PUNE A TO Z

MASHROOM MASALA

Ingredients :
200 gms mushrooms, 1 tbsp. lemon juice, 2 tbsp maida, 1/2 tsp. salt, 2 big pinches of baking powder, 4 tbsp. oil, 2 onions-chopped, 1 tsp. dhania powder, 3-4 green chillies - slit, deseeded and chopped, 2-3 dry or fresh red chillies, 2 tbsp. tomato puree.
Sp. masala : (grind together) 3-4 green cardamom, 1 inch stick dalchini, 4-5 cloves, 1/2 tsp. ajwain.

Method :Wash mushroom thoroughly and cut in 'T' shapes slices. Boil 4-5 cups water with 2 tsp. salt and 1 tbsp. lemon juice. Remove water from fire and add the mushrooms to it. Keep mushrooms soaked in this water for 15 minutes. Sift maida, salt and baking powder together. Drain the mushrooms well. Sprinkle maida on the mushrooms. Rub a little to coat the mushrooms with maida. Heat 3 tbsp. oil on the tawa. Add half of the mushrooms and sauté till sies of the tawa. Add onions to the left over oil in the center of the tawa. Sauté till transparent. Add dhania powder, green and red chillies. Add tomato mix well with mushrooms. Add special for 1-2 minutes. Serve hot.

Ingredients :1 cup Basmati rice (soaked for 15 minutes.), 3-4 Green cardamom (crushed), 1 bay leaf, 2 cloves, 1 tsp. oil, 1 1/2 tsp. salt, juice of 1/2 lemon, 5-6 cups water, 2 Onions (deep fried to golden brown), 1 tbsp. Milk, a few strands of saffron, 8-10 fried Cashew nuts.Vegetable Layer - 10-12 French beans (cut), 2 carrots (cut),1/2 cup Peas, 3 tbsp. Oil, 4 tbsp. Curd, 1/2 tsp. Garam masala, 1/2 tsp. Ginger paste, 1/2 tsp. Red chilly powder, 3-4 tsp salt, 1/2 cup grated khoya, 10 Almonds (shredded).  Method :Soak saffron  in 2 tsp. water for 10-15 minutes and keep aside. Clean, wash and soak rice for 15 minutes. Boil plenty of water (5-6 cups approx) in a large pan along with green cardamom, bay leaf, cloves, salt, oil and lemon juice. Drain soaked rice and add to the boiling water. Boil till rice is just done. See that the rice is not over cooked. Strain the rice and keep aside. Heat oil. Add vegetables, salt, red chilly powder, and garam masala. Mix ginger paste, and curd into it. Stir continuously. Remove from fire when the curd dries and oil separates. Gently mix in grated khoya and shredded almonds. Keep aside. To assemble the biryani, grease an oven proof handi with butter or oil. Spread half the rice. Rub the saffron in water and dot with saffron in water and dot the rice with it here and there. Put a layer of vegetables using half of them, over the rice. Spread half of the fried onions over the vegetables. Repeat the rice layer and dot with saffron. Spread the left over vegetables and then sprinkle the fried onions. Sprinkle few cashew nuts. Cover and seal with atta dough and keep for 15-20 minutes in a slow oven at

Ingredients :330 gm. Paneer, 1/3 cup Flour, oil, 3/4 cup Button mushrooms, 30 gm. Chinese mushrooms, 1 tsp. unsalted butter, Cooking oil, 1 tsp. Sage, A few Coriander springs, 1 tsp Ginger, 2 Green Chilies, 3 1/2 tsp. Desi Ghee, 1/4 tsp. Fenugreek seeds, 3 1/2 tsp. Garlic paste, 1 3/4 tsp. Ginger paste, 1/4 tsp. Turmeric powder, 1/4 tsp. Red chilly powder, 1/4 cup yogurt, 4 tbsp. fried onion paste, 20 g./1/2 tsp Cashew nut paste, 175 gm. fresh tomato puree, 4 1/4 cups vegetable stock, to taste salt, 1/4 tsp. green cardamom powder, 1/4 tsp. Nutmeg powder, 1/4 tsp clove powder, 1/4 tsp cinnamon  powder,1/4 tsp. Rose petal powder, 4 tsp. cream.
Method :Mash 300 gm. paneer. Add flour. Mix Divide into 8 portions. Make balls. Remove lower stalks, wash and chop button mushrooms. Soak oyster mushrooms in hot water  for 10 minutes. Drain and wash. Soak again in hot water for 5 minutes. Or until soft and fully swollen. Drain, squeeze out excess water. Remove stems and oyster mushrooms. Sauté over medium heat until liquid evaporates. Remove and cool. Mash remaining paneer. Finely chop sage, coriander sprigs, ginger and deseeded green chilies. Put ingredients in bowl. Add mushrooms & salt. Mix well. Divide into 8 portions. Flatten paneer balls between palms. Place filling inside. To cook Heat oil in kadhai. Deep fry kofta over heat until light golden. Place on absorbent paper.
Heat desi ghee in pan. Add fenugreek seeds. Stir over medium heat until seeds crackle. Add garlic and ginger pastes and stir fry for 1 minute. Add garlic and ginger pastes and stir fry for 1 minute. Add turmeric, red chilly powder and salt (all dissolved in 30 ml. water). Stir until liquid evaporates. Remove pan from  heat and stir in yogurt. Return  pan to heat and stir fry until fat leaves sides. Add fried onion paste and stir for seconds. Add cashew nut paste and stir for seconds. Add tomato puree and stir  fry until fat leaves sides. Add vegetable stock. Bring to boil, then reduce heat and simmer until of spoon-coating consistency. Remove and pass gravy through fine muslin into separate pan. Return gravy to heat. Stir in cream. Gently add fried kofta and simmer until gravy thickens. Approx. 5 minutes. Sprinkle green cardamom and rose petals powders. Stir carefully. Remove and adjust seasoning. 




Ingredients :
24 Brinjals, oil, 7 1/2 tsp. Garlic paste, 2 1/2 tsp. Ginger Paste, 1 tsp Turmeric powder, 1 tsp Red chilli powder, 3/4 cup Tomato puree, 60 g Tamarind pulp, 1/2 Cumin powder, Peanut Paste : 3/4 cup Coconut, 1/2 tbsp Sesame seeds (white), 2 cups onions 1/2 cup roasted peanuts, salt.
Method :
Wash and pat dry brinjals. Heat cooking oil to smoking point in kadhai. Sprinkle little water to quickly reduce temperature. Do this carefully, as splattering may cause burns. Reheat, add brinjals and deep fry over medium heat until soft (approx 3-4 minutes) Place on absorbent paper. Strain and reserve oil. Remove brown skin. Grate coconut and sesame seeds separately over low heat until each emits unique aroma (approx 3 minutes) Roughly chop onions. Put these ingredients in blender. Add peanuts and 3/4 cup reserved mustard oil in pan. Add peanut and 3/4 cup water. Make smooth paste Remove and keep aside. Reheat 120-ml/1/2 cup reserved mustard oil in pan. Add garlic and ginger pastes, stir over medium heat for few seconds. Add turmeric and red chilies (dissolved in tbsp water). Stir  fry for 2-3 minutes. Add peanut paste. Stir fry until fat leaves side (Add little water if necessary to ensure that ingredients do not stick or burn) Add tomato puree, stir fry until fat leaves side. Add salt and stir. Add tamarind pulp. Cook for 4-5 minutes. Constantly stirring. Add brinjals and simmer until gravy thickens. Sprinkle cumin powder, stir and remove.

Vitamin cup : Ingredients : 4 tomatoes, 1 beetroot, 2 small carrots, salt, pepper powder, sugar, lemon juice, few mint leaves, lemon rind and crushed ice. Method : Peel, grate beetroot and carrot. Add 2 cups of water and blend along with the tomatoes, strain, and add rest of ingredients and serve chilled. Garnish with lemon rind and mint leaves. Pine Cola da : Ingredients : 1 cup pineapple juice, 1/2 cup coconut cream, 1 tsp. lime juice, 2 tsp sugar syrup, crushed ice, 2 cherries, a piece of pineapple for garnishing. Method : Blend pineapple juice, coconut cream, lime juice and sugar syrup, Serve chilled garnish with a cherry, pineapple piece. Iced tangy tea : Ingredients : 1 1/2 tsp. tea leaves, 5-6 mint leaves, 2 tsp sugar syrup, 1 tsp lemon juice, 3/4 cup water, pinch of elaichi powder (optional), crushed ice, lemon slice to garnish and chilled soda. Method : Boil mint leaves and elaichi. Add tealeaves and switch off the heat. After 10 minutes, let its cool and then strain, add lemon juice, sugar syrup, and pour soda on top, serve chilled, garnish with lemon juice. Summer favorite : Ingredients : 1/2 cup mango juice, 1 tsp strawberry crush, 1 scoop mango ice-cream, 2 tsp mango pieces, chilled soda. Method : Pour strawberry crush in a tall glass and rotate to coat walls of glass with crush. Pour mango juice and mango pieces, add the scoop of ice cream. Top with soda and crushed ice. serve Ingredients : 8-9 medium potatoes, 4 tbsp. oil, 4 cloves, 1 inch cinnamon, 1 bay leaf, 1/4 tsp. asafetida dissolved in tsp. water, 1 tsp. dry ginger powder, 2 tsp. fennel (saunf) powder, 2 tsp. red chilli powder, 1 tsp. salt, 1 black cardamom (powdered). oil for frying. Method: Put potatoes in a cooker with about 3 cups water. Pressure cook to give 1 whistle. Remove from fire and put under running water to release pressure. Cool the potatoes. Peel and prick the cooled potatoes all over with a tooth pick. Heat oil and deep fry potatoes all together, to a rich golden brown colour. Heat 4 tbsp. oil. Add cloves, bay leaf and cinnamon. Fry for 1 minute. Add water, Cook for 1/2 a minute. Add chilly powder. Fry for 1/2 minute. Add 1 cup water. Add all other ingredients and the fried potatoes. Cover simmer till very little gravy remains and oil floats on top. Break one potato and see. The inside should not be white. The colour of the chillies should have penetrated to the center of the potatoes. If the potato is white from inside add a little more water and simmer for some more time. Serve hot with boiled rice. Tandoor Aloo And Shakarndi SaladIngredients :4 Potatoes (medium), 4 sweet potatoes (medium), 1 head Lettuce, 1/2 head Radish, 60 gm Alfalfa, 8 Endive Leaves, 16 Orange Segments, To grease baking tray, Cooking oil, 2 tbsp Coriander, 15 Mint leaves, 2 tsp. onion, 4 Flake garlic, 1 red pepper, 1 cucumber (small), 2 tsp. Cumin seeds, 60 gm Tamarind pulp, 250 gm Tomato puree, 2 Black cardamom, 1 tsp. Black cardamom, 1tsp. Black rock salt powder, 1 tsp Dried mango powder, 1 tsp black pepper powder, (fresh & coarsely ground), 1/2 tsp Ginger powder. Method :Wash potato and sprinkle salt. Roast in moderately hot tandoor until cooked. Remove, cool, peel, cut into 1/4" thick roundels and refrigerate. Remove outer layer of lettuce and radish. Wash, tear and reserve in iced water. Reserve alfalfa in iced water. Uncurl endives. Carefully remove skin and pits from orange segments. Finely chop coriander, mint, onions and garlic. Deseed and dice red pepper and cucumber. Broil cumin seeds on griddle over medium heat until seeds emit aroma. Remove and cool. Put tamarind pulp in saucepan. Add 1 cup water and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer, Stirring constantly, until reduce by 1/2. Add tomato puree, bring to boil, reduce heat. Add black cardamom, rock salt, dried mango powder, pepper and ginger powder, stir and reduce. Remove, fine strain into saucepan and cool. Now add remaining ingredients, except cumin seeds. Mix well. Put potatoes, sweet potatoes, salad vegetables and orange segments in salad bowl. Pour dressing and toss. Sprinkle cumin seeds serve. Ingredients : 8-9 medium potatoes, 4 tbsp. oil, 4 cloves, 1 inch cinnamon, 1 bay leaf, 1/4 tsp. asafetida dissolved in tsp. water, 1 tsp. dry ginger powder, 2 tsp. fennel (saunf) powder, 2 tsp. red chilli powder, 1 tsp. salt, 1 black cardamom (powdered). oil for frying. Method: Put potatoes in a cooker with about 3 cups water. Pressure cook to give 1 whistle. Remove from fire and put under running water to release pressure. Cool the potatoes. Peel and prick the cooled potatoes all over with a tooth pick. Heat oil and deep fry potatoes all together, to a rich golden brown colour. Heat 4 tbsp. oil. Add cloves, bay leaf and cinnamon. Fry for 1 minute. Add water, Cook for 1/2 a minute. Add chilly powder. Fry for 1/2 minute. Add 1 cup water. Add all other ingredients and the fried potatoes. Cover simmer till very little gravy remains and oil floats on top. Break one potato and see. The inside should not be white. The colour of the chillies should have penetrated to the center of the potatoes. If the potato is white from inside add a little more water and simmer for some more time. Serve hot with boiled rice.   Ingredients : 1 kg. carrots, 1 liter milk, 200 gm. sugar, 7 tbsp. desi ghee, 1 tsp green cardamom powder, 24 almonds, 24 pistachio, 36 raisins, 60 gm khoya. This halwa is generally prepared in large quantity and frozen. Method : Grate carrots. Separately blanch almonds and pistachio for 2 mts. each. Cool and remove skin. Split almonds and cut pinstachio. Remove stems from raisins, refresh in water and  pat dry. Grate khoya. Boil milk in kadhai. Add grated carrots, reduce heat and cook, constantly stirring, until carrots are tender and most liquid evaporates. Add sugar and stir until dissolved and liquid evaporates. Add sugar and stir until dissolved and liquid evaporates. Add desi ghee/clarified butter and stir-fry for 3-4 mts. Remove, add cardamom and stir. Place in silver bowl. Garnish with khoya, almonds, pistachio and raisins. Serve hot or cold. Tandoor LobsterIngredients :7-8 Lobsters, Butter for basting. First marinate : 7 tsp Lemon juice , 21/2 tsp. Garlic paste, 2 1/2 tsp Ginger paste, 1/2 tsp Red chilly powder, Salt. Second marinate : 1 cup Yogurt cheese, 1/4 cup Cream, 4 tsp Lemon juice, 1 3/4 cup Ginger paste, 1 tsp Ajwain, a pinch of turmeric powder, 1tsp. White pepper powder. Method :First Marinate - Mix all ingredients in bowl. Rub lobsters with marinate and reserve for 15 minutes. Second Marinate - Put yogurt cheese in bowl. Add remaining ingredients and whisk. Rub lobsters with marinate and refrigerate for 1 hr. Skewer lobsters, touching but not overlapping. Place skewer on tray, to collect drippings. Roast in moderately hot tandoor. Remove and hang skewers over tray approx. 2 mts to allow excess liquid to drain. Baste with butter and roast again for 2 minutes. Remove from skewers. Baste with butter. Arrange on platter and serve hot. Ingredients : 8 Breast of chicken (Large), 175 gm. Yogurt cheese, 4 chilies, 7 tsp. Almond paste, 1tsp white pepper powder, 100 ml Single cream, 2 tbsp Lemon juice, 1 1/2 cups unsalted butter. 7 tsp Garlic paste, 3 tsp Ginger paste, 1 tsp Lemon juice, 200 gm cheese (cheddar/processed), 1 1/2 cups spring onions bulbs, 1 inch piece ginger, 12 Mint leaves, 2 tsp Black cumin's seeds, salt. Method :Clean Chicken and remove skin. De-bone but retain winglet bones. Wash and pat dry. With a sharp knife make deep pocket slits along thick edge. Take care not to pierce skin. Mix garlic paste, ginger paste, 1 tbsp. lemon juice, and salt in bowl. Rub this paste on the chicken and reserve for 20 minutes. Grate cheese. Cut spring onion bulbs into fine roundels. Finely chop ginger and 2 deseeded green chillies. Mix these  ingredients, mint leaves and black cumin seeds with cheese. Divide into 8 portions. Fill portion in pockets of marinated meat. Carefully seal with knife tip. Whisk yogurt cheese. Finely chop 2 deseeded green chillies. Add to yogurt cheese, along with almond paste, pepper, salt and 3 tbsp cream. Mix well. Coat stuffed chicken with this mixture. Arrange fillets along with marinade in non-stick frying pan. Cover evenly with yogurt cheese mixture. Place little knobs of butter on top and cook over medium heat, with gravy until chicken is cooked (approx. 12-15 minutes). Remove chicken and keep warm. Fine strain gravy into separate saucepan. Return gravy to heat. Add remaining cream and bring to boil over medium heat, stirring continuously, until of sauce consistency. Remove, stir in lemon juice and adjust seasoning.  Tandoor Aloo And Shakarndi SaladIngredients :4 Potatoes (medium), 4 sweet potatoes (medium), 1 head Lettuce, 1/2 head Radish, 60 gm Alfalfa, 8 Endive Leaves, 16 Orange Segments, To grease baking tray, Cooking oil, 2 tbsp Coriander, 15 Mint leaves, 2 tsp. onion, 4 Flake garlic, 1 red pepper, 1 cucumber (small), 2 tsp. Cumin seeds, 60 gm Tamarind pulp, 250 gm Tomato puree, 2 Black cardamom, 1 tsp. Black cardamom, 1tsp. Black rock salt powder, 1 tsp Dried mango powder, 1 tsp black pepper powder, (fresh & coarsely ground), 1/2 tsp Ginger powder. Method :Wash potato and sprinkle salt. Roast in moderately hot tandoor until cooked. Remove, cool, peel, cut into 1/4" thick roundels and refrigerate. Remove outer layer of lettuce and radish. Wash, tear and reserve in iced water. Reserve alfalfa in iced water. Uncurl endives. Carefully remove skin and pits from orange segments. Finely chop coriander, mint, onions and garlic. Deseed and dice red pepper and cucumber. Broil cumin seeds on griddle over medium heat until seeds emit aroma. Remove and cool. Put tamarind pulp in saucepan. Add 1 cup water and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer, Stirring constantly, until reduce by 1/2. Add tomato puree, bring to boil, reduce heat. Add black cardamom, rock salt, dried mango powder, pepper and ginger powder, stir and reduce. Remove, fine strain into saucepan and cool. Now add remaining ingredients, except cumin seeds. Mix well. Put potatoes, sweet potatoes, salad vegetables and orange segments in salad bowl. Pour dressing and toss. Sprinkle cumin seeds serve.