PINEAPPLE SHEERA

  Pineapple sheera ....!!!!! Yuummmmm.....!!!!! One of my most favourite sweet dishes. Well, I have posted other sheera recipes already like mango keasri, rawa sheera, etc but I was compelled to write another recipe again, adding pineapple chunks this time. This is a different version of our mouthwatering sheera. Pineapple sheera is a easy to make delicious dessert preapred in less than 20 minutes. This sweet will entice your taste buds and satisfy all your sweet cravings. Generally people avoid preparing sweets at home because it is time consuming and also most dessert recipes moderate to high level of expertise to get a perfect outcome. But with this sweet recipe you don't have to worry about anything. It is super easy to make and it's texture and flavor will definitely satisfy your sweet tooth. So here goes the recipe for simple yet delicious pineapple sheera.  

INGREDIENTS:
½ Cup chopped Pineapple
¼ Cup Ghee
1 Cup Semolina / Rava
1/2 -3/4 Cup Sugar
5-6 Almonds, slivers
5-6 Cashew nuts, slit
8-10 Raisins
Few Strands of Saffron soaked in 1 tablespoon Warm Milk
¼ teaspoon Cardamom Powder
2-3 Cups Water
METHOD:
STEP 1 – Heat little ghee in a pan, add almonds, cashews and fry them until golden in colour. Remove and then add raisins in the same pan and roast them until they swell. Remove immediately before they burn in a plate and keep aside with almonds and cashews.

STEP 2 – Heat the rest of the ghee in the same pan, melt it and add semolina in it and mix well. Cook on medium flame until the semolina leaves the aroma. Stir it continuously to avoid burning. It takes 5-6 minutes to roast the rava perfectly.

STEP 3 – While semolina is frying, keep water in a vessel on gas stove and bring it to boil.

STEP 4 - Add nuts mix well

and pineapple pieces in it and mix well. Cook for another 1-2 minutes.

STEP 4 – When the semolina has done, add boiling water in it. Be careful while adding water as it may splutter.

STEP 5 – Now close it with a lid and cook until it becomes dry.

STEP 6 – Add sugar and mix well and again cover it and allow it to cook it for 1-2 minutes.

STEP 7 – Remove from heat, add cardamom powder, mix and ready to serve. Garnish with some chopped nuts and serve.

Serve it hot and relish.

 NOTES: *To make soft and mushy sheera, the semolina : water ratio to be used in 1 : 3, you may add only water or ½ water and  ½ milk. Or you can use only milk or only water. Milk make it rich in taste.

               *Adjust sugar according to your taste.

SOYA-PALAK CURRY

Soya and Palak is a very unique yet super scrumptious way to give your meals a different taste and flavour. Iron, mineral and protein enriched soya-palak curry makes a perfect side assortment to your meals. The well chosen combination of spices and palak- soya chunks make this dish really tempting. This curry is healthy and highly nutritious, so do give it your kids, oack it in tiffins or make it little dry and stuff this sabzi in to the chapatis, they will gobble eating it for sure. Most of the days, I am always in search of recipes where palak can be added. I have come across few recipes online. This recipe is so simple and quick and tastes really awesome. Here is the easy and simple to prepare recipe with step-by-step pictures and detailed method of cooking …..enjoy cooking…!!!

INGREDIENTS:

1 Big Bunch of Spinach / Palak

100 gms Soya Chunks

2 tablespoon oil

1 tablespoon Ginger-Garlic Paste

2 Medium Onions, chopped
2 tablespoon chopped Spring Onion

2-3 Green Chillies, slit vertically

2 tomatoes, pureed

¼ teaspoon Asafoetida

Salt as required

1/2 teaspoon Cumin Seeds

½ teaspoon Turmeric Powder

½ teaspoon Red Chilli Powder

½ teaspoon Garam Masala Powder

2 tablespoon Cream [optional]

METHOD:

STEP 1 – In a big bowl, add soya chunks

and warm water and soak them for 10-15 minutes.

STEP 2 – In another pan, add about 1 litre water and boil it.

Add thoroughly washed palak leaves in it.

Boil it for 4-5 minutes.

STEP 3 – Drain and transfer it in to bowl with ice cold water. It helps to keep the deep green colour as it is.

STEP 4 – Now add palak leaves in a mixer jar and blend to a smooth puree.

STEP 5 – Squeeze the excess water from soya chunks and keep them aside.

STEP 6 – Heat 2 tablespoon oil in a wide pan, pop up cumin seeds.

STEP 7 – Then add chopped onion, ginger-garlic paste, slit green chillies and fry till onion turns translucent or until it turns golden brown in colour.

STEP 8 – Add asafoetida and mix it well. Add some chopped spring onion and mix well and cook for 1 minute.

STEP 9 – Now add tomato puree and give a nice mix. Cook for next 4-5 minutes on low-medium heat.

STEP 10 – Then add turmeric powder, chilli powder, salt and mix it well.

STEP 11 – Add blended palak in it, mix it and cook for 3-4 minutes.

STEP 12 – Then add the soya chunks into the simmering spinach mixture and give a nice mix so that the soya chunks are infused with all the flavors and cook it for next few minutes.

STEP 13 – Add garam masala and mix well.

STEP 14 - Now add cream in it[see notes] and mix it very well and cook it for another 2-3 minutes on medium heat.

STEP 15 – Switch off the flame and garnish with chopped coriander and serve hot. 

 Serve it hot with chapati / roti / paratha or rice, 

NOTES: *If you like you can squeeze in some lemon juice after removing from fire.

              *It helps in efficient absorption of iron available from spinach. 
              *Adding cream is totally optional. I added to make the gravy rich.

MANGO PHIRNI

Mango Phirni a simple Indian rice pudding or rice kheer with full cream milk, basmati rice and mango pulp. It is a variation of traditional and popular Indian dessert phirni with fresh mango puree. Phirni is a North Indian Sweet Pudding which is prepared during special occasions or festivals like Diwali, Holi, Eid, etc. One of the main difference in phirni and rice kheer which I noticed is that kheer is served in both ways warm and at room temperature but phirni is served only when it is chilled. This Indian dessert is just perfect during Indian summer or mango season. tastes especially best when served extra chilled and garnished with nuts.Tasty Mango Phirni recipe is popular among most of all the phirni recipes. If possible set and serve in small earthenware pots known as matka. The flavor of this dessert is wonderful when served in clay pots. But if you don't have clay pots go ahead with small dessert bowls or ramekins to set and serve this dessert. This dessert has a creamy texture, sweet aroma and an amazing colour. This dessert will be a hit at any parties at your place. Or you can serve this dessert as a dessert after any meal to your family and friends. Here is the recipe showing how to make Mango Phirni at home.

INGREDIENTS:

1 litre Full Fat Milk

½ Cup Basmati Rice

1 Cup Mango Puree

¾ -1 Cup Sugar

¼ teaspoon Cardamom Powder

Few Saffron Strands soaked in 1 tablespoon hot milk

Chopped nuts and rose petals for garnishing

METHOD:

STEP 1 – Wash and soak basmati rice with sufficient water for ½ an hour.

STEP 2 – Strain the rice to remove the water completely and then spread it on a kitchen towel for an hour until the rice grains should be moisture free.

STEP 3 – Soak saffron strands in warm milk and keep it aside.

STEP 4 - Now grind it in a mixer pot to a coarse powder. Keep this aside.

STEP 5 – In a heavy bottomed pan, add milk and bring it to boil.

Once it starts boiling, simmer it till the milk reduce to ¾ of its volume. Stir it occasionally.

STEP 6 – Add cardamom powder, saffron in it and mix it once.

STEP 7 – Now add coarse ground rice in it and stir it continuously. [see notes]

STEP 8 – Then add sugar and mix well until sugar dissolve completely. Keep stirring in between to avoid burning.

STEP 9 – Allow the phirni to simmer until reaches thick consistency and rice is cooked. [see notes]

STEP 10 – Take it off the heat and allow the phirni to cool completely.

STEP 11 – Add mango puree/ pulp and mix well. [see notes]

STEP 12 – Mango phirni is ready to serve.

Pour it in small earthen clay pots, garnish with chopped nuts and rose petals and chill it for few hours before serving.

Additionally garnish with some saffron strands and chopped nuts and serve it chilled or at room temperature for dinner parties or festivals. 

NOTES: *Stirring is important in this step, otherwise rice flour will create lumps. Stirring will help to prevent lump formation.

              *After adding sugar, cook for few minutes more till it becomes thick, as the phirni will             liquidize after adding sugar.

              *Always remember that phirni will thicken more once cooled.

              *Add mango puree only after the phirni cools completely at room temperature.

              *If you have fresh mangoes, then cut into small pieces and blend in mixer to form mango puree. Or you can use canned mango puree/ pulp also. Here I have used my mango pulp which I have stored last mango season.

              *Adjust the amount of sugar accordingly as the canned pulp may be already sweetened.

              *If you don’t have earthen pots then use regular serving bowls instead.

LEFTOVER CHAPATI / ROTI CUTLETS

Moms are always in a quest to find out healthy and easy snacks for their kids. Tired this super easy, delicious and quick crispy chapati cutlet today. Roti / Chapati Cutlets sounds very different...isn't it??? Leftover chapati cutlets is one of the many cutlet varieties. Here I used leftover chaptaies for making this cutlets but you can make them with fresh chapati too. Can be served as snack at evening tea time. Or you can stuff them and make sandwich/ Frankie. Chapati cutlet is a delicious and super easy snack recipe. This is one of my handy recipe after chapati laddoo to finish leftover chapati at home as they are yummy and healthy too. For this recipe I have chosen veggies of my choice but you can add as per your choice. Make sure to chop veggies very fine so that they completely gel together with other ingredients of roti cutlets and also helps in shaping the cutlets without cracks. So let's see the step by step pictures and ingredients for this roti cutlets.

INGREDIENTS:

4-5 leftover Chapati /Roti

2-3 boiled and grated Potatoes

2 tablespoon chopped Spring Onion

1-2 Green chillies, finely chopped

1 tablespoon Coriander, chopped

1 teaspoon Red Chilli Powder

1 teaspoon roasted Cumin Powder

1 teaspoon Garam Masala

1 teaspoon Coriander Powder

½ teaspoon Amchur Powder

Salt as needed

1/2 teaspoon Lemon Juice

1 teaspoon Chilli Flakes [optional]

 Oil for shallow frying

METHOD:
STEP 1 – Break the chapatti in to small pieces. Add it to a mixer pot and make a coarse powder.

STEP 2 – In a mixing bowl, add the chapatti powder, with grated potatoes and all other ingredients except oil.

STEP 3 – Mix it well to form a dough.

STEP 4 – Divide the dough in equal portions.

STEP 5 – Heat oil in a wide, shallow pan on medium heat.

STEP 6 – Apply water / oil on your palms, take one portion of chapatti mixture and try to shape it like small patties.

STEP 7 – Roll all the patties with remaining dough and keep aside.

STEP 8 – Transfer 2-3 patties in a pan and shallow fry them.

STEP 9 – Cook them and flip them over. Flip them at least once or twice until they turn crispy and golden in colour.

STEP 10 – Remove and keep them on a kitchen towel or tissue paper to drain excess oil.

STEP 11 – Serve hot with your favourite dip.

 Once the cutlets are ready. serve them hot with any dip you like. 

NOTES: *You can use leftover roti, tortilla or parathas to make cutlets. 

              *Do not make a fine powder because we need a grainy mixture.

              *You can add more veggies like grated carrot, finely chopped onion to make it more healthy and tasty.

             *Do not turn the cutlets immediately after adding in a pan, wait for some time and then turn over.