CHHOLE

Ingredients:
1 cup Chickpeas
1-2 Teabag ( if you dont have teabags you can tie 1 tbsp tealeaves in a muslin cloth)
2 medium Onion chopped
2 medium Tomato chopped
Green Chillies chopped to taste
2 tsp Ginger paste 
1 tsp Garlic paste
1 tsp Cumin seeds
4 Cloves
5 Black Pepper Corns
1 inch Cinnamon

2 Black Cardamom

3 Bay Leaves

1 tsp Anardana

2 tbsp Coriander Powder

1 tsp Red Chilli Powder

1 tsp Chhola Masala

1 1/2 tbsp Kasoori Methi

Garam Masala

Oil

Salt to taste

For Garnish:

Fresh Coriander chopped

1 whole fried Red chilli

Recipe:

Wash Chickpeas and soak them overnight in 2 1/2 cup of lukewarm water.

Place them in a pressure cooker with soaked water. Add 1 tsp of salt and teabag(s) to it or if you don't have  teabag, tie tea leaves in muslin cloth to form a bundle and add it to the cooker. Cook under pressure for 3-4 whistles or till the chickpeas are half cooked. Discard the teabags and strain the chickpeas and reserve the cooking liquor. Heat oil in a pan. Add cumin seeds, cloves, pepper corns, cinnamon, cardamom and bay leaves. When cumin seeds start crackling add onions and green chillies to pan. Saute till onions are brown. Add ginger paste and garlic paste. Saute for 1 minute and then add coriander powder, red chilli powder, chhola masala and 1/2 tbsp kasori methi and continue to saute for half a minute. Add tomatoes and saute for 2-3 minutes until tomatoes soften. Add this mixture to half done chickpeas in pressure cooker. Add salt, 1/2 tbsp kasori methi and anardana. Add cooking liquor as required and cook till chickpeas are done. Add remaining kasori methi, 1/2 tsp garam masala and 1 tbsp chopped coriander and mix well. Transfer the chhole into a serving bowl, sprinkle some garam masala over it and garnish with coriander leaves and whole red chilli. Chhole are ready to serve.

Enjoy it with bhatura or rice :)

Till then keep smiling ... its precious :)

BREAKFAST

Poha is a very common breakfast in India. It reminds me of my childhood days. I had poha for first time at one of our neighbors Mrs Pushpa Singh's place, 'Singh Aunty' for us. She makes such a mouthwatering poha we cant stop eating.  This dish is dedicated to her :) ... love u aunty :*)

POHA

Ingredients:

1 cup Thick Poha (use only thick poha)

2 and 1/2 tbsp Oil

1 tsp Mustard Seeds

1/2 tsp Turmeric

1/2 tsp Red Chili Powder

1 sprig Curry Leaves

pinch of Asafoetida

1 tsp Ginger finely chopped

1/2 Potato Diced 

1/2 Onion Diced

finely chopped Green Chili to taste

1/2 cup Peanuts

1/2 cup Green Peas (frozen or fresh)

1 tsp Sugar

Salt to taste

1 tsp Lemon Juice 

1/4 tsp Garam Masala

1/2 cup chopped Tomatoes

Lemon wedges to garnish

Coriander for garnishing

Bhujiya if you like

 Recipe:

In a pan heat 1 tbsp oil and lightly roast peanuts in low heat.

Once peanuts are done take them out in a bowl and in the remaining oil add diced potatoes and fry them till done and keep them in another bowl.

Gently wash poha in a colander.

Sprinkle turmeric, red chili powder and salt to taste and toss it with spoon to mix well and let it in colander.

Heat remaining oil in the pan over medium heat. Add Mustard seed, when seeds start crackling add asafoetida, curry leaves, ginger and green chili. Stir for few seconds.

Add onions and fry them till translucent then add peas to it and cook until they are tender (frozen peas will take less time than fresh).

Add poha and stir fry for 3-4 minutes, sprinkle some water (about 1/4 cup) and cover the pan with lid, cook in low heat for another 5 min.

Remove from heat and add cooked potatoes, tomatoes, lemon juice, coriander, garam masala and sugar to it. Mix and cover for 2 minutes.

Mix roasted peanuts just before serving.

Serve hot with tomato sauce or ketchup. When served sprinkle bhujiya over it for extra crunch.

Enjoy your breakfast :)

Till then keep smiling ... its precious :)

MOMO CHUTNEY

Ingredients:
5 Whole Red Chillies
1/4 Tomato
2 garlic clove
Vinegar
1 tsp sugar
Salt to taste
Recipe:
Put the chillies in a bowl. Add vinegar enough to soak them ( about 1/2 cup).
Soak them till they become soft.
Put whole chillies with vinegar in a blender.
Add tomato, sugar and garlic.
Blend to make a runny paste.
Add salt to taste.
Add vinegar if required.
Your Momo chutney/sauce is ready.

Enjoy this chutney with momos :)

Till then keep smiling ... its precious :)

BAKLAVA

I got my tourist visa for Australia last July and I got here in August. My husband and I ... both are big foodies, so the first week after my arrival, we were exploring all types of food :) . My husband having a sweet tooth had something secret for me. He told me one day,' I will take u to a place where u get a beautiful sweet thing  "BAKLAVA" '. I haven't heard this name before. I was wondering what it would be look like and what about the taste.... as I'm not into sweets as my hubby and in-laws are.

Then after having dinner at Billus in Harris park he took me to the shop across the road called Sweet Land. That shop is full of cakes, pastries and a very different type of sweet called Baklava. Baklava is syrupy traditional Lebanese sweet.

We ordered 500 gm of Baklava and I was waiting to arrive home to taste this sweet. When I took first bite of baklava ..... ummmmm ....... its so yum .... then by trial and error I became expert in making Baklava. 

Baklava comes in many style and shapes, you can layer them or you can roll them as you want. I'm showing you the my version of rolling one.... very easy ... 

I made it for all of you who visited my page for something different. 

BAKLAVA

Ingredients:

1 pack of Filo Pastry

150 gm Unsalted Butter or Ghee (clarified butter)

50 ml Canola Oil or any oil which don't have any taste e.g. olive oil

Filling:

2 cup Pistachios 

2 tbsp Sugar

1 tsp Cinnamon Powder

Syrup:

1 and 1/2 cup  Water

1 and 1/2 cup Sugar

1 tsp Lime Juice

Other Things You Need:

1 Baking Tray

1 Pastry Brush

Recipe:

First thing first ... melt the butter and add oil to it.

For filling put pistachios and sugar in blender and just crush coarsely and put in a bowl. Mix cinnamon powder to it.

Now take out your filo pastry and keep them in lightly damp tea towel (It will keep pastry soft and don't let drying out) .

Brush your baking tray.

Take one filo pastry sheet brush it with butter mix. Now take another sheet, layer it on the buttered sheet and then spread butter mix over it.

Layer two more sheet like this and then spread the filling on sheet and layer another sheet.

Now roll this stack starting from one side very tightly to the other end. 

Place in the baking tray with the opening sheet sides down (So that it wont open while baking).

Make all the rolls and place them in the tray next to other.

Preheat oven at 170C / 350F.

Brush the rolls in the pan with butter mix and bake them for 30 minutes. I will say after 20 minutes just have a look. Make sure that you cook them in middle rack :) 

They should be light golden brown as shown in picture. Cut them in desirable size all the way down and have a look that it is cooked till the middle part.

Mean while make sugar syrup by boiling water and sugar for 5 minutes then simmer for 12 minutes and then add lemon juice and boil for 1 minute.

Pour this syrup over the cooked rolls and garnish with pistachios (shredded, crushed or finely powdered as u like).

Let the rolls soak in syrup so that it is absorbed thoroughly ( it may take 2-3 hours sometimes 4 hrs).

You can also make square shaped baklava ... by just stacking sheets and pistachios in baking tray. Cut them in your desirable shape (square / rectangle / diamond). When pouring syrup on baklava, pour it in between the line not all over them, otherwise baklava won't turn out well. You can also make variation where ever you want.

Now have a bite ..... so delicious :)

Give it a try and tell how you like it.

Till then keep smiling … its precious :)

Finally

Finally ... Finally ... Finally 

     Finally, I got the inspiration to start blogging. I wanted to do this ever since I’ve heard about blogging (fun, a diary online or a journal that is available on the web and money-maker for others).Even I post my first blog 2 years back, when a school going kid had a chat with me for his career confusion. he told me about his blogs and all. I asked him to teach me to blog and so that was my first page ever in blogging world. then I got busy in my visa and then to and fro Gurgaon and Sydney. Then got busy in married life, managing everything for hubby and didnt got anytime or rather say forgot about blogs .... I was active in FB but not blogging. Then comes my baby boy last December and again I got busy. 

     The first thing that comes into my mind is to introduce something first so that anyone who reads my blogs would be acquainted, dig things about me and to know me better, which leads my (new) first entry (forgot about the last one , there is nothing in that post) that I would like to blog about is my passion - FOOD. 

     My journey of blogging begin today and I hope you will come along. 

So friends lets start cooking something ... going to kitchen now and will come after some time with a lip smacking dish ... so come over again ... 

Till then keep smiling … its precious :)

BEETROOT DIP

Ingredients:
200-225 gm tin of Beetroot
250 gm Cream Cheese

Recipe:
Put beetroot with its juice in a blender and blend to a smooth paste.
Add cream cheese and blend until a creamy paste.
Enjoy with crisp nachos or crudites

Till then keep smiling ... its precious :)

WALDORF DRESSING

Ingredients:
1/2 cup Mayonnaise
1 tsp Dijon Mustard
Salt if required
Pinch of White Pepper Powder
1 tsp Lemon Juice (optional)

Recipe:
Place all the ingredients in a bowl and mix until well combined.

Till then keep smiling ... its precious :)