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

Tamarind chutney (for Chaats)

'Chaats' is my weak point. I can indulge in 'bhel', 'shev puri', 'pani puris' anytime of the day! I remember during my college days my mom used to make this tamarind chutney and store it in fridge so that me and my twin could indulge in bhel anytime. Even today if you ever happen to open my deep freeze you will see the tamarind paste/sauce/chutney there!!
The main ingredient that is needed for any 'chaat' dish is the 'khatta-meetha' tamarind chutney/paste/sauce. It can be stored in an airtight container for over 3-4 months. 
Ingredients
1/2 kg seedless tamarind
1/4 kg jaggery (crushed)
2 tbs cumin powder (freshly crushed jeera is best option)
1 1/2 tbs coriander seeds powder
1 1/2 tbs red chilli powder
Dates 8-10 (seedless)
salt as per taste (black salt preferred)
Water as required to make the chuteny

Method

1. Make sure the tamarind is a seedless one. Soak the tamarind in 2 cups boiling water for 3-4 hours. After which grind it to a paste. Strain the tamarind pulp in a large vessel. 
2. Add more 2 cups of water and start boiling this pulp. Add all the dry ingredients listed above. Bring the chutney to a boil. See to it that the dates and jaggery have melted completely after boiling. Let it cool down completely.
3. Store it in an air tight container and use in all kinds of chaat items, samosas, dahi vadas etc

Puliyogare (Tamarind rice)

'Puliyogare' is a South Indian rice preparation made usually with leftover rice. Its a easy preparation if you have the 'Puliyogare' masala ready at home. Just add rice to the masala and the rice is ready to eat...Its that easy !!!

Ingredients
3 tbs white til (sesame seeds)
3 tbs dhania seeds (coriander seeds)
5-6 dry red chillies
1 tbs methi seeds (fenugreek seeds)
7-8 peppercorns
2 tbs kadipatta leaves
1 tbs jaggery
1 tsp hing (Asafoetida)
salt as per taste

For Rice preparation
2 tbs Peanuts
1 tbs chana dal
1 tbs urad dal
1 tbs kadipatta
Oil for frying (making tadka/ tempering)

Method

1. Soak 2 cups of tamarind in warm water for 1 hour. Extract the juicy pulp with your hands.We will need 2 cups of this pulp for this recipe.
2. Dry roast white til, dhania seeds, dry red chillies, methi seeds, peppercorns, hing and 1 tbs kadipatta. Roast till golden brown. Make a powder in a food processor. 
3. Heat a non stick pan and add the oil. Add the extracted tamarind pulp and the dry powder (step 2) to this pulp. Add jaggery to this pulp and keep stirring continuously till the pulp starts to leave oil from the sides.
4. Put off the gas and let this mixture cool down completely (This is your puliyogare masala which can be stored in an airtight container for about a month)
5. Heat oil in a pan, add peanuts, chana dal, urad dal and kadipatta. Add 2 tbs of the puliyogare masala and pre cooked rice to this tempering. Stir well. Add salt if required.

Mutton Curry

Ingredients
1 kg mutton
4 medium size onions
3 ripe tomatoes
ginger garlic paste 2 tbs
2 cup curds
1 tbs turmeric powder
2 tbs red chilli powder
salt as per taste
Shaan meat masala 2-3 tbs (as per your taste) Or any other meat masala of your choice
Garam masala
2 bay leaves
4-5 pepperrcorns
3-4 cloves
2 anise seeds
3 inch cinammon sticks

Oil for frying the masala (3-4 tbs)
1/4 cup coriander leaves (finely chopped for garnishing)


Method

1. Wash the mutton under cold running water. Marinate the meat by adding curds, turmeric powder, red chilli powder, salt (as per taste), Shaan masala. Keep it for marination for 4-5 hours
2. Make a fine paste of onions in a food processor. Keep aside for later use. Finely cut the tomatoes and keep them aside.
3. Heat oil in a non stick pan and add all the garam masala as mentioned above.Let it splutter for a while and then add the onion paste. let it cook for a while and then add the finely chopped tomatoes. Cook the onions and tomatoes till they start to leave oil from the sides.
4. Add the marinated mutton and pressure cook till 5-6 whistles. Add water if needed. Garnish with finely chopped coriander leaves
5. Serve with rice or rotis