MAWA_PANEER MALPUA

A very easy and famous Bengali sweet dish Malpua. Not only in Bangal, but in some northern part of India also malpua is very well-known. More or less the way of cooking is almost same. It is very good dessert to serve your guests on special occasions. I tried this with khoya/ mawa and paneer/ cottage cheese so it is little different from the normal malpua which I already shared earlier on my blog. Make any occasion special and sweet by whipping up this easy dessert. Delicate and lacy mapluas using paneer and khoya which is melt in your mouth. Serve them warm with rabdi or just garnished with chopped almonds and pistachios. I have shared both the ways. These malpuas are a little tricky to make, so be calm and patient. Sometime they can just disintegrate in the ghee while frying. If it happens with you, not to worry, just add some cornflour to bind the batter and then fry it.  So what are you waiting for,  just grab the opportunity to make them as they are simply divine…!!! 

INGREDIENTS:

For Malpua:

100 grams Paneer / Cottage Cheese

3 tablespoon Khoya / Mawa

1 teaspoon Powder Sugar

6-8 teaspoon Milk

¼ teaspoon Cardamom Powder

2 tablespoon Maida

1 Cup Ghee for frying

For Sugar Syrup:

1 Cup Sugar

1 Cup Water

¼ teaspoon Saffron

¼ teaspoon Cardamom Powder

1 teaspoon Chopped Nuts

Other Ingredients:

1 Cup Rabdi

1 teaspoon Chopped Nuts for garnishing

METHOD:

Preparing Malpua:

STEP 1 – In a mixer pot, add paneer picecs, khoya and 4-5 teaspoon milk. Blend it well to get a thick smooth batter.

STEP 2 – Transfer the batter in a bowl. Add powder sugar, cardamom powder and maida in it. Mix it well to form a lump free batter.

STEP 3 – Add more milk to form a smooth, pouring batter.

STEP 4 – Now heat a pan with ghee in it.

STEP 5 – Pour in the batter using a spoon or ladle to make small round, flat discs.

STEP 6 – Cook it well until light golden in colour. When done from one side, flip it gently and cook from another side.  

STEP 7 – Remove it and drain excess ghee from it on a tissue paper or kitchen towel. Keep them aside.

For Preparing Sugar Syrup:

STEP 1 – In a sauce pan, add sugar and water. Mix well and let it cook until sugar dissolves completely.

STEP 2 – Add saffron and cardamom powder in it which gives a nice fragrance. Add chopped nuts in it and mix well.

STEP 3 – Boil it for next 3-4 minutes and once it achieves the syrupy consistency, remove from flame.

Cover it to keep warm.

How to immerse and serve the Malpua:

STEP 1 – Immerse the malpua in sugar syrup for about 10-15 minutes.

STEP 2 – When malpua soaks the syrup, it is ready to serve.

STEP 3 – Serve it with some sugar syrup and garnish it with some chopped nuts.

[I have already shared the recipe of “INSTANT RABDI”in my blog.] If you want to serve malpua with rabdi then don’t add sugar syrup in a serving plate while serving.

Add some hot or chilled rabdi over it and serve it.

MAHARASHTRIAN MATKI CHI USAL

Matki chi Usal recipe is one staple food in most of the Maharashtrian households as it is very easy to make and very nutritious as well. Matki is a very typically Indian bean, not as well known around world as the Green Moong Bean. All you needed is to sprout the moth [matki] beans one day in advance and keep them.  Matki usal ,means curry of sprouted moth beans. Matki means Moth Beans, also called Math in Marathi language. It is the general practice in our home to soak matki overnight and put it in cloth for sprouting on the other day. We generally use freshly sprouted beans to make curry. It is most common curry for kids lunch boxes as well. Sprouted moth beans are also used for making salads. Weight loss era demands more use of sprouts and we can make many more dishes like sprout bhel, sprout salad, sprout sandwich, sprout paratha, sprouted beans cutlets, etc. Matki usal is very famous Maharashtrian traditional cuisine, its lentil curry made with onion, tomato and other spices. This is just  perfect to dip a buttered toasted piece of pav/ bread. The curry can be served with rice or chaptis.

INGREDIENTS:

1 Cup sprouted Moth Beans / Matki

2 tablespoon Oil

1 tablespoon roasted Onion-Coconut Paste

1 teaspoon Ginger-Garlic Paste

Few Curry Leaves

1 Tomato, chopped

Pinch of Asafoetida

½ teaspoon Turmeric Powder

2 teaspoon Red Chilli Powder

2 teaspoon Garam Masala / Kala Masala

1 teaspoon Coriander Seeds Powder

Salt as needed

Water as needed

METHOD:

How to sprout beans:

STEP 1 – Wash the moth beans under running tap water till water runs clear.

STEP 2 – Soak them in enough water for 7-8 hours or overnight.

STEP 3 – Drain excess water from it and take beans in damp cotton cloth, tie up the cloth and put in the bowl. Cover it and keep it in the warm place for one day. Within one day it will get sprouted well.

STEP 4 – Fresh sprouted matki can be ready to use or can be refrigerated for 2-3 days.

For making usal:

STEP 1 – Wash the sprouted beans well, add enough water and pressure cook for 1 whistle.[don’t overcook otherwise it will lose its shape]

STEP 2 – Let the pressure go down by itself and then open the lid.

STEP 3 – Heat oil in a pan on medium flame.

STEP 4 – Add curry leaves, onion-coconut paste and cook for 2 minutes. Then add ginger-garlic paste and mix well and sauté for 2 minutes until raw smell vanishes.

STEP 5 – Add chopped tomato in it and cook for few minutes till they becomes mushy.

STEP 6 – Now add turmeric powder, red chilli powder, garam/ kala masala powder and  mix it and

 cook for a minute.

STEP 7 – Add pressure cooked moth beans and ½ cup water and give a nice mix.

Add 1/2 teaspoon kashmiri red chilli powder and salt as needed and give a nice mix. Let it simmer for 4-5 minutes.

STEP 8 – Add 1/2 cup more water and mix well and cook it for 5-8 minutes.

Once it starts boiling, turn off the stove

and garnish it with some chopped coriander and ready to serve.

Serve with hot chapatti or phulka and enjoy.

NOTES: *Here I have prepared it with little gravy, but you can make it dry. We have added tomatoes in it which keep it much moist.

               *If needed more gravy, add more water to it and cook.

CHICKPEA SUNDAL

Today one more South Indian recipe- Chickpea Sundal, is usually served as Prasadam in South India during festivals like Navratri and Ganesh Chaturthi in temples and homes after completing Pooja. During the 9 day Navrarti festival,a different variety of sundal is prepared for each of the 9 days. This is Chickpea Sundal recipe is prepared with white chana/ chickpeas  which can be replaced with any type of legumes too. Sundal can be made with any cooked legumes like chickpeas split- chickpeas, black chickpeas, kidney beans and on and on. The cooked legumes are spiced with mustard seeds, curry leaves and urad dal, tossed in coconut and serve it hot or cold. Sundal is usually made with fresh coconut, but you can make it with dried coconut as freshly grated coconut is not easily available in regular grocery stores. Probably, the one and only thing you have to keep in mind is to soak the chickpeas the previous day. Overnight soaked white chickpeas would get cooked well and can be easily be transformed in to vitamin-rich snack. Healthy chickpea sundal is ready in very few minutes and used as a evening snack for your kids. 

INGREDIENTS:
1 Cup Chickpeas
Lemon Juice to taste
3 tablespoon fresh, grated Coconut
Salt as needed
Seasoning Ingredients:
2 tablespoon Oil
2-3 Dry Red Chillies
2 Green Chillies
1 sprig Curry Leaves
½ teaspoon Mustard Seeds
A pinch of Asafoetida
METHOD:
STEP 1 – Wash and soak the chickpeas with enough water overnight.

STEP 2 – Remove water, add another water and salt in it and pressure cook till soft but holding its shape. After pressure released, drain extra water and keep aside.
STEP 3 – In a pan, heat oil and crackle mustard seeds.

STEP 4 – Then add red chillies, curry leaves and asafoietida followed by slit green chillis. Mix and roast for few seconds.

STEP 5 – Add cooked chickpeas, salt to taste and mix well.

STEP 6 – Finally, add grated fresh coconut and lemon juice and

  mix it well.

If you like add some chopped coriander and sundal is ready to serve.

Garnish with some grated coconut and your Chickpea Sundal is ready to serve as a Naivedyam to the God.

LASOON-MIRCHI CHA BHURKA

Today going to share very easy and delicious recipe which is very quick and goes very well with anything like chapatti, paratha, dal-chawal or khichdi. You can keep it ready and serve when you need a spicy punch in your meal. You can add it to plain dal and enjoy it with roti or can have it as it is and you don’t need any curry in your meal. Give a try once and I promise you will definitely going to like it. Share your experience and suggestions if any below in the comment box.  
This recipe is inspired by Madhurasrecipes....!!! 

INGREDIENTS:
3 tablespoon Oil
1 teaspoon Mustard Seeds
1 tablespoon Garlic, chopped finely
1 tablespoon Roasted Peanut Powder
1 tablespoon Red Chilli Powder
Salt to taste
Finely chopped Coriander
METHOD:
STEP 1 – In a tempering pan, heat oil and crackle mustard seeds.

STEP 2 – Then add chopped garlic and fry it till it becomes crispy and turns to light brown in colour.

STEP 3 – Turn off the heat.
STEP 4 – Add red chilli powder, peanut powder and mix well.

STEP 5 – Add salt and at last add chopped coriander in it and mix well.

Lasooni bhurka is ready to serve.

Serve and enjoy it with any Indian Bread or it also goes well with simple dal-chawal or khichdi as a side dish.