red chillies 3
Corriander seeds 1"tsp
Cumin seeds 1 tsp
Garlic cloves 6-7
Olive oil 3 tbsp
Chaat masala 1 tsp
Lemons 2
salt
Mustard seeds 1/2 tsp

Method.

Cut tomatoes and onion roughly.
Peel garlic cloves.
In a pan put oil and heat on low flame.
Add cumin seeds and corriander seeds. When crackle add onion , dry red chillies, tomato and garlic cloves. Saute till tomatoes softens and onions become pink.
Add salt and chaat masala.
Switch off gas and let it cool.
Transfer everything from pan to blender bowl.
Grind to make a smooth paste.
In same  pan with little oil,   heat at low flame and add mustard seeds. When splutter add mixture to tomato chutney.
Add lemon juice and enjoy with idli, dosa, prantha or anything.

Refreshing Tomato smoothie

Refreshing tomato smoothie

Ingredients

2 ripened tomatoes
1 small cucumber
1 lime - juiced
Rock salt
1 pinc black pepper
1 cup water
1 cup ice.

Method
Wash toms and cucumber. Peel cucumber. Cut both veggies in pieces. Blend everything in a blender. Srain it . Pour in serving glass . Add crushed ice and sprinkle crushed bkack pepper . Smoothie is ready.

Chana pakwaan

Chana Pakwaan

This is actually a Sindhi recipe of dal pakwaan.  Pakwaan is  a crispy deep fried bread. A hybrid of poori and matthi.

Ingredients

1 Cup white Chana  (Soaked overnite)
2 tblsp Tamarind Chutney
1/2 tsp Garam Masala
1/2 tsp Red chilly powder
1/2 tsp Cumin Powder
1/2 tsp Amchur Powder
1/4 tsp Turmeric powder
Salt to taste
2 tblsp Desi Ghee

For pakwan

1Cup Refined Flour
1 cup wheat flour
1/2 tsp Salt
2 tblsp Desi Ghee
Water to knead the dough
Ghee for frying

Method

Boil the chana in 3 cups water by adding salt and turmeric powder.Boil it till tender.
Add tamarind chutney. Mix well. In wok add ghee put Chana and all masalas . Simmer till all water evaporates.

To make the pakwan mix salt and ghee in the refined flour.     Knead a soft dough.
Divide in small equal balls and roll into thin pooris. With fork prick poori allover.
Deep fry till brown.