This morning I had an urge to eat something sweet. I wanted to keep it quick, healthy and ofcourse “YUMMY”  to satisfy my cravings.First thought that popped in my mind was kheer. Since calorie amount can be a bit scary in rice kheer, I decided to use suji instead of rice and 1% milk instead of whole milk.If you are not familiar with Suji (semolina), it is a nutritious Indian wheat granulated but not pulverized. It has a lot of health benefits but the one I remember is that my mother used to give me suji halwa with warm milk to cure sore throat and cold. Also, in India it is very commonly prepared for toddlers and little children as it is very nutritious and easy to digest.  Here is a quick recipe.

You need:

½ tsp  ghee
1 tbsp spoon suji (semolina)
1 cup milk
1 tbsp  brown sugar (or to taste)

Directions:

1. Heat a frying  pan on low heat
2. Put ghee in it and wait till it spreads around
3. Add Suji and roast it for a few minutes or until it changes colour
4. Next add milk and boil it for 2 minutes
5. Add sugar and stir well
6. Garnish with almonds, cashews, raisins and walnuts
7. Serve hot or cold.

Suji Kheer is a post from: Chef

Turkey Seekh Kebab

“Traditionally Seekh Kebabs are made with minced meat and spices and grilled on skewers. It is cooked in a Tandoor – (clay oven that can reach higher temperatures than our traditional ovens) and is often served with chutneys or mint sauce. It is often included in tandoori sampler platters, which contain a variety of tandoor cooked dishes.”

But this is quite different from what I remember from my childhood. My dad used to bring home uncooked sausage shaped ‘seekh kebabs’ made of chicken or goat meat. My mom would shallow fry them in a pan and we would either wrap them in rolls or make a kebab-egg sandwich.

Now my version is totally different from the above two. I make Turkey meatballs for my son quite often and that inspired me to make these baked turkey seekh kebabs. I followed a similar recipe but with added spices (although I had to adjust salt a bit as my first version came out little salty) and the meat is shaped as sausages around wooden skewers. This recipe not only uses lean ground Turkey meat but the meat is also baked and not fried (as compared to another similar kebab like Shami Kebab and my mom’s seekh kabebs)

You need:
1 lb ground Turkey meat (lean)
1/2 medium onion, chopped
4-5 garlic cloves, chopped
2 tbsp tomato ketchup
3 tbsp breadcrumbs
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
1/2 tbsp garlic spread seasoning
1 egg
1-2 green chilies, finely chopped
3 tbsp Shan Seekh Kabab Mix (available at Indian stores)
few wooden skewers, soaked in water for about 10 minutes

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 F
2. In a bowl, combine all ingredients and mix well
3. Grease your palms with Olive oil and shape the dough as sausages around the presoaked wooden skewers

Turkey Seekh Kebab-prepare

Serve hot as appetizers with mint chutney/and or Yogurt-cucumber dip.

They make a quick and healthy meal when added to a sandwich or a wrap. The night I made these, I made a simple pita sandwich for dinner: Split pita bread in half and stuff with kebabs, mint chutney and vinegar pickled onions.

Turkey Seekh Kebab Pita Sandwich

Baked Turkey Seekh Kebabs is a post from: Chef

Methi Malai Paneer

Few weeks ago we had planned a dinner with our friends and I don’t know from where I started thinking about this indulgent paneer dish my mom used to make. I thought of giving it a try, trying to remember the flavors and ingredients.

The paneer came out very flavorful and fragrant (thanks to Kasoori methi) and I think was very close to what my mom used to make. Next day I called my mom to confirm the recipe and to my surprise I was pretty close- only my version had a little extra step – she never used any onions and I did. I liked the flavor of lightly browned onions. Last week I made it again and wrote down the recipe (I did use onions again!)

You need:

3 tbsp oil (I used Canola)
1 1/2 medium/1 large onion, thinly sliced
4 medium tomatoes, chopped
3-4 garlic cloves, minced
1/3 cup Kasoori Methi (dried Fenugreek leaves, I used MDH brand Kasoori Methi)
3/4 + 1/4 cup whipping cream
1 lb paneer (Indian cottage cheese), cubed – for this dish I bought the paneer form an Indian store but you can make the cottage cheese at home as well
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tbsp MDH Kitchen King Masala
1/2 cup milk
1 1/2 Water
2 tbsp Maggie Hot n Sweet Chili Sauce (optional)
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
A pinch of Asafoetida powder
1/2 tsp Garam Masala
1-2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro leaves

Directions:

1. Heat oil in a wide wok or Karahi
2. Add Asafoetida, followed by garlic and onions
3. Cook on medium heat until onions are slightly brown, stirring every couple of minutes
4. Add tomatoes, and continue cooking on medium heat until tomatoes are soft and onions and tomatoes mixture start leaving the sides of the wok/karahi leaving oil on the sides.
5. Add salt, turmeric, MDH Kitchen King Masala, Kasoori Methi and saute for couple of seconds.
6. Add 3/4 cup cream and cook for 2-3 minutes.
7. Add water and milk and bring it to boil. Simmer on low heat for about 5 minutes.
8. Till this point the sauce is almost cooked and is very mild. At this point I took out some for my son and added few cubes of Paneer for him separately. Since he liked his version, I amalso tagging this post as ‘Toddler Friendly’
9. Take out few table spoons of sauce in a cup, Add Maggie Hot n Sweet Chili sauce and mix well. Put it back in the Karahi and mix well. This is optional – only if you like mild hot and sweet flavor. If you don’t have this chili sauce on hand you can also try regular ketchup with 1 tsp sugar and 1/4 tsp red chilies.
10. Add paneer cubes, stir in 1/4 cup cream and simmer on low heat for about 2-3 minutes. Do not overcook the paneer as the cubes will start breaking
11. Sprinkle the garam masala and chopped cilantro

Serve hot with Naans or Roti (Indian Flatbreads)

Note: You can adjust water / milk quantities as per your liking. This recipe makes a medium consistency curry –not too dry and not too watery either

Total Preparation Time : Approximately 30 minutes

Methi Malai Paneer is a post from: Chef

Chana Biryani

You need:

3 cups long grain (basmati) rice
4-5 medium onions, sliced
3 large tomatoes, chopped
3.5 cups boiled chickpeas (chana)
3 medium potatoes, diced
2 bay leaves
3 black cardamom
2 green cardamom
3-4 cloves
1/2 tsp cinamon powder
3 tbsp Canola oil
pinch of Asafoetida powder
6 cloves garlic
2 tbsp MDH Meat Masala
2 tbsp MDH Kitchen King
1 tsp cumin powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
3-4 tsp salt – or to taste
10 fresh mint leaves
3 tbsp fresh cilantro leaved, chopped
3 tbsp milk

1. Boil 10-12 cups of water in a large pot. Add rice, few mint leaves and some salt. Boil rice until almost done-a rice grain breaks in two when pressed between two fingers. Do not overcook, drain water.

2. Heat oil in a deep pan/karahi. Add Asafoetida powder, bay leaf, cardamoms, cloves, garlic and saute for few seconds.

3. Add onions and fry until golden brown(medium heat). Take out about 1/3rd of onions and keep aside.

4. Add tomatoes, all spices, salt and cook on medium heat until tomatoes are mushy and the tomato-onion mixture start to leave oil.

5. Preheat oven to 350 F

Cook chickpeas and potatoes

7. Take a large baking dish-9*13″ or larger. Grease its base with oil. Spread a layer of rice. Spread a layer of chickpeas (along with the curry). Sprinkle little fried onions (saved from before)

Chana Biryani prepare layers

8. Alternate layers of rice and chickpeas (number of layers depend on size of the baking dish used). It is up to you whether you want the top layer to be chickpeas or rice. I just had a handful of chickpeas left I spread them on top layer along with some fried onions (saved from before).

9. Spread milk all over the top layer.

10. Cover the baking dish with foil and bake for about 18 minutes. Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve hot with some sliced white onions on side and yogurt.

Serves – 8

Chana Biryani is a post from: Chef

Mili Juli Sabzi-mixed vegetables medley

You need:

2 cups chopped carrots
2 medium potatoes, chopped
1 cup boiled chickpeas (you can use canned to save time)
1 cup broccoli florets
1 cup peas
2-3 tbsp Canola oil
pinch of Asafoetida
1 tsp cumin seeds
3-4 whole kashmiri mirch (red chilies)
1 tsp Mango powder (Amchoor)
1/2 tsp turmeric powder (haldi)
1/2 tsp red pepper
2 tsp salt
3-4 tsp MDH Kitchen King masala

Directions:

1. Heat oil in a wide wok or karahi.
2. Add Asafoetida powder and after couple of seconds add whole kashmiri mirch and cumin seeds.
3. After the seeds splutter add the remaining ingredients and saute on high heat for couple of minutes. Cover and cook on low heat for about 20 minutes (stirring occasionally) or until all vegetables are tender and spices are nicely blended. (You may need to add couple of teaspoons of water if vegetables seem to stick to the wok.

Serves 6

Enjoy this rainbow of vegetables with yogurt or raita with nan or rotis (Indian flatbreads).

Mili-Juli Sabzi (Mixed Vegetable medley with chickpeas) is a post from: Chef

Moong Dhuli Dal Khichdi with Mustard Greens and Spinach

You need:

3/4 cup Moong dhuli dal (Yellow Lentils)
3/4 cup uncooked white rice (or 2 cups cooked rice)
3/4 cup Mustard greens (sarson), chopped
1 cup spinach, chopped
4-5 broccoli florets, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 onion, chopped
1 large tomato chopped
salt to taste
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 tbsp desi ghee-unclarified butter/Canola oil
Pinch of Asafoetida

Heat ghee/oil in a pressure cooker (or a large pot). Add Asafoetida and after few seconds add garlic. Saute for few seconds and add onions. Cook until translucent or slightly browned. Add tomatoes, salt and turmeric and cook until tomatoes are little mushy. Add spinach, mustard greens and broccoli and cook for couple of minutes. Add rice and lentils, about 6 cups of water and pressure cook for about 15 minutes. After the steam vents out, open the cooker, mix well, add more water to adjust consistency. I like it neither too dry nor too runny. Adjust salt, if needed. If you use any big vegetable pieces, use a ladle to mash them-it will be effortless.

If you are not using a pressure cooker, add about 8 cups water and let the ‘khichdi’ simmer on low heat until lentild, rice and vegetables are all mushy.

Serve hot with yogurt and/or pickles. I usually add some additional ‘ghee’/butter to my son’s bowl.

Moong Dhuli Dal Khichdi with Mustard Greens and Spinach is a post from: Chef

Mint Chicken Biryani

Biryani is a rice based dish made with meat, and/or vegetables and spices and traditionally cooked on slow heat to let the flavors blend in. There are several different recipes and styles popular all over India and local variants of this dish are not only popular in South Asia but also in Arabia and within various South Asian communities in Western countries. Mint chicken biryani as the name suggests is made with chicken and rice cooked with fresh mint leaves.
I have made this biryani way too many times to remember. However, every time I throw in something extra or omit something. So as you can imagine, I would never remember what worked and what not so much . This time I decided to take notes for the blog and I am glad I did as it turn out great.

You need :

1 lb chicken pieces, I used boneless thigh meat
2 medium to large onions, sliced

Onions,bay leaf,cardamoms,cloves

2 medium tomatoes, chopped
6-7 cloves garlic, chopped
3-4 tbsp oil (I use Canola)
2 black cardamoms
1 bay leaf
1 green cardamom
3-4 tbsp chopped cilantro leaves

Mint,cilantro,tomatoes

spices:MDH Chicken Curry Masala,MDH Meat Masala,Turmeric,Salt,Red Chillies,onion seeds

1. Boil 10-12 cups of water in a large pot. Add rice, half of mint leaves and chopped cilantro leaves. Boil rice until almost done-a rice grain breaks in two when pressed between two fingers. Do not over cook, drain water.
2. Heat oil in a deep pan/karahi. Add bay leaf, cardamoms, garlic and saute for few seconds.
3. Add onions and fry until golden brown(medium heat). Take out about 1/3rd of onions and keep aside.
4.Add tomatoes, all spices, salt and tomato sauce and cook on medium heat until tomatoes are mushy and the tomato-onion mixture start to leave oil.
5. Add chicken, remaining mint leaves,1/4 cup water, cover and cook on medium heat for about 10 minutes. Add 1.5 cups water, cover and cook on medium heat for another 5 minutes. Cook for another 5 minutes-uncovered.
6. Preheat oven to 350 F
7. Take a large baking dish-9*13″ or larger. Grease its base with oil. Spread a layer of rice. Dot some rice with food coloring and spread with fingers. Spread a layer of chicken (along with the curry). Sprinkle little fried onions (saved from 3rd step)

Mint Chicken Biryani-Rice layer

Mint Chicken Biryani-Chicken layer

10. Cover the baking dish with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve hot with some sliced white onions on side

Serves – 3-4

Note: Please adjust seasoning/masala according to the ‘hot’ factor you can tolerate. See how you like mint flavor and improvise next time if you want it to be more minty or less. I know my dad won’t mind a few more sprigs!

Mint Chicken Biryani is a post from: Chef

Karahi Paneer

Karahi Paneer is a mildly spiced yet a flavorful dish with undernotes of onion and coriander seeds (from MDH masala) ,green bell peppers,black cardamom and fenugreek leaves.

You need:

1 lb. Paneer, chopped in medium sized pieces
2 onions, sliced
4 medium tomatoes, coarsely chopped
1/2 green bell pepper, coarsely chopped (more if you like the flavor)
3-4 tbsp cooking oil
3 tbsp MDH Karahi Chicken Masala (or more if you like spicy)
4-6 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp ginger paste
2 pieces black cardamom (halved)
1-2 tsp MDH Kasoori Methi (When I buy a pack, I slightly dry roast them in a pan and store them in an airtight container)
salt to taste
1 tsp lemon juice
1 bay leaf

Heat the cooking oil in a Karahi or deep heavy bottom pat. Add black cardamom and bay leaf and fry for few seconds. Add chopped onions and garlic, reduce heat and fry until golden brown. Add ginger paste and fry for few seconds. Add MDH Karahi Chicken Masala, 1/2 tsp salt and cook for few seconds. Add tomatoes and cook until tomatoes are mushy, spices seem to be nicely blended and the mixture seem to leave oil. Add pepper and cook for few more minutes.

Tomatoes are cooked, peppers added, ready to add water in 5 minutes

Servings: 4-6

Karahi Paneer

This is not a very hot dish however you can increase the ‘hot’ factor by increasing the quantity of the masala.

Karahi Paneer is a post from: Chef

Sindhi Kadhi with rice

I just came back from a trip to India. I visited my family after four years for a short vacation and to attend my brother’s wedding. Besides being excited to meet my family after such a long time, on my flight from London to New Delhi, I could not stop thinking about this flavorful dish my grandmother used to make when I was little. It used to be a family feast with my cousins, aunts and uncles all dining together to enjoy this Sindhi Kadhi with plain rice and some fried potatoes. I decided to learn it from my grandmother and together she and I spent some time to make it one more time for the family.

Mint leaves (half bunch/20-25 leaves)

Mint,Radish,Green Beans,Okra

Strain the boiled lentils

4. Heat oil in a large stock pot and add mustard and fenugreek seeds. Cook for few seconds, after the seeds splutter add radish slices and green beans. Stir fry for 4-5 minutes.

Stir fry Radish and Green Beans

Sindhi Kadhi simmering

Serve with rice. My father does not forget to suggest that to savor the flavors, take less rice and more kadhi

Sindhi Kadhi served with rice

Sindhi Kadhi (Vegetable medley simmered in tangy lentils curry) is a post from: Chef

Achari Paneer

Here is one for the achar (Indian pickle) lovers. In India achar is a popular condiment thats made with picked fruit and/or vegetable cooked and pickled in a number of spices, vegetables and oils. There are so many different types of such pickles that I can’t even enumerate even if I wanted to.

Since some basic achar spices are used in this dish, it has a deliciously tangy,’achari’ taste that does justice to its name. I made it for the first time last week and was pleasantly surprised how easy it was to cook this seemingly ‘exotic’ dish.

You need:

1 lb or 500 gm paneer (Indian cottage cheese), cubed – for this dish I bought the paneer form an Indian store but you can make the cottage cheese at home as well
1 onion, sliced
4 tsp fennel seeds
2 tsp black mustard seeds
1 tsp fenugreek seeds
1/2 tsp nigella seeds
2 tsp cumin seeds
2 tsp turmeric
3 tsp ginger/garlic paste
1 cup yogurt
1/2 teaspoon black salt (sanchal)
1 tsp MDH Kitchen King Masala OR Curry powder
2 tsp kashmiri mirch (optional)
1 teaspoon all purpose flour (maida)
2 tablespoon oil
8 chopped green chillies (optional, I did not put any to keep the flavor mild)
3 tsp dry mango powder
2 tsp sugar
salt to taste
2 tsp achar of your choice (optional, I added some mango pickle)
2 tbsp whipping/fresh cream (optional)

heat the oil in a large pan or karahi (Indian wok) and fry the fennel, fenugreek,black mustard, nigella and cumin seeds until the seeds stop spluttering. After 30 seconds, add onions and green chillies. Stir and fry until golden.

Add turmeric powder, garlic and ginger pastes and Kitchen King masala/or curry powder. Fry for a minute. Pour in the yogurt, dry mango powder,black salt, all purpose flour, chilli powder, sugar and pickle(if using). Cook until oil separates.

Cook yogurt in spices

Add paneer with about 150 ml water. Allow it to heat through. Stir in cream if using. Serve with naan or roti (Indian flat-breads)

Traditionally, pickle is not added to this dish. However, I thought I needed a little bit more ‘achari’ flavor so I added couple of teaspoons of my favorite pickle. I think this paneer will also make a great filling for wrap and I will try it next time I make this dish.

Achari Paneer-Indian cottage cheese cooked with tangy pickle spices is a post from: Chef