Red Velvet Cake With Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

What a fancy and a gorgeous cake this is 😍. This is my first trial ever for red velvet and its sight itself is so so impressive, just loved making it. It was a surprise cake for home coming hubby after  5 long days of his hectic work trip, no better way than this. ❤️❤️ it turned out to be deliciously soft, rich, creamy and moist cake ( all in all perfect, the way I want). Check the recipe down below and surprise your loved ones in style 😉

Ingredients:-

2 1/4 cup All purpose flour 

1 tsp Baking Soda

1/2 tsp salt 

2 tbsp Cocoa powder

1 1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup butter at room temperature 

2 eggs

1 cup Buttermilk

1 tbsp white vinegar

1 tsp vanilla essence 

4 tbsp Red food colour 

Method:-

Preheat oven at 180 degree Celsius.

In a bowl, combine all purpose flour, baking soda, salt and cocoa powder, sift all of them together, mix well, and keep it side.

In another large bowl, beat butter and sugar for a minute, add eggs one by one in to the mixture and keep beating until soft and fluffy. Now add buttermilk, white vinegar, vanilla essence and red food colour all together in the mixture and beat until mix well.

Now to this gorgeous red buttery mixture, add flour mixture and beat until well mixed. Do not beat hard. 

Pour the batter in to the greased cake pan lined with baking sheet and bake for 45 minutes in preheated oven at 180 degree Celsius  until toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean.

Once done, bring the cake out and allow it cool completely before frosting.

Recipe adapted from addapinch.com 

Vanilla Buttercream Frosting:-

200 gms room temperature unsalted butter  

400 gms icing sugar

2 tbsp milk

1/2 tsp Vanilla essence 

Method:-

Beat soft and room temperature unsalted butter with an electric mixture for 2-3 minutes until light and fluffy. Add half of the icing sugar to it and beat for 30 seconds, add the remaining half and beat further for 2 minutes until mixture is light and airy.

Add in milk 1 tbsp at a time, continue beating for few more minutes and lastly add vanilla essence.

By now the mixture should be light, well blended and fluffy with beautiful snowy soft peak.

Go ahead and frost your beautiful cake with it. 

Malai Kofta

Malai kofta is very rich, heavy and creamy Punjabi Sabji, where kofta or dumplings are made out of paneer and potatoes and later they are mixed in creamy and buttered gravy. Its very delicious and easy to make. See its Recipe below

Ingredients:

For Gravy: 2 tbsp oil
1 tsp ginger paste
2 green chillies finely paste
2 tsp garlic paste
1/2 cinnamon stick finely powdered (2 tsp)
1/2 tsp black cloves powder
1 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp cumin powder
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp red chilly powder
1 tsp garam masala powder
1 large tomato, finely pureed
2-3 medium onion paste
7 cashews and 2 tsp khas khas (mix both and soak in little qty of water for 15-20 minutes, later grind and make a fine paste of it)
1 cup water
1/4 cup cold milk
3 tbsp fresh cream or makhan
Salt to taste

For Kofta
250 gms Potatoes
1 tsp green chilly paste and pinch of red chilly powder
2 tsp white corn flour
3-4 tbsp bread crumbs (or if you do not have bread crumbs handy, simply sprinkle water on bread and squeeze the water out of it by pressing it in between your palms and crumble it)
100 gms paneer (cottage cheese)
7 pcs of almond (grind it in to a powder)
7-8 pcs of pistachios (grind in to powder)
Oil for frying koftas
1 1/2 cup of gravy prepared
2 tsp fresh cream or makhan
Salt to taste


Recipe:

For Gravy:

• In a pan, heat oil, and saute ginger-garlic-green chilly paste, cloves powder, cinnamon powder, cumin powder and coriander powder for 2-3 minutes.
• Now add in and saute onion puree, salt, turmeric powder, red chilly powder and garam masala powder. Later, Add tomato puree, Cashew-Khas khas finely grinded paste, and water. 
• Cook all for 5 minutes on medium-low flame.
• Once done, turn the flame to low and add cold milk to the gravy. (keep stirring gravy while adding milk to it, this will avoid curdling).
• After adding milk, stir the gravy for a minute continuously and add fresh cream or makhan to it and after 2-3 minutes of it, turn the flame off. The consistency of the gravy should be little thick by now and its ready.
• Keep it aside and let make koftas now.

For Koftas:

• Grate Paneer and knead it until it becomes soft and forms like a dough. Add grinded almond, pistachios powder and Salt to taste. Mix in well.

• In a bowl, mash boiled potatoes, add bread crumbs, white corn flour, green chilly paste and salt to taste. Mix all well and spread it with your fingers in a plate. See below the picture..

• Now Spread kneaded dough like paneer mixture over potato mixture.

• Roll the Potato Mixture with paneer inside till the end and make small kofta balls out of it. 

• Heat Sufficient oil on medium flame in a pan for frying koftas. (Make sure oil is real hot before frying koftas in it, else it will break down).
• Fry all the kofta balls in it on medium flame only, until golden.

• And yesss you are done. Add this ready koftas in a gravy, before few minutes when you are ready to serve. and garnish it with fresh cream or makhan.
• Serve it with plain paratha.

Coffee Custard Filled Buns

Since long i was planning to bake buns but always end up making loafs..But this time it was only buns in mind. Few time back my dear friend Priyanka Chakraborty, posted Custard filled buns on Facebook food forum group that i follow. I bookmarked her recipe link. And yesterday was a day when i was checking all those bookmarked links and came across her recipe. I quickly made up my mind and experimented it with small batch.
Her recipe has vanilla custard filling inside, but i wanted to bake something with coffee flavor so i added instant coffee powder and cocoa powder to the vanilla custard and filled the bun with it..

Check my coffee Custard Filled buns recipe below:

 Here is her Blog page with all wonderful goodies..Following her blog is truly inspirational..
Source: My Experiments with Food-Lusciously Soft and Creamy Custard Buns

Ingredients:

For Coffee Custard Filling
3 tbsp custard powder
500 ml milk
7 1/2 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp fresh cream
11/4 tsp instant coffee powder
2 tsp cocoa powder

For Buns
2 cups Maida / All purpose flour
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp Instant Dry yeast
1 beaten egg
100 ml warm milk and some extra for brushing buns
Olive oil / Butter for greasing bun dough
3 tbsp melted butter
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar (For activating yeast)

Recipe:

For Coffee Custard Filling

Dissolve Custard powder, Instant coffee powder and cocoa powder in 2 tbsp milk and keep aside.
In a pan Pour milk, add sugar and cream and bring to boil. Turn the flame to medium and add the dissolved coffee custard mixture in a pan. Keep stirring until mixture thickens and very much similar to the cake batter consistency. Allow the mixture again to come to boil while you keep stirring and turn the flame off. Pour the filling in bowl and allow it cool completely. Later place the bowl in a refrigerator for 1-2 hours or until custard sets.
Meanwhile be ready with your bun dough..

For Bun Dough

• In a large bowl, Mix sifted Maida or all purpose flour with powdered sugar, melted butter, salt and mix all.
• Dissolve Instant dry yeast in warm milk with a tsp of sugar. Let the yeast mixture stand for 10-15 minutes until frothy.
• Now in a flour mixture bowl, make well in between and add beaten egg and mix.
• Add frothy yeast mixture in flour mixture and start gathering all to form a dough. Knead dough for 4-5 minutes until smooth, elastic and non sticky.
• Grease the dough in a bowl with butter or oil and cover the bowl with plastic cling film or tea towel and allow the dough to proof for 1-1/2 hour or until doubles in volume.
• Once the dough doubles in volume, punch back down and knead again for a minute. Prepare a baking sheet. 
• Divide dough in to 11-12 lemon size balls. 
• Take a lemon size dough ball, make indentation in between and spoon a tsp of set coffee custard filling in to it.
• Carefully fold the edges of the dough ball up and around the filling. You can't get any of the filling on the edges or it simply won't seal. Pinch all of the edges together and seal as well as possible (although be careful the coffee custard filling should not be too thin else it will be difficult to fill in dough balls, it should set in refrigerator before use). Same way fill all the dough balls with custard.
• Place the filled and sealed buns on lined baking sheet and let rest with a tea towel covered for another 30-35 minutes or until nearly doubled in size.
• Brush all the rised dough balls with milk and bake for 15 minutes in preheated oven at 180 degree Celsius.
• Once baked, bring the buns out and transfer on wire rack. Allow it to cool completely and here you are ready to enjoy your relish with cuppa of coffee or tea..:)

Note:  I have microwave convection and have baked it on convection mode for 15 minutes in preheated temperature at 180 degree Celsius, and later grilled it for 2 minutes to get nice golden crust on top (Use rack for baking)
If using Proper Electric oven, bake the buns on toast mode for 10-12 minutes in preheated oven at 180 degree Celsius or until crust is golden.



Yields: 10-12 Buns with this measurement.

Traditional Punjabi Dal Makhni

Dal makhni is a creamy and buttered dal made with Black urad (black gram) and Rajma (red kidney beans) as their main ingredients. Its is been long, i haven't made dal makhni at home, and recently i saw a post from my friend on Facebook food forum group about dal makhni. Soon i made up my mind and made it recently on my anniversary as my husband is a big fan of dal makhni prepared by his mother. As we are Punjabis, my MIL makes this in through traditional way, as its a part of our regular family recipe. Quickly called her up and here she gave me the ingredients list that goes in it.
So here is our traditional dal makhni recipe!!!!

Ingredients:
1 cup whole black urad dal (black gram dal)
1/2 cup small rajma (red kidney beans)
1/4 cup split black urad dal
3 tbsp chana dal (Bengal gram)
1 tbsp ghee (clarified butter)
1 tbsp oil (any vegetable oil or olive oil)
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
pinch of hing (asafoetida powder)
1 cup onions finely chopped
1/2 cup tomatoes finely chopped
1/2 cup tomato Puree
3/4 cup luke warm milk
2 tsp green chilly paste
1 1/2 tsp ginger paste
1 1/2 tsp garlic paste
1 1/2 tsp red chilly powder
1 tsp Turmeric powder
1 tsp Dry Mango Powder (aamchur powder)
1 1/2 tsp dry fennel powder (saunf powder)
2 tsp Crushed kasuri methi (Dry methi leaves crushed)
1 tsp garam masala powder
1 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp coriander powder
Salt to taste
And a cream for garnishing (preferably home made white makhan or can be a store bought)


Recipe:

• Soak black urad dal (whole and split dal both), Rajma, and Chana dal for 4-5 hours. Wash and rinse in water for 4-5 times and pressure cook until cooked and not much mushy.
• With the help of a spoon, mash a little of pressure cooked dals and keep it aside.
• In a big pan or non stick kadai, heat ghee, oil, and add mustard seeds.
• As soon it splutters, add pinch of hing powder, green chilly-ginger-garlic pastes, saute small chopped onion until translucent, now add chopped tomatoes and tomato puree, mix and cook for few minutes until tomatoes are soft.
• Stir cooked dals in kadai, add those spice powder mentioned above in the ingredients and salt to taste.
• Add little of water if required. Mix all well and cook for 4-5 minutes on medium low flame.
• Now slowly add luke warm milk in dal. (keep stirring dal with other hand while adding milk to it)
• You will notice dal to be more creamier after adding milk. 
• Turn the flame to low and allow it to cook for 20-25 minutes. Stir in between to avoid sticking dal to the bottom of the pan. 
• After 20-25 minutes, dal will be little thick and creamy. (if it is too much thick you can add little water)
• Turn the flame off, pour the dal in a serving bowl and garnish it with cream.
• Serve it with naan or plain paratha and salted sliced onions.

Baked Aam Doi / Bhapa Aam Doi (Sweetned Mango Curd)

A very easy and a one pot quick dessert where there is no chance to go wrong..Its a No fuss, No mess, No hard work, No load, but yes, A healthy and a quick dessert..A baked Mishti Doi, a well known Bengali dessert which is made with curd. You can make a flavored Doi as i did. To bid adieu to mangoes of season, tried my hands with one more mango dessert which is super yummy and was easy too...Have a look below for the recipe....

 Ingredients:

1 can Condensed Milk

1/2 cup room temperature Milk  (Full fat or low fat, up to you)

1 cup Full Fat Curd / Yogurt Strained (Basically a hung curd or Greek yogurt, which is more creamier)

2 ripe mangoes

and some sliced Pistachios for Garnishing... 

Recipe:

• Strain the Curd in a Muslin cloth tied over tap for 30 minutes. Let the water part strained out of it.
• Meanwhile Wash, peel and roughly cut the ripe mangoes.
• Now Empty Condensed milk can, Milk, Full Fat Strained Yogurt and roughly cut mangoes in a mixer jar.
• Blend all until smooth and pour the mixture in to a baking Mould. 
• Preheat Oven at 140 degree Celsius.
• Bake the Mixture for 25-30 minutes in Preheated oven.
• Once done, bring the set curd out from oven and allow it to cool. 
• Garnish it with sliced Pistachios.
• Refrigerate for 2-3 hours and here you are ready to serve, A Chilled Aam Doi.

Wasn't it easy and quick? Do try today and you too will fall in love with it....

Methi Matar Malai

A Very easy to make Methi Matar Malai, a Punjabi Sabji with creamy flavor. Fresh Methi (Fenugreek) leaves and Green Matar (Peas) is mixed with blend of spice and cream for gravy. Many recipes calls for sugar in the Ingredeints to cut Methi's bitterness. But here i made it without sugar as i like a little bitter taste of Methi in this...(though i have mentioned sugar measures in my ingredients list but its optional and is totally up to you).

Methi Matar Malai

Ingredients:

3-4 cups Fresh Chopped methi leaves (Fenugreek Leaves)
1 medium onion sliced
1/3 cup green matar (peas)
1/3 cup Cream

1 tbsp ghee (clarified butter)
1 tbsp olive oil or any other oil
10 cashews soaked in water for 15-20 minutes & finely paste
2 tsp green chilly paste
1 tsp Ginger paste
1 tsp garlic paste

1 tsp mustard seeds
Pinch of asafoetida powder
1 tsp red chilly powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp garam masala powderl
Salt to taste
1 -2 tsp sugar (optional - i don't add sugar as i like little bitter taste of methi in sabji)

Recipe:

• In a wok or kadai, heat Ghee (Clarified butter) and oil. Add Mustard seeds, as soon as it splutters add pinch of asafoetida powder and sliced onion with pinch of salt. Saute onions until soft.

• Now add Fresh and chopped Methi leaves and Green Matar (Green Peas) to it. 

• Pour about 1/4 cup of water, cover the lid and let Methi and Matar cook on low flame for about 10 minutes or until methi and matar both is cooked.

• Open the lid, add cashew paste, ginger paste, garlic paste, green chilly paste, Red chilly powder, turmeric powder, Cumin powder, coriander powder, garam masala powder and salt to taste. (If using sugar than add at this time). Cook further for few minutes.

• Now add Cold beaten cream. 
• Stir & mix well.(Add water if required, a little)

• Cook for few more minutes and turn the flame off...
• Garnish it with Cream and serve hot with Naan or Plain Paratha.

Dahi Wale Aaloo

Dahi wale aaloo is simply made with boiled patoes in thick yogurt gravy. This is made without onion and garlic, and the same you can have while fasting too. So here the recipe goes.

Serves: 4
Total Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:
1 tbsp olive oil
Pinch of Asafoetida Powder
5 Large Boiled Potatoes (Aaloo) cut into cube shape
1 tsp Saunf Powder (Fennel)
1 tsp ready made pickle powder (optional) (Its a powder that we generally use for making pickles, basically have yellow mustard, methi powder and red chilly powder with little oil)
1/2 tsp methi powder (Fenugreek)
1/2 tsp aamchur (Dry Mango Powder)
1/2 tsp Red chilly Powder
1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
1/2 tsp Garam masala powder
1 tsp Cumin Powder
1 tsp Corainder powder
1 cup beaten  curd (To avoid curdling of curd, use cold beaten curd )
1/4 cup water
Salt to Taste

For Tempering
1 tbsp Ghee (Clarified butter)
1 whole red chilly
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp Mustard seeds
2-3 curry leaves
pinch of red chilly powder

For Garnishing
2 tbsp Chopped Fresh Coriander leaves


Recipe:

• In a non stick pan, heat oil and add pinch of asafoetida powder. Now add boiled and chopped aaloos. One by one, add all dry spice powder mentioned above.
• Mix all gently, now add 1 cup beaten curd and 1/4 cup water, mix and cook for 4-5 minutes, or until gravy is thick. It time for a good tempering now.
• In a small fry pan, heat ghee with mustard and cumin seeds. Once it splutters, add curry leaves, whole red chilly and pinch of red chilly powder. Temper this mixture over Dahi aaloo gravy mixture.
• Once Tempered, cook Dahi aaloo gravy mixture for about 2 minutes on low flame.
• Turn off the flame and Garnish with Fresh chopped Coriander Leaves
• Serve it warm with Simple and plain paratha or with palin tawa roti..

HomeMade Oats Ice-Cream (Eggless)

With left over rolled oats packet i made this. I was wondering to make muffins, later i thought no muffins, will make cake, will make cookies, will make bread loaf....so on and many thoughts came one by one. But do not wanted to bake this time. So thought for some chilled dessert out of it, and  ice cream with it was the best thought i guess. Heard very little? An oats ice cream? But believe me it was good,,, very creamy, thick and soft in texture. And with oats, it is healthy as always....:)

Mostly kids love ice creams but don't like oats and every mother wants their kid to eat oats, why not to give in form of ice creams than...fun for them and happy mommies.....
This can be garnished in different ways. Below i have shared some garnishing ideas, do have a look to it as well.......

This Ice cream can be made with different flavors using mango pulp, chocolate, strawberry or any other flavour..

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cup finely powdered rolled oats (Use mixer grinder)

2 cups low fat milk
1 cup water
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup powdered sugar
3 tbsp Raisins/sultanas
3 tbsp sliced Pistachios
3 tbsp sliced roasted almonds
4 tbsp Dark choco chips (can use semi sweet also)

Recipe:

• In a large bowl, Mix (Cold or room temperature) milk, powdered sugar and water. 
• Meanwhile in mixer grinder jar, grind rolled oats into very thin fine powder. (you'll see some oat chunks, so sieve it and use or can still use as it is)
• Add this grind oats slowly in milk mixture (Keep mixing continuously or else it will start forming lumps, you can even use hand blender to break lumps if any).
• Mixture should be, smooth and lump free. Now mix vanilla extract, Raisins/sultanas, sliced pistachios roasted sliced almonds and dark choco chips to it. Pour this mixture in freezer safe container cover and allowed it to freeze overnight without disturbing. After 2-3 hrs scrap in between (do this twice).
• Scoop and serve..

Garnishing Ideas:
1) Garnish it with toasted muesli and Dust cinnamon powder
2) Garnish it with with sliced pistachios, sliced almonds and with choco chips..
3) Or simply drizzle strawberry or chocolate syrup by adding dried fruits and choco chips...
4) Or scoop ice cream between two chocolate biscuits or any flavor of biscuits that you like and sandwich it. Serve the same with berries that you are have at home..

Note: For a perfect soft scoop add 1 tbsp of vodka to your ice cream mixture and Beat  for about a 2-3 minute. Than freeze your ice cream. This gives nice soft texture to ice cream and not the firm one. (But its optional and totally up to your choice)

Too much of alcohol in ice cream will not allow it to freeze so make sure you use little qty of it.

Luscious Jamun Frozen Yogurt (Java Plum)

Since childhood i am very much fond of yogurt and fruits. I remember, i always use to mix all available fruits at my place and mix in curd with little sugar and enjoy. Since than i have came across to flavored yogurts and than frozen yogurt. Take any favorite fruit of your choice and you can make frozen yogurt out of it. I initially thought to make it with mangoes but later when i checked it was not in a sufficient qty, but in one corner of my kitchen i saw jamun (Java Plum) in large qty, i jumped with joy and quickly pulled out and made this.
Check its recipe below. Lets beat this scorching heat with icey, creamy and luscious frozen yogurt.

Ingredients:
500 gms Jamun (Java Plum)
450 ml thick & creamy full fat yogurt
1/2 cup Honey (Can use powdered sugar, i used honey)
2 tsp fresh lime juice

Recipe:

• Wash Jamun (java plum)
• Remove its seeds (My jamuns were riped and so it was easy for me to pull out its seeds, if its not same with you than use knife)
• In mixer jar beat thick and creamy curd until slightly fluffy. Now add seedless jamuns, fresh lime juice and honey. Beat until smooth.
• Pour in a Freezer safe container. Cover it with plastic cling film. 
• After 1-2 hr bring out and scrap for a minute.(Do this twice).
• And than after freeze it thoroughly in freezer. (Mine was ready to serve in 5 hrs)
• Scoop and enjoy luscious Jamun frozen yogurt. :)

Yummy Sugar Free Mango Lassi

Mango Lassiiiiii... Can not resist without this in summer. Sooo Cool and refreshing, your taste buds will get highly impress of it... With some few typical mango lassi's, I have changed a bit of its ingredients as per my taste. Do try.

Yummy Sugar free Mango Lassi

Ingredients:
3 cups Mango Puree (I used Alphonso's Puree)
1 1/2 cup Full fat Dahi / Yogurt. (Can opt for Low Fat Yogurt too)
1/2 cup low fat milk
1/4 cup Honey approx. (depends upon the sweetness of mangoes.)
1 tsp green cardamom powder

For Garnishing:
1/2 cup of mango cut into cube shape (can use even more, tastes well when you get that small chunks in your mouth while having lassi)
1/2 cup Chopped dry fruits (cashwes, almonds, Pistachios)

Recipe:

• In a mixer juicer jar, mix mango puree with full fat Dahi / Yogurt, low fat milk, honey, and green cardomom powder.
• Grind this in mixer until smooth
• Pour in a glass over few ice cubes
• Garnish it with mangoes cut in to cube shapes (i would suggest to add more chunks, tastes really well) and chopped dry fruits..Even you can use some whipped cream on top about a tsp. Looks even more tempting.
• Hereby Enjoyy...)

Patta Gobhi (Cabbage) Kofta Curry

Ingredients:

Patta Gobhi (Cabbage) Kofta Curry

Kofta:
2 cups very finely shredded patta gobhi (cabbage)
1 cup besan (gram flour)
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 tsp red chilly powder
1/2 tsp ginger paste
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp cumin powder
1/2 tsp Ajwain
1/2 cup fresh chopped coriander leaves
Salt to taste and
Oil for frying
Black salt for seasoning koftas

Curry:
1 tbsp oil
Pinch of asafoetida powder (Heeng)
2 medium tomatoes puree
1/2 tsp ginger paste
1/2 tsp green chilly paste
2 tbsp curd
1 tsp fennel powder
1 tsp garam masala powder
1 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp red chilly powder (or adjust it to your taste)
1/2 tsp mix of grounded black pepper and cloves
1 tsp corn starch paste (dissolve corn starch in 2 tsp of water for its paste)
1 bay leaf
Salt to taste

For garnishing:
Chopped fresh coriander leaves

Recipe:

Kofta:
Mix finely chopped shredded cabbage with onion, gram flour, red chilly powder, ginger paste, turmeric powder, cumin powder, ajwain, coriander leaves and salt to taste. Add water and make very thick batter for koftas. (Should not be like a dough but).
Heat oil in pan. Fry koftas in it until crisp from outside and still soft from inside on a medium flame. Once done keep it aside. Season it all with a very little black salt..

Curry:
In a pan add oil and heat, now add bay leaf, pinch of asafoetida powder, tomato puree, ginger paste, green chilly paste and all dry spices listed above in curry ingredients. Now add little water, corn starch paste, and curd. Keep stirring for about few seconds and add those fried koftas in it. Again cook for 1-2 minutes. Curry should be little thick.
Garnish with fresh chopped coriander leaves.
Serve it with plain paratha, naan, roti or with anything of your choice (can also serve with plain rice or lemon rice).

Serves: 4
Total Time: 30-35 minutes

Doi Potol / Dahi Parwal

Doi Potol or Dahi Parwal an authentic and rich Veg recipe of Bengali Cuisine. Potol/parwal a summer vegetable is a good source of carbohydrates, vitamin b and vitamin c. Doi Potol / Dahi Parwal is served with Biryani / Jeera Rice/ or with Puris (known as Luchi in bengali). It is thick gravy base dish cooked in Doi / Dahi. Have a look to the recipe below:

Doi Potol / Dahi Parwal

Ingredients:
500 gms Peeled Potol / Parwal
1 cup Sour Dahi (Yogurt)
1 medium sliced onion
Pinch of Asafoetida powder
1 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp garam masala powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp Red chilly powder
1/2 tsp green chilly paste
1 tsp ginger paste
1 bay leaf
4 tbsp Mustard oil or Vegetable oil for frying Potol / Parwal
2 tbsp ghee
Salt to taste

Recipe:

Peel all Potol / Parwal.

Doi Potol / Dahi Parwal

Heat Mustard oil or Vegetable oil in pan for frying it. Fry until Nice golden brown on medium flame. Once fried, place it on a tissue paper to drain excess oil out of it.

 Use same pan for furthur cooking. Remove oil from a pan and in same pan add ghee. Heat ghee and add bay leave, pinch of asafoetida powder and sliced onion. Saute it by adding pinch of salt to it until translucent.

Now add garam masala powder, cumin powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder, Red chilly powder, ginger paste, green chilly paste and salt to taste. Saute it for a minute and make sure it does not stick to your pan if using other than non stick pan (if it sticks add little water to avoid it).

Now add Sour dahi / yogurt to it and about 1/4 cup of water along with Fried potol / parwal. Now cook this until gravy become little thick on a low flame. Garnish it with Fresh Coriander leaves and Serve it hot with Jeera rice or Veg. Biryani or with puri (Luchi).

Doi Potol / Dahi Parwal

Zuchhini (Tori/Turai) Soup

Zucchini a summer squash, is healthy source of key nutrients. It has only 19 calories with no fat per cup. It provides a healthy dose of fibre, Vitamins and minerals. It is ideal for loosing weight healthily. It has a high water content in it and that is most required in summers. And so i thought to give it a try by making soup.

Serves: 2
Time: 20-22 minutes

Zuchhini (Tori/Turai) Soup

 Green Zuchhini/ Tori / Turai 

       
Ingredients:

4-5 large Zuchhini
150 ml water
3 tsp olive oil
1 medium finely chopped brown onion
1 tsp garlic paste
1 tsp ginger paste
1 tsp corn starch paste
1/2 cup Fresh Corriander leaves
2 1/2 tsp  mixed herbs
1 tsp dry basil leaves
1 tsp dry oregano
1 tsp dry parsley (optional)
1 tsp dry thyme (optional)
Freshly ground black pepper to taste  (I used about 1 1/2 tsp full)

Salt to taste.

Garnishing:
Fresh cream and Fresh Coriander leaves

Recipe:
Peel off zucchini's skin and dice it in cube shape, or no matter whatever its shape.
Boil zucchini in water and salt for 5 minutes (do not pressure cook).
Once boiled, blend Zucchini with fresh coriander leaves into fine green puree.
Now heat olive oil in a pan over medium flame, add finely chopped onion, garlic and ginger paste, cook uncovered, stirring for 2 minutes or until onions are slightly soft. Now pour the blended green puree and corn starch paste into the pan and add all dried herbs listed above in the ingredients (parsley and thyme is optional- both was available in my pantry and so have used it).
Further to this add salt and freshly grounded pepper to your taste.
Cook for 3-4 minutes or until slightly thickens and than its ready to serve.

Garnish it with fresh cream and coriander leaves.


Linking it to simplyvegetarian777 announcement and Cooking with SJ announcement for the Soups with SS event !