BHARWA BHINDI / BHARLI BHENDI

Bharwa Bhindi is a very popular, delicious and crowd-pleasing Indian side dish where Bhindi / Okra us stuffed with a spicy filling. I have already shared one different recipe of Bharwa Bhindi earlier on my blog. This vegan bhindi dish goes really well with indian flatbreads like roti/ phulka/ paratha or naan. In India, we cook bhindi a lot and almost everyone likes it especially small kids. There are many different recipes and so many variations of this simple recipe. At my place, usually I used to make simple bhindi ki sabzi with little spices in it. At some special occasions I prepare this stuffed bhindi recipe as it require little extra time that the other recipes. But this is also a simple and quick recipe and you can make and keep the stuffing ready in advance. The only preparation works you have to do is slit the okra / bhindi and then stuff it with a stuffing and then cooked in a pan. 

INGREDIENTS:

10-15 Bhindi / Lady’s Finger / Okra

1 ½ teaspoon Oil

For Stuffing:

1½ tablespoon Gram Flour / Besan

1 Medium Onion, chopped finely

1-2 teaspoon Coriander Powder

½- ¾ teaspoon Red Chilli Powder [adjust accordingly]

¼ teaspoon Turmeric Powder

Salt to taste

1+1 teaspoon Oil

1 teaspoon Chopped Coriander

 METHOD:

Preparations:

STEP 1 – Wash Bhindi thoroughly in water and keep it for half an hour to dry. If you do not have much time then just wipe them with the kitchen towel to make it dry.

STEP 2 – Cut the stem of each bhindi, slit them vertically. Be careful that you have to keep the 2 nd end joined. Do not cut bhindi through and through. Keep them aside.

For Making Stuffing:

STEP 1 – Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a pan. Add chopped onion and sauté well on medium flame till it becomes translucent and raw smell vanishes.

STEP 2 – Add all spice powders in it and mix well and cook for 30 seconds.

STEP 3 – Lastly, add gram flour, mix and roast for 2-3 minutes till nice aroma starts to come.

STEP 4 – Here you find the stuffing is too dry, so add leftover 1 teaspoon oil and mix well.

STEP 5 – Sprinkle 1 teaspoon water, mix well and cook the mixture for another minute.

STEP 6 – Add chopped coriander, mix it and switch off the flame. Your stuffing is ready.

How to Proceed:

STEP 1 – Take each bhindi and stuff it with the prepared stuffing. Keep them aside.

STEP 2 – Heat 1½ teaspoon oil in a wide and heavy bottomed wok/ kadai.

STEP 3 – Temper it with cumin seeds. When cumin seeds splutter,

 add stuffed bhindi in it.

STEP 4 – Add leftover stuffing masala in it and mix it well very gently and carefully.

STEP 5 – Cover it with lid and cook for 2-3 minutes on low flame.

STEP 6 – After 2 minutes, open the lid and turn around the bhindi very gently to avoid sticking and burning.

STEP 7 – Sprinkle 1-2 teaspoon water over the bhindi to make it soft and again cover it for next 2 minutes. Turn them in between to prevent from burning.

STEP 8 – Repeat this till the bhindi becomes tender. It takes about 5-6 minutes to cook properly and become soft.

 STEP 9 – Switch off the flame and sprinkle chopped coriander and your stuffed bhindi is ready to serve.

NOTES: *Use small and tender bhindi for faster cooking and better taste.

                    * Do not cover and cook stuffed bhindi for a longer time as bhindi will turn mushy.   

                    *Do not add too much water, just sprinkle if needed to make the bhindi soft.

CHICKEN BIRYANI

Biryani is very famous for tender and comfort food that is especially loved by everyone just because it has wonderful flavour and mouth-watering taste. Have you ever tried making Indian Biryani at home  ????  If you have never tasted this chicken biryani recipes then you are in all luck today. Today I am so excited to share the most requested recipe of CHICKEN BIRYANI where the chicken is too succulent and juicy and cooked and marinated in curd and then layered with crispy onions, coriander, mint leaves and cooked basamati rice. There is something magical that happens when you combine all these ingredients and you infuse it with green cardamom and saffron and top it with fried onions. This one pot meal is all-time favourite here in my family. Cook this appealing and lip-smacking chicken biryani at home and you will appreciate that something like this incredible dish you always have been missing.

INGREDIENTS:
500 gms Chicken Pieces
For Marination:
¼ Cup Thick Curd
2 tablespoon Chicken Tikka Masala
2 teaspoon Ginger-Garlic Paste
1 teaspoon Chopped Mint
1 teaspoon Chopped Coriander
1 teaspoon Red Chilli Powder
1 teaspoon Garam Masala Powder
½ teaspoon Amchur Powder
Salt as needed
For Making Rice:
2 Cups Rice [basamati]
1 teaspoon Cumin Seeds
1-2 Bay Leaf
2 -3 Green Cardamoms
Salt as required
5 Cups Water
Other Ingredients:
1 tablespoon Ghee
2 tablespoon + 1 tablespoon Oil [for cooking chicken]
Some More Oil- For frying Onions
1 teaspoon Ginger-Garlic Paste
1 + 2 Medium Onions, chopped finely [for biryani and for frying]
2 Green Chillies, slit vertically
2 tablespoon Mint Leaves, chopped
2 tablespoon Coriander, chopped
METHOD:
Preparations: Soak saffron strands in 1 tablespoon milk and keep aside.
To Marinate Chicken:
STEP 1 – Wash and keep chicken pieces aside.
STEP 2 – In a mixing bowl, add all ingredients under title “Marination” and mix well.
STEP 3 – Now add chicken pieces in it and coat them well with the marination.

STEP 4 – Keep it in refrigerator for 1-6 hours. The more you keep it, it tastes better and make the chicken tender.
For Making Rice:
STEP 1 – Wash rice in a strainer under running tap water until the water runs clear. Soak it for 15-20 minutes.

STEP 2 – Add said quantity of water, cardamom, cumin seeds and bay leaf in a vessel.
STEP 3 – Keep the vessel on gas stove and bring it to boil. After that add soaked rice and mix it.

STEP 4 – Cook the rice for 7-8 minutes till par boiled /  3/4 th cooked.

STEP 5 – Drain the rice in a strainer, reserving 1 cup of the water from it. Keep it aside.

For Frying Onion:
STEP 1 – Slice onions thinly. Wash it and keep aside.
STEP 2 – Heat sufficient oil in a pan. Add onion in it and fry till crispy and golden in colour.
STEP 3 – When done, remove with the slotted spoon and keep aside. 

Repeat the same and fry the remaining onion.

How To Proceed For Making Biryani:
STEP 1 – After the said time of marination, remove chicken from refrigerator.
STEP 2 – Heat 2 tablespoon oil in a thick bottom pan.
STEP 3 – Add marinated chicken pieces in it and toss together making sure chicken is thoroughly cooked.

Remove from the pan and keep aside.

STEP 4 – Heat 1 tablespoon oil in the same kadai, add ghee to it. If you feel, quantity of oil is too much then use only ½ tablespoon.

STEP 5 – Crackle cumin seeds and add 1 sliced onion in it. Saute and cook for a minute.

STEP 6 – Add ginger-garlic paste, curry leaves and slit green chillies and cook until raw smell disappears. Remove the pan from heat.

STEP 7 – Add some fried onion, mix well and spread it evenly.

STEP 8 – Over it layer half of the cooked rice and drizzle half of the saffron milk with saffron strands over it.

STEP 9 – Then layer with some cooked chicken pieces, some fried onion, chopped mint and coriander leaves evenly.

STEP 10 – Then again follow the same sequence and layer with remaining rice, saffron milk, chicken pieces, fried onion, chopped mint and coriander leaves.
STEP 11 – Add the reserved water in it.

STEP 12 – Cover with the lid, put the pan on flame and cook on slow flame for about 10-15 minutes. When you see steam is escaping from under the lid, turn off the flame.

STEP 13 – Keep it for another 5-10 minutes to steam biryani without opening the lid.
STEP 14 – Now mix the chicken biryani layer and then again sprinkle some fried onion, chopped mint and coriander leaves and serve hot.

Serve hot chicken biryani with your favourite raita/ salan, papad and some onion rings.

YEASTFREE HOMEMADE KULCHA

Kulcha is an Indian bread, which is popular flat bread from North India, especially Punjab. Kulchas are very famous in Amritsar and Delhi.  It is Punjabi recipe and ideal combination is the CHOLE-KULCHE. Before I have shared WHOLE WHEAT ONION KULCHA on my blog. Today going to share baked kulcha recipe with you all. For this recipe, yeast is not used in leavening of the bread unlike Naan. Here I used baking powder and baking soda with curd for making my kulcha. The finished bread/ kulcha has a fluffy, soft texture and toasty exterior. Kulchas tastes best when served hot. Kulchas can be made in the tandoor as well as on tawa. But today I am going to share the recipe which is baked one.  Hope you like it and want to give a try. If any suggestions or queries, please post them in the comment box below.

INGREDIENTS:
200 gms All Purpose Flour [maida]
1 teaspoon Salt
1 teaspoon Baking Powder
½ teaspoon Baking Soda
1 teaspoon Sugar
80-100 gms Curd
Water as needed to make a dough
1 tablespoon Ghee
Other Ingredients:
1tablespoon Butter for coating Kulcha
1 teaspoon Kasuri Methi
1 teaspoon Chopped Corinader
METHOD:
For Making Dough:
STEP 1 – In a mixing bowl, add flour, salt, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and curd and mix well.

STEP 2 – Then add water and knead into a smooth soft dough.

STEP 3 – Add ghee and tuck the dough very well. 

STEP 4 – Cover it and rest it for 2 hours.

How to Make Kulchas:
STEP 1 – Knead it for a minute once again.

Divide the dough into 4 equal parts.

STEP 2 – Take one part from dough and flatten it with the help of hands.[fingers]

STEP 3 – Add dry kasuri methi. chopped coriander on it and flatten more to form a disc of 4-5 inch.

STEP 4 – Heat a tawa/ griddle on low-medium flame.
STEP 5 - Prick it with the help of a fork. [ I forgot this step]
STEP 6 – Place it carefully on hot tawa and cook for about 10-15 seconds or until you see bubbles.

STEP 7 – Transfer this into a baking tray lined with aluminium foil. Likewise make all the kulchas.

STEP 8 – Now bake them at 180 degrees for about 7-8 minutes in pre-heated oven or until the top is golden brown in colour.

STEP 9 – When cooked, remove from oven and brush with butter and serve hot.

     Serve hot homemade kulcha with any Indian veg or non-veg curry and enjoy.

CHOCOLATE PANCAKES

It is a breakfast or dessert?? Does it matter?? Pancakes have the word cake in them so I am just going to roll it and call this breakfast. And who says that you cannot eat cakes in breakfast…..!!! These chocolate pancakes are my younger daughter’s favourite and specially tried this for her. Last month she is unwell. As she cured and discharged from hospital, I treated her with her favourite chocolate pan cakes. My family is in love with anything that is prepared with chocolate. They are super simple to make and everyone is always happy to have them with lots of chocolate sauce and sometimes with a scoop of ice cream. You can serve them with a smooth chocolate sauce/ syrup which I prefer to prepare at home or caramel syrup and ice cream scoop is totally optional. Or serve with topped with some chopped fresh fruits or chocolate chips. Just be patient while making pan cakes, when you see bubbles starting to form around the edges, that is the perfect time to flip. Edges will start to look dry and lose its shine. I like my pancakes on the thick side, but if you want you can make them thinner, simply make the batter little thinner side. Truly decadent, soft and fluffy chocolate pancakes that are perfect for a weekend breakfast…..!!!!    

INGREDIENTS:

For Making Pancakes:

1-1/3 Cup Maida

4 tablespoon Cocoa Powder

2 teaspoon Baking Powder

3 tablespoon Sugar

2 tablespoon Chocolate Chips

¼ teaspoon Salt

 1 Egg

1 Cup Milk

¼ Cup Melted Butter

¼ teaspoon Vanilla Essence

For Chocolate Ganache:

½ Cup Fresh Cream [amul]

¼ Cup Milk

120 gms  Cooking Chocolate

Other Ingredients:

1 teaspoon Melted Butter for greasing

METHOD:

To Make Pancakes:

STEP 1 – In a mixing bowl, whisk egg until light and foamy.

STEP 2 – Add in milk and butter and again whisk it gently till combined well.

STEP 3 – Take another mixing bowl, sieve dry ingredients and mix well.

STEP 4 – Add in slowly into the wet ingredients.

STEP 5 – Whisk until well combined. It will be a thick batter.

STEP 6 – Fold in chocolate chips and batter is ready.

STEP 7 – Pre-heat a non-stick frying pan on medium heat, brush with some butter.

STEP 8 – Scoop a batter on to pan using a ladle. ¼  cup batter for each pancake.

STEP 9 – Cook on the first side for about 2 minutes, bubbles should be rising and breaking the surface and edges should be cooked.

STEP 10 – Use a large spatula and turn it over and cook from another side for about 1 minute or so.

STEP 11 – When done, transfer to a serving plate. Repeat the same with the rest of the batter.

For Making Chocolate Ganache:

STEP 1 – Heat heavy cream and milk in a microwave proof bowl for 30 seconds. [see notes]

STEP 2 – Pour it over chopped cooking chocolate and let it set for 5 minutes without stirring.

STEP 3 – Then whisk it well until it turns into a smooth and silky ganache.

STEP 4 – Wait until it comes to room temperature before pouring it over pancakes.

How To Serve:

STEP 1 – Transfer the pancakes to a serving plate.

STEP 2 – Pour the chocolate ganache over pancakes and top with some flavoured chocolate chips. Chocolate pancakes are ready to serve.

You can serve with a scoop of ice cream on the top.

NOTES: * If you don’t have microwave, heat heavy cream and milk in a sauce pan. Remove from heat once it simmers. Pour chocolate and follow the same procedure given above from step no. 2. 

              * Instead of chocolate chips you can serve them topped with mini marshmallows.