Roasted Cauliflower with Yogurt and Spices

Roasted Cauliflower with yogurt and spices is a delightful dish. It looks gorgeous, tastes delicious and gets done easily.

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The whole roasted cauliflower looks absolutely inviting. Cutting it into smaller portions and serving it out makes it even more interesting. This is a great recipe to get everyone to eat cauliflower. Even the kids!

The yogurt marinade with Kasuri Methi or dried fenugreek leaves adds a superb flavor to the cauliflower. Though the recipe is essentially Indian in taste, a little cheese added at the end perfectly complements the flavours.

Roasted Cauliflower with yogurt and spices is a non fuss recipe that can be cooked by beginners and experts alike.

ROASTED CAULIFLOWER (with yogurt and spices)               Serves 2 to 3

Ingredients:

Cauliflower – 1 (300 to 350 g)

Cheese (any) – to grate over the top

For the marinade

Hung curd/ yogurt – ½ cup

Coriander pdr – 1 tsp

Garam masala pdr – ½ tsp

White pepper pdr – ½ tsp

Kasuri Methi/ Dried fenugreek leaves – 2 to 3 tbsp

Grated ginger – ½ tsp

Grated garlic – 1 tsp

Salt – to taste

Extra Virgin Olive oil – 3 tbsp

For the potatoes

Potatoes – 3 to 4 (medium)

Chili flakes – as per your taste

Olive oil – 1 ½ tblsp

Salt – to taste

Method:

1.    Remove the stalk and the leaves of the cauliflower. Keep it whole. Wash it thoroughly.

2.    Peel the potatoes and cut into wedges or thick slices. Wash again.

3.    Boil some water in a saucepan enough to dunk in the cauliflower. Add in the potato slices for a minute into the boiling water. Remove and keep aside. Next the cauliflower. Boil for about 2 mins. Remove and cool.

4.    For the marinade: Mix all the ingredients together to a smooth paste. (Crush the Kasuri Methi leaves by rubbing them in between your palms)

5.    Carefully apply the marinade all over the cauliflower. Make sure to get it into every fold and gap. Apply the left over on top.

6.    For the potatoes: Mix all the ingredients well.

7.    Take a baking dish large enough to fit in the vegetables. Brush the base and sides with olive oil. Place the cauliflower in the middle and the potato slices all around it. Drizzle olive oil all over.

8.    Bake in a preheated oven at 180 °C for 35 to 40 mins or until the vegetables are cooked.

9.    Take the dish out of the oven and grate the cheese over the cauliflower and a little over the potatoes. Put it back in the oven to bake for 5 to 7 mins or until the cheese has melted.

10. Serve immediately with bread.

© Rinki’s Kitchen 

Layered Paneer Pakora

My Layered Paneer Pakora has distinct layers made of vegetable filling. An ideal tea time or party snack, it is a healthier version of the regular paneer pakora.

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 It is very different from the regular sandwich paneer pakora that uses chutneys in between the layers. The vegetable fillings have different flavours and add a bite to the pakoda.

I have used soda water to make the coating batter. This makes the coating really light and fluffy.

LAYERED PANEER PAKORA                 Makes 12 to 15 bite sized pakoras

Ingredients

Paneer – 200g

Oil – for deep frying

Green Peas Filling

Boiled peas – about ½ cup

Oil – 1 tsp

Grated ginger – ½ tsp

Finely chopped green chilies – ½ tsp

Coriander pdr – ¾ tsp

Chopped coriander – 1 tbsp

Chaat masala pdr – 1 tsp

Salt – to taste

Carrot Filling

Grated Carrot – 1 big

Grated Boiled Potatoes – 2 medium

Grated Garlic – 2 to 3 cloves

Tomato ketchup – 2 to 3 tbsp

Garam masala – ½ tsp

Roasted Cumin pdr – 1 tsp

Oil – 1 tsp

Salt – to taste

Crushed roasted peanuts – 2 tbsp

Coating Batter

Gram Flour / Besan – ½ cup

All purpose flour / Maida – ¼ cup

Soda water – as required

Turmeric – a pinch

Carom seeds / Ajwain – ½ tsp (crushed)

Salt – to taste

Method:

1.    Green Peas Filling : Mash the peas. Heat some oil in a pan. Add in grated ginger and finely chopped green chilies. Fry it on low heat, briefly. Add in the coriander pdr. Mix it in.

2.    Now, add in the mashed peas and coriander leaves. Season with salt. Add in the chaat masala and mix well. Cook briefly. The mix should look fairly dry. Turn off the heat and let it cool to room temperature.

3.    Carrot Filling : In a clean pan, heat the oil. Add in the garlic to flavor the oil followed by the carrot. Cook briefly, add the potatoes. Mix and mash to combine the two.

4.    Add in the tomato ketchup, garam masala and cumin pdr. Season with salt. Mix well and turn off the heat. Let it cool completely. Add in the peanuts and mix to combine.

5.    Coating Batter : Mix the dry ingredients and then make a thick paste by adding soda water a little at a time.

6.    To Assemble the Paneer Sandwich: Thinly slice the paneer block into squares or rectangles as your paneer may be.

7.    Place one slice and top with peas filling. Spread evenly. Add another slice of paneer over it. Place the carrot filling on this slice and spread evenly. Top with a slice of paneer. Repeat with the rest of the paneer and filling.

8.    Cut the sandwiches into smaller portions. Dip in the coating batter carefully. Coat well and deep fry on medium heat till golden brown in colour.

9.    Before serving, make sure to slice the pakoras into bite size pieces if not done so earlier. Serve with ketchup or chutney as a tea time or party snack.

Kosha Mangsho ... a Bengali mutton curry!

Kosha Mangsho (with potato) is an extremely popular Bengali mutton curry. This is my mom’s recipe which I am sharing with you. It’s finger licking good!

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Since my mom is visiting me, I thought of making the most of it. She was glad to stand beside me guiding me through the recipe every step of the way. She insisted that I cook the Kosha Mangsho (with potatoes) in a metal wok or pan. No non-stick ware for this traditional recipe!

I have made the Kosha Mangsho boneless as was requested by my son. It tastes good with the bones too.

The recipe is simple and quick to make.

You may also check out my Chicken Kosha recipe: https://goo.gl/kwcuS5

KOSHA MANGSHO (Bengali Mutton Curry)                  Serves 3 to 4

Ingredients

Mutton – 500 g (cut into small pieces)

Potato – 1 large (peeled and quartered)

Onion sliced – 1 medium

Onion paste:

Onion – 2 large or 3 medium

Ginger – 1 inch piece

Garlic – 7 to 8 cloves

Whole Spices:

Cumin seeds / Jeera – 2 tsp

Pepper corns – 7 to 8

Green cardamom – 4

Clove – 2 to 3

Cinnamon stick – 1

Poppy seeds – 1 tbsp

Tomato – 1 large (cut into chunks)

Turmeric pdr – ½ tsp

Red chili pdr – 1 tsp or more

Oil – 4 to 5 tbsp

Sugar – about 1 tsp

Salt – to taste

Method:

1.    Pressure cook the mutton with a piece of raw Papaya. Take them out into a bowl and reserve the stock for later. Discard the papaya.

2.    Par boil the potato pieces and then deep fry them to get a golden colour.

3.    Dry roast the Whole Spices and cool completely. Make a paste of the Whole Spices and Poppy seeds.

4.    For the Onion Paste, grind together the onions, ginger and garlic.

5.    Heat the oil in a pan. Add in the sliced onions and fry briefly. Add in the sugar and fry till light golden. Now, add in the onion paste and cook till the oil starts separating.

6.    Add the tomatoes and cook till they disintegrate. The turmeric and red chili pdrs go in next. Cook till the oil starts separating.

7.    Add in the poppy seed and spice paste and cook till the oil appears on the sides again.

8.    Now, add in the mutton pieces and cook for 5 to 7 mins on medium heat, stirring continuously.

9.    Add in the potatoes and cook for a minute or two. Pour in the mutton stock. Should be about 2 ½ cups or else add in some water. Season with salt. Bring that to a boil, lower the heat to medium and cook till the gravy thickens slightly and the mutton becomes tender.

10. Serve the curry hot with luchi, paratha or rice.

© Rinki’s Kitchen

MUGHLAI PANEER MAKHANI MASALA

Here’s my recipe of  Mughlai Paneer Makhani Masala in easy to follow steps.

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The gravy as the name suggests tastes of butter and also has a velvety smooth buttery texture. Hence the ‘makhani’. This recipe differs from the Paneer Butter Masala or Paneer Makhani. The use of nuts and poppy seeds make the gravy rich.

Mildly flavoured with Kewra essence, this dish has a royal taste and look to it. I have simplified the original recipe to help you reduce the prep and cooking time.

Best accompanied by naan or roti, the Mughlai Paneer Makhani Masala is a recipe for keeps.

MUGHLAI PANEER MAKHANI MASALA                       Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients

Yogurt Mix:

Yogurt – about ½ cup

Gram Flour /Besan – 1 tbsp

Water – about 2 cups

Poppy Seed & Nuts Paste:

Almonds – 15 to 16

Peanuts – 1 ½ tbsp

Poppy seeds / Khus khus – 1 ½ tbsp

Garlic – 5 to 6 cloves

Ginger – 1 “

Paneer / Cottage Cheese – 250 g

Grilled Onion – 2 medium

Whole Spices

Cinnamon – a piece

Green Cardamoms – 2 to 3

Cloves – 3 to 4

Turmeric pdr – ½ tsp

Kashmiri Red Chili pdr – ¾ tsp

Butter – 1 tbsp

Oil – 3 tbsp

Kewra essence – 1 tsp

Chopped Coriander – for garnish

Sugar – ½ tsp

Salt – to taste

Method:

1.    Grill the onions directly on low flame till it is charred on the outside and soft inside. Once cool, peel, wash and grind them to a fine paste. Keep aside.

2.    Mix the yogurt and gram flour using a whisk till well combined. Add in 2 cups of water, mix till well blended and keep aside.

3.    Boil or soak the almonds and dry roast the peanuts to remove the skin. Grind the nuts, poppy seeds, ginger and garlic to a fine paste. (Either together or separately.)

4.    Cut the paneer or cottage cheese into cubes and soak them in cold water.

5.    Heat a pan; add in the butter and oil. Add in the whole spices to flavor the oil. Once they release their aroma, add in the onion paste. Cook till the oil starts separating.

6.    Add in the Poppy Seed & Nuts Paste. Add in the turmeric and chili pdr. Cook till the oil starts separating.

7.    Lower the heat and pour in the Yogurt Mix. Combine well and cook till the sauce starts to thicken. Adjust the seasoning.

8.    Drain the paneer pieces and add them to the gravy. Simmer for a couple of minutes on medium heat.

9.    Turn off the heat and add in the Kewra essence. Mix it well.

10. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve hot with roti or naan.

© Rinki’s Kitchen 

Broken Wheat and Veggies Tikki

Broken Wheat and Veggies Tikki can be the perfect healthy snack for everyone. The tikkis are crispy and tasty and have a bite to them.

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 I have the perfect method to prepare the broken wheat (Lapsi) for the tikki. The tikkis or cutlets must have a minimum amount of moisture in them. That is exactly why it must be cooked in a special way.

The potatoes are best done in the microwave oven. This way they turn out perfect without any excess moisture in them. The veggies used must be chopped really fine so that they blend into the cutlets.

The tikkis may be deep fried, baked or grilled. I have shallow fried them just like a tikki is cooked. If you want a rich flavor, feel free to use ghee or clarified butter to fry them.

These broken wheat and veggies tikki are a really clever way  of getting your kids to eat vegetables in a fun way!

BROKEN WHEAT AND VEGGIES TIKKI                        Makes about 12

 

Ingredients:

Broken Wheat / Lapsi – ½ cup heaped

Boiled potatoes – 4 to 5 large

Bread crumbs – about 1/2 cup

Oil – for cooking and shallow frying

CHOPPED VEGGIES

Grated carrot – ½ cup

Finely chopped beans – ¼ cup

Boiled and mashed peas – 2 tblsp

Finely chopped onions – 1 tblsp

Finely chopped coriander – 3 tblsp

Finely chopped green chilies – 1 or 2

SPICES

Garam Masala pdr – ½ tsp

Roasted cumin pdr – 1 tsp

Chaat Masala pdr – 1 tsp

Black salt and Salt – to taste

Method:

1.    Wash the potatoes thoroughly. Using a fork prick it all over. Bake in the microwave oven on full power for 5 to 6 mins or till they are done.

2.    Peel and grate the potatoes and keep them aside.

3.    Wash the broken wheat with water 2 to 3 times. Add them to a pan of boiling water (the water should be double the volume of the wheat). Bring it back to the boil and let it sit for 1 ½ to 2 mins. Strain the water and wash the broken wheat with some cold water to get rid of the starch. Let it sit on the strainer for 2 hours or till well drained.

4.    Heat 1 tblsp of oil in a non stick pan and cook the broken wheat till it becomes very dry and all the moisture has evaporated. Cool it to room temperature.

5.    Take a large bowl, add in the cooked broken wheat and half the amount of potato. You may add in the rest later.

6.    Add in the chopped veggies and mix it lightly. Add in the spices and season with the salts. Now, mix to combine all the ingredients thoroughly. Add in the remaining potato and mix well.

7.    If the mix feels moist add in 1 or 2 tblsp of bread crumbs as binding agent. Give it a final mix and adjust the seasoning.

8.    Take a handful of the dough, form a ball and flatten it to a thick disk or tikki. Use all of the mixture to make the tikkis.

9.    Roll the tikkis in some bread crumbs and put them in the fridge for 15 to 20 mins. Shallow fry the tikkis till they are crispy on the outside.

10. Serve hot with some chutney or sauce.

© Rinki’s Kitchen