Jelly Mousse Cups

If you have to churn up a dessert at short notice … these layered jelly mousse cups are the best bet. Use any flavoured jelly that you fancy. Add in any fruit that you have at hand. No rules really.

This layered fruit jelly mousse is a soft set dessert. I like it soft when setting it in a cup or a glass. You can reduce the quantity of whipped cream to achieve a firm setting. (1 part jelly : ½ part whipped cream)

A great project to do with kids too.

Rinki Mukerjee YouTube

JELLY MOUSSE CUPS                            Serves 6

Ingredients:

Jelly crystals(any flavor) – 1 packet

Whipped Cream – 1 ½ cup

Fruit – for decoration

Method:

1.    Prepare the jelly as per the instructions on the pack (Use 1/3 less water than mentioned on the pack). Divide it into 2 equal parts.

2.    Let it cool slightly. You will know that it is ready when it starts to set.

3.    Whisk it up to break up the set jelly.

4.    Pour the plain jelly into the bottom of the serving (6) cups. Put it into the fridge to set for 15 to 20 mins.

5.    To the other part add in the whipped cream (for 1 cup of jelly about 3/4 cup of cream). Fold it in to a smooth mix.

6.    Take out the jelly cups from the fridge. Use a ladle to pour the whipped cream and jelly mix into the cups over the jelly base.

7.    Set the cups in the fridge again for 1 hour.

8.    Once the mousse has set completely, take out the cups and decorate with the whipped cream and fruit.

9.    Serve chilled. Store in the fridge till serving time.

QUINOA SALAD CHAAT

A vegetarian quinoa salad chaat can fit in perfectly with any meal or snack. It’s simply lip smacking prepared with a chaat dressing. Tangy and spicy!

The health benefits of quinoa, have made it a super food. Though it hails from South America, it has gained popularity globally. I have added my touch to make a healthy vegetarian quinoa chaat which may be eaten as a salad.

I have also shared the recipe of how to quinoa perfectly everytime.

Enjoy making and serving this vegetarian quinoa salad chaat style and notice the reactions of your folks.

Click the image below to watch the video recipe.

For more such recipes, subscribe & check out my channel:  https://goo.gl/XBwLLc

QUINOA SALAD CHAAT  (Vegetarian)                                                     Serves 2 to 4

For the Salad:

Cooked Quinoa – 1 cup

Chopped (Yellow Bell pepper, Capsicum, Tomato, Onion, Cucumber, dried Apricots) – 1 cup

Sprouts (any) – ¼ cup

Cooked beans and peas – 1 cup

Boiled and diced potato – 1 medium

Peanuts – 2 to 3 tblsp

For the Salad Dressing:

Tamarind pulp or Tamarind water – 2/3 cup

Honey – 3 tblsp

Mustard oil – 2 tblsp

Chopped green chili – 1

Black salt and salt – to taste

Chaat Masala – 1 tsp

Roasted Cumin pdr – 1 tsp

Lemon – ½

Method:

1.    Mix the ingredients for salad dressing in a bowl and whisk or mix till well blended. It will become slightly thicker when emulsified. Keep it aside.

2.    Add all the ingredients for the salad in a large bowl and mix well. You may refrigerate it in an airtight box till it is time to serve.

3.    Just before serving, drizzle the dressing (as much as you want) on top of the salad. The dressing should be enough to coat the ingredients and not more.

4.    Check the seasoning. Serve on a bed of Lettuce or Cabbage leaves or any other way you want.

NOTE: Add as many varieties of vegetables and fruits as you want.

            Add as much or as less of the veggies or beans as you want.

            Adjust the spices and seasoning to your taste.

© Rinki’s Kitchen 2018

Red Chickpea Curry (without onion, ginger or garlic)

A protein packed vegetarian dish that is full of flavor. This red chickpea curry without onion, ginger, garlic is really special. You just need rice to go with it.

The recipe is a quick and easy one with ingredients that are readily available at home. You just need to soak the chickpeas overnight for best results.

Based on the Satvik diet, this red chickpea curry with yogurt is one that you will most certainly add to your collection of recipes.

Plan it for a lazy day or for a party and you will really enjoy it. Both cooking and eating!

Click the link below for the video recipe:

RED CHICKPEA CURRY                                                              Serves 3 to 4

Ingredients:

Red Chickpea/ Lal Chana(soaked in water overnight)  – 1 ½ cup

Cumin seeds – ½ tsp

Asafoetida/Hing – a pinch

Green chilies chopped – 1 or 2

Red chili pdr – ½ tsp

Coriander pdr – 1 tsp

Turmeric/ Haldi pdr – ¼ tsp

Ghee – 3 tblsp

Garam Masala pdr – ½ tsp

Coriander leaves – for garnish

Mix to a batter with water:

Yogurt/Curd (beaten) – ½ cup

Gram flour/Besan (dry roasted) – 2  tblsp

Coriander pdr – ½ tsp

Dry mango pdr/ Aamchur – ½ tsp

Salt – ½ tsp

Method:

1.    Mix the yogurt with the spices and form a thick paste. Add about ½ to ¾ cups of water and form a thin batter. Keep it aside.

2.    Boil the chickpeas in a pressure cooker till they are done. Drain and reserve the water.

3.    Heat the ghee in a pan. Add in the cumin seeds followed by the asafetida and the chopped green chilies. Fry briefly.

4.    Add in the coriander pdr, turmeric pdr and red chili pdr. Lower the heat and cook the spices briefly.

5.    Add in the yogurt – gram flour batter into the pan. Mix well and cook stirring continuously till the gravy starts to thicken. Add in 1 to  1 ½ cups of water and mix well. Cook on low heat till the gravy comes to a boil.

6.    Remove ½ cup of chickpeas and crush them.  Add in the whole and crushed chickpeas into the gravy. Mix well. Add in about a cup of the chickpea water that was reserved. Let it come to a boil.

7.    Cover with a lid and cook on low medium heat for about 3 minutes. Check and adjust the seasoning.

8.    After 3 mins give it a mix. Add in a whole green chili and cover it again for 2 mins.

9.    The gravy will thicken slightly and the ghee will start floating on top.

10. Sprinkle with garam masala and mix well.

11. Drizzle with ghee and garnish with green coriander leaves. Serve hot with rice.

© Rinki’s Kitchen 2018 

Healthy Crackers Snacks with home meade spreads

How about healthy crackers with homemade spreads as snacks? Low fat, flavourful and appetizing…isn’t that perfect? To top it all, you can make them yourself.

Just follow the simple recipes for both the crackers and the spreads.

You may use any combination of toppings for these crackers. Apart from vegetables and fruit, you may use nuts, mince meat, bacon, eggs ….the options are endless. 

Do try out these snacks and impress your folks!

HEALTHY CRACKERS SNACKS

(with Homemade Spreads)

Ingredients:

Spicy Olive Oil Crackers

Recipe Link:    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fDBHK2IwqQM

Coriander Hummus Spread

Boiled Chickpeas – ½ cup

Coriander leaves and stems – a handful

Grated garlic – ½ tsp

Red chili flakes – ¼ tsp

Pepper powder – ¼ tsp

Tahini paste – 2 tsp

Extra Virgin Olive oil – enough to make a smooth paste

Salt – to taste

Cheese Yogurt Spread

Yogurt (hung for 30 mins) – ¼ cup + 2 tblsp

Grated cheese – ¼ cups packed

Grated garlic – ¼ to ½ tsp

White pepper powder – ¼ tsp

Toppings

Chopped red and yellow bell peppers

Chopped prunes/ dates/ raisins

Chopped coriander leaves

Pomegranate seeds

Salted peanuts broken into smaller pieces

Chili flakes

Coriander – Cumin Seeds roasted and ground coarsely

Method:

1.    To make the Hummus spread, add all the ingredients into a food processor/mixer and blend to a smooth paste using olive oil. The paste should not be runny or too stiff. More like a cake batter.

2.    To make the Cheese spread, mix all the ingredients by hand till well blended and smooth. Transfer the spreads into plastic bags or piping cones for easy handling.

3.    Arrange the crackers on a tray. Apply Hummus spread on half of the cracker and the Cheese spread on the rest. You may just use a spoon to put a blob of spread on the crackers instead of using the plastic cone/bag. That’s fine too.

4.    Flavor Combination1 : Peanuts + Pomegranate + Coriander leaves + chili flakes

5.    Flavor Combination2 : Bell peppers + Prunes + ground Coriander – Cumin

6.    Use Flavor Combination1on some crackers with Hummus spread and on some with Cheese spread.

7.    Use Flavor Combination2 on some crackers with Hummus spread and on some with Cheese spread.

8.    Serve them for tea or as an appetizer before a meal.

© Rinki’s Kitchen 2018

Spicy Olive Oil Crackers....light and healthy!

Crackers are so simple and satisfying to make. You will really enjoy making and sampling these spicy olive oil crackers.

Absolutely low fat and healthy, these crackers can be flavoured with spices or herbs or both. I have used Indian spices this time. Sometimes, I end up making these low fat crackers with herbs only. Just let your mood decide the flavouring. That really works best!

https://in.pinterest.com/pin/396246467208648554/

SPICY OLIVE OIL CRACKERS

Ingredients:

Whole wheat flour – 1 ¼ cup

Baking powder – ½ tsp

Salt – to taste

Extra Virgin Olive oil – 1 ½ tblsp

Water – ¼ cup or slightly more

Sesame seeds – 1 tblsp

Cumin seeds (roasted) – 1 tsp

Coriander seeds (roasted) – 1 tsp

Dry fenugreek leaves – 1 tblsp

Chili flakes – ½ tsp

White pepper powder – ½ tsp

Method:

1.    Grind the cumin and coriander seeds coarsely.

2.    In a large bowl combine the flour/atta, baking pdr, salt and all the dry spices. Mix thoroughtly with a whisk.

3.    Add in the olive oil and water (slightly less than ¼ cup). Combine. Add more water a little at a time (with a tablespoon) till the dough just comes together. Knead well enough to make a smooth and stiff dough.

4.    Cover with a cloth and keep aside for 15 mins.

5.    Preheat an oven to 180 °C.

6.    Divide the dough into 2 parts (makes it easier) and roll out thinly and evenly.

7.    Cut out crackers using cookie cutters or a knife or a bottle cap. Poke holes in them at regular intervals using a toothpick.

8.    Arrange them on a baking tray lined with butter paper. Bake for 10 to 12 mins or till they are golden in colour. (baking time varies from oven to oven so, check at the 8 min mark to make an assessment)

9.    Cool on a wire rack completely. Serve with tea or coffee or as a snack with a dip or a pickle.

10. You may store them in an airtight container for several weeks.

© Rinki’s Kitchen 2018

Beans Aloo Jeera Bhaji

This French beans and potatoes bhaji gets done in minutes! I just love the crunchy beans and the cumin flavor. Serve it as a bhaji or eat it as a warm salad…

The real taste of this dish comes from cooking the veggies right...till they are just cooked.

BEANS ALOO JEERA BHAJI

Ingredients:

French beans – 200 g

Potatoes – 3 medium

Tomato – 1 medium

Grated ginger – 1 tsp

Green chilies – 2

Turmeric pdr – ¼ tsp

Coriander pdr – 1 tsp

Cumin pdr – 1 tsp

Cumin seeds – ½ tsp

Oil – 2 tblsp

Salt – to taste

Method:

1.    String the beans and cut them into 1 inch long pieces.

2.    Peel the potatoes and cut them into long pieces. Slice the tomato.

3.    Put some water to boil in a pan. Steam the chopped potato using a steamer dish till they are almost done. Should take about 5 mins. Remove from the pan and cool them slightly.

4.    Heat the oil in a pan. Add in the cumin seeds. Once they release their aroma, add in the beans. Fry for sometime till they turn darker in colour.

5.    Add in the tomato and ginger.  Cook for a minute.

6.    Add in the turmeric and coriander pdr. Season with salt. Mix well. Cook stirring continuously for a minute or two. Cover the pan and let it simmer on medium heat for 2 mins or till the tomatoes have wilted.

7.    Take off the lid, give it a mix. Add in chopped/slit/whole chilies. Add in the cumin pdr.  Cover again and cook for another 2 mins.

8.    After 2 mins, give the veggies a mix and turn off the heat. The bhaji is ready.

9.    For the best result, keep the beans crunchy and the tomatoes slightly holding their shape. You may cook the veggies for longer if you so desire.

10. Serve hot with puri or paratha or eat it as a warm salad!

© Rinki’s Kitchen 2018 

Palak Urad Dal Kachori

Who can resist steaming hot kachoris and aloo? This recipe for urad dal kachori with palak (black gram and spinach fried bread) is delicious and really simple to make.

It’s actually inspired by the very famous bedmi puri. Adding the spinach to the kachoris really increases the visual appeal and most importantly the nutrition quotient.
Video recipe:

PALAK AND URAD DAL KACHORI                               Makes 12

Ingredients:

Whole wheat flour/Atta – 1 ¼ cup

Urad dal/Black gram(skinned) – 4 tblsp

Spinach leaves – 2 cups

Coriander pdr – 1 tsp

Cumin pdr – ½ tsp

Fennel pdr – ½ tsp

Red Chili pdr – 1/4 tsp

Ginger pdr – ½ tsp

Nutmeg grated – a pinch

Hing/Asafoetida – a pinch

Salt – to taste

Oil  - 3 tblsp + for deep frying

Water – for kneading

Method:

1.    Wash and soak the urad dal / lentil for at least 3 hours. Grind it to a coarse paste.

2.    Wash and clean the spinach leaves. Blanch them in boiling water or run them in the microwave for 1 ½ to 2 mins. Refresh them with cold/chilled water. And chop them roughly.

3.    Take the flour in a large bowl, make a well in the centre and add 3 tblsp of vegetable oil. Mix well. Add in the spices and salt. Mix to combine.

4.    Add the dal/lentil paste and combine. Add in the spinach leaves and start kneading the dough.

5.    Knead to a stiff dough, with very little water as required. Oil the palm and knead for a minute or two.

6.    Apply some oil on the dough and let it rest for 15 – 20 mins before rolling out the kachoris.

7.    After resting the dough, knead it lightly. Make small balls from the dough. You should get 12 – 14.

8.    Use a little oil to roll out the kachoris, thinly. Roll out a few at a time and fry in batches.

9.    Heat some oil for deep frying. Fry the kachoris on medium heat till they puff up and are golden brown in colour.

10. Serve them hot with some aloo ki sabzi/potato curry.

© Rinki’s Kitchen 2018

Quick Kosha Chicken... a Bengali recipe

Kosha Chicken is a very popular Bengali recipe. It enjoys a reputation equal to it’s cousin the Kosha Mangsho which is made with mutton. My version is a quick kosha of chicken which is done in no time.

Simple ingredients have been used in this recipe which are readily available in the home pantry. So give this quick version of the Bengali kosha chicken a try and impress your family and friends.

QUICK KOSHA CHICKEN                                                Serves 5 to 6

Ingredients:

Boneless Chicken breasts – 500g

Onions – 2 large or 3 medium (sliced)

Tomato – 1 chopped

Ginger Garlic paste – 1 ½ tsp

Garam Masala pdr – ¾ tsp

Poppy seed/Khus khus paste – 1 tblsp

Sugar – ½ tsp

Salt – to taste

Oil – for cooking

For the marination:

Ginger Garlic paste – 1 tsp

Garam Masala pdr – ½ tsp

Red Chili pdr – ½ tsp

Yogurt/Curd – 3 tblsp

Salt – a few pinches

Mix to a paste with water:

Pepper pdr – ¼ tsp                                      

Haldi pdr – ¼ tsp

Coriander pdr – 1 ½ tsp

Cumin pdr – ¾  tsp

Red Chili pdr – ½ tsp

Method:

1.    Cut  the chicken into smaller pieces. Marinate for at least an hour (best done overnight) in the fridge.

2.    Heat some oil in a pan.(about 3 tblsp) Add in the onions and fry briefly before adding the sugar.

3.    Now fry them on medium heat till they turn brown. Add in the tomato. Cook for a minute.

4.    Add in the chicken and cook stirring constantly. Once the onions and tomatoes become mushy, add in the ginger garlic paste, the spice paste and cook stirring briefly.

5.    Once the oil separates from the spice paste, cover the pan and cook for a few minutes on low heat.

6.    Remove the cover and cook for a few minutes stirring continuously. Cover and cook again for a few minutes.

7.    Check to see of the chicken is done. Once the chicken is cooked, add in the Poppy seed paste and garam masala pdr mix well and cook for a few minutes.

8.    Add a tablespoon of mustard oil to finish off. Cook for 1 minute.

9.    Serve hot with roti, chapatti or paratha.

© Rinki’s Kitchen 2018