Soya Chunks Rice

Ingredients
1 cup of Soya chunks
2 cups of Basmati rice
4 cups of boiled water (for rice)
2 green chillies
Garam masala ( 5-6 peppercorns, 4-6 cloves, 2 bay leaves, 1 star anise,1 inch cinnamon stick)
Biryani masala 1-2 tsp (as required)
Salt as per taste
Fresh Pudina leaves 1 tbs (alternatively use pudina chutney)
3 medium size onions (pureed)
2 medium size tomatoes (pureed)
Ginger garlic paste 2 tsp
Oil 3 Tbs
Coriander leaves for garnish

Method

1. Soak Basmati rice in water for about 1/2 hr. Drain out water and keep it aside for later use
2. Cook the soya chunks as per the instructions on the packet. Add little salt while cooking the chunks. Drain out the water from the chunks
3. Make onion puree by grinding the onions in a blender.
4. Boil the tomates and peel the skin and make puree using a blender.
5. Heat oil in a kadai and add the whole garam masala and and slit green chillies. After it starts leaving the aroma add ginger garlic paste and onion puree. Saute for 5-8 minutes or till onion starts leaving oil from sides. Add the tomato puree and saute it for 5 minutes. Keep stirring continuously and do not let this masala burn. Add soya chunks and pudina leaves (in case you are using pudina chutney add it at this stage) and stir well. Add the biryani masala.
6. Add rice, salt, four cups of water and stir well. Cover and cook until the rice is done on slow flame. Stir once a while . (If you are using a pressure cooker to cook the rice, wait till 4 whistles, seam the flame cook till 2 more minutes)
7. After the rice is cooked well add coriander leaves as garnish. Serve with boondi raita

Gul Poli (Jaggery roti)

'Gul Poli' or Jaggery Roti is made in Maharashtra on 'Makar Sankrant' day. This is a festival of harvesting. It is called as 'Lohri' in North India, 'Pongal' in South India. Many people celebrate this festival by flying kites. 


Ingredients
For the filling
Jaggery (melted) 1 cup
Khus khus (poppy seeds) 3 tbs
Til (Sesame seeds)  2 tbs
Peanut powder (roasted) 1/4 cup
Besan 1/3 cup
Ghee 2 tbs (for roasting besan)
Cardamom powder 1 tsp or Nutmeg powder 1 tsp (any one of the powder)
pinch of salt (if the jaggery contains salt then do not put salt
Ghee or oil for roasting the rotis

For the roti (outer cover)
2 cups wheat atta (not heapful)
1/4 cup maida
salt ( a pinch)
Oil 2 tbs for mixing the atta
Water (as needed for kneading the dough)

Method

1. Put a double boiler and melt the jaggery. Measure it for a cup. Keep aside.
2. Dry roast khuskhus and make powder using a blender. 
3. Dry roast til and keep as is. (Do not make powder)
4. Roast peanuts and remove the skin and make powder.
5. Heat ghee in a small non stick pan and roast besan till it starts to leave aroma.
6. Mix all the above ingredients in step 2 to 5 in melted jaggery. Mix well. Add cardamom powder or  nutmeg powder
7.  knead the dough by mixing the wheat atta and maida and rest it for more than an hour.
8. Take a small ball of dough and take proportional filling and make paratha like rotis.
9. Roast with very little oil or ghee. 
10. Serve with ghee.
    
    Gul Poli  is always served with ghee. As Jaggery known to have lots of heat in it, it is recommended to eat this roti with ghee to balance the flavors with jaggery!

Carrot Halwa (Gajar ka Halwa)

My most favourite Indian sweet dish that I relish in winters is Carrot halwa or most popularly known as 'Gajar ka Halwa'. This is one of the most popular sweet dish in North India.

Ingredients
5 cups of grated carrot (1 kg Delhi carrots)
4 cups of boiled milk
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup khova (or 2 malai pedha if khova is not available)
10 almonds (blanched and cut in long pieces for garnish)
Cardamom 2-3 powdered (Optional)
pinch of salt
2 tbs of desi ghee (clarified butter)

Method

1. In a non stick pot heat the desi ghee and add the grated carrots. Cook for about 8-10 minutes. Add boiled milk and cook on low flame for about 1 hour stirring occasionally.
2.  Add sugar and mix well and cook till the sugar has dissolved and all the milk has been absorbed.
3.  Add the khova after milk has been absorbed. Stir well. Add blanched chopped almonds and powdered cardamom.
4. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Herbed Chicken

Ingredients

1/2 kg boneless chicken cut into bite size pieces
Ginger-Garlic paste 2 tbs
salt as per taste
Mix herbs- 2 tsp (Rosemary, Thyme, parsley, oregano, basil-easily available in stores)
red chilli powder- 1 tsp
wooden skewers- 10 pieces (according to the number of chicken pieces)

Method

1. Wash chicken and cut into bite size pieces. Marinate the chicken with all the above ingredients. Keep it for marination for 2 hrs.
2. Put the pieces of chicken in wooden skewers. The skewers help the small pieces from falling down on grill or barbeque stand
3.  Preheat the grill or barbeque stand. Grill the pieces for 10 minutes or till the chicken is cooked well. Serve with a dip or pudina chutney