RASGULLA - Syrupy Sweet dish with Paneer/cheese

Yesterday morning while I boiled milk for making my morning delight 'the filter coffee', milk got curdled. On such days, I usually make crumbled paneer masala or use it in some dishes as a filling. This time I tried the tasty Rasgullas with this fresh paneer.

I happened to see an easy recipe in Raks Kitchen and tried the same. It was easy cooking, tasted good and now if milk curdles, I would not mind missing a hot cup of coffee in the morning......!

INGREDIENTS

MILK ----- 500ml

LIME JUICE----- 1tbsp

SUGAR ----- 1cup

WATER ----- 1.25cup

ICE CUBES ----6 to 7

CARDAMOM ----- 3

PISTACHIOS --- optional

METHOD

• Boil milk, use whole fat milk if exclusively making rasgullas. Add 1tbsp lime juice to it.Simmer flame and boil it for a little while more. You can see the cheese seperates from whey. Put off the flame

• Add the ice cubes and mix well

• Pour the content through a muslin cloth, I used a clean kitchen cloth to drain the water

• Place the cloth with paneer under running water, so that the smell and flavour of lime is washed off well

• Slightly press and remove excess water. Now hang the cloth for 30mins and drain the water completely

• Take the paneer out to a plate. They would be in crumbled pieces. Slowly and smoothly knead the paneer for about 10mins. Take time and patience to do this part of the recipe

• The paneer would now be smooth and firm. Pinch a little of this paneer and roll it smooth between your palms and shape it to your desire

• Meanwhile, boil water in a pressure cooker with 1cup of sugar and crushed cardamoms. Let the sugar dissolve completely and water start to boil

• Reduce the flame and drop the paneer balls gently into the hot water. Close the lid and put weight to the cooker

• After the first whistle, put the flame to sim and cook it further for 5mins. Now put off the flame and let the cooker cool down

• Open the cooker lid and you can see the rasgullas doubled in size. The soft and fresh rasgullas are divine!

• Transfer it to a bowl and garnish with broken pistachios or any other garnish that you like. Let it come to room temperature and then refrigerate.
• Serve it warm or cool

NOTE

• Drain water completely from the paneer
• Take care and time while kneading the paneer
• Do not remove the pressure from cooker early
• I could make 10 rasgullas with this measure

Egg Dosa - Indian Egg Dosa Goes Italian

I usually make plain or onion egg dosa. Today, I gave it a twist and went Italian! Guess what...? my breakfast regime went healthy, simple yet delicious.


INGREDIENTS

DOSA BATTER
EGG ----- 2
PASTA&PIZZA SAUCE
SALT
GHEE
GRATED CHEESE (optional)

METHOD

• On a hot pan add one ladle of the dosa batter and spread it thin
• Beat the eggs with a pinch of salt and pour a little all around the spread out batter
• Add 1tsp of pasta&pizza sauce for a big dosa. Adjust it according to your taste and the size of the dosa. Spread it with a spoon

• Now the egg and sauce gives a good coating to the dosa. Add a little ghee all around (I like ghee, you may opt for oil as well)
• Let the dosa cook on this side up, on medium flame until the coating lightly dries up. Turn it down and cook the other side also
• Flip it again, spread some grated cheese, roll and serve
• For spice lovers dip it in idly podi and its yum......!

NOTE

• Pasta&Pizza sauce is a vegetarian ready to use culinary sauce used as a spread on pizza before baking or to toss the boiled pasta in a hot sauce. I used a brand called Dr.Oetker
• For 2 beaten eggs I could make 4 dosas

Vegetable Fried Rice

My mom is a wonderful cook with an amazing level of patience. This blog is to you Mom for teaching me how to cook great food with a pinch of passion added to it!

Fried rice is one of my all time favourites and my mom used to pack this for lunch while I was studying and even after I pursued my career. This is a simple and easy vegetable fried rice which I adapted from her.

INGREDIENTS

BASMATI RICE ----- 1 CUP
ONION ----- 1
GREEN CHILLY ----- 2
VEGETABLES ----- 1 CUP
GINGER & GARLIC PASTE ---- 1TBSP
WHOLE SPICES(4 Cloves, 2 Cardamom, 1 Small bay leaf)
MINT AND CORIANDER LEAVES
PEPPER POWDER ----- A PINCH
GHEE, OIL
SALT

METHOD

• Wash and cook 1 cup rice with 2.5cups of water in a pressure cooker. After the first whistle put flame to sim and cook for 4 mins
• Put off the flame and let the cooker sit for a while until its easy to open the lid
• Now add 1tsp of ghee to the hot rice, mix lightly with a wooden ladle and keep it without covering.This helps rice not to stick together
• In a large pan add 1tsp ghee and 1tsp oil. Add the whole spices to the hot oil.
• Then add the sliced onion and saute until light brown. Add 1/2tsp salt at this stage
• Add the slit green chillies and saute. Now add ginger garlic paste and saute lightly
• Add vegetables whatever available. Thin strips of carrot, beans, pieces of cauliflower and frozen/fresh green peas. I reserve the slices of capsicum to be added later.
• Saute the vegetables for a minute. Cover the pan and let it cook a little in the steam with no water added. Not too soft but just tender
• Add the capsicum pieces now and saute a little. It cooks very fast
• Add a pinch of pepper powder, stir and put the flame to low. Mix the cooked rice with the vegetables and add the chopped mint and coriander leaves.
• Check for salt 
• Saute all this together for about 2mins.
• Serve with a raita

NOTE

For making it an egg fried rice, scramble two eggs with a little salt and pepper,add it to the fried rice and give it a good mix.

Caramel Chocolate Pudding Made Simple

This is my first recipe to the blog. It is a simple yet delicious pudding. I dedicate this blog to all my friends who encouraged me to start a food blog and post my recipes.

Inspired by my mom's 'Caramel Custard Pudding' (shall post this later) I tried this pudding which is easy, fast and done without adding egg. The soft creamy pudding just melts in your mouth! 

INGREDIENTS

CHINA GRASS ----- 100 mg

MILK ----- 500 ml
SUGAR ----- 4 tbs
CHOCOLATE (grated)                             

FOR GARNISH (optional)

DRY FRUITS, SAFFRON

METHOD

China grass or 'Agar' is an ingredient used in desserts throughout Asia. This is a vegetarian gelling agent found in different flavours and available in most of the supermarts. It can be a base for lot many desserts or can be used by itself. Here I used a brand called 'Blue Bird' - Vanilla flavour. The content of this pack is in tiny crystals and does not require sugar.

1. Caramel base - take a heavy bottom vessel and add 4tbs sugar. Add few drops of water and heat it on high flame. Sugar tends to dissolve, melt and starts boiling. We need to slightly burn this syrup and get the beautiful honey coloured caramel base. Now reduce the flame to medium and keep rotating the vessel so that the caramel starts coating the sides of the pan and burns evenly. Caution required not to over burn it. When you see that the golden brown colour is formed, put off the flame and soon transfer the contents to smaller serving bowls or you may keep it as it is.


2. Pudding - boil milk and add a pack of china grass to it and cook for 2mins. The content gets cooked and thickens a little. Remove it from the stove.

3. Layering 

•  Pour one layer of china grass to the bowl with the caramel base
• Now add a thin layer of grated chocolate, instead you can also use chocolate sauce or homemade melted chocolate
• Sprinkle some dry fruits, I added some blueberries  
• Again add the layer of china grass pudding
• Top it with grated chocolate, saffron and almond pieces

4. Serving - Keep the layered bowls in  fridge, after it reaches room temperature. It sets very quickly. Keep it for an hour to cool and serve chilled.

Note:   The caramel should be poured to heavy glass bowls only. The high heat content may otherwise crack the glass bowls

Apple Fizz Mocktail

I dedicate this blog to Sanjeev (AKA) Sanju,  for suggesting the name 'Rajdeep's Kitchen' which I rechristened to 'Rajdeep's Cookery' as my blog name. Cheers Sanju !

This simple mocktail is an inspiration from a drink I had last weekend at the Pizza Hut. It had fresh mint leaves, apple flavour and fresh lime. Since my hubby likes carbonated drinks, I gave it a try and was an instant hit.

INGREDIENTS

APPLE JUICE-----125ml

ANY CARBONATED DRINK----125ml

APPLE FINELY DICED----2tbs

FRESH MINT LEAVES----few

CHAT MASALA POWDER----2pinch

METHOD

• Keep the Apple juice (I used Tropicana Apple Juice) and the carbonated drink (7 up or Sprite) refrigerated.

•  Just before serving, take a tall glass rinse it with ice water.

• Add the apple pieces, mint leaves and a slice of fresh lime.

• On top of it add the apple juice and the fizzy drink.

• The apple pieces and mint leaves shall now glide up to the glass. 

• Top it with one or two pinches of chat masala and serve.

• Voila!....here's a refreshing chatpata drink.