Peas Paratha

One can always serve a stuffed paratha with pickle or any chutney. Hence it is a very good option for breakfast or snacks. Peas paratha (matar ka paratha) is one of the most easiest stuffed paratha.

Ingredients :

1. Boiled green peas- 1 1/2 cup
2. Roasted jeera (cumin)- 1 tsp
3. Chaat masala- 1 tbs
4. Salt to taste
5. Coriander powder- 1 tbs
6. Red chilly powder- 1/4 tsp
7. Hing (Asafoetida)- 1/2 tsp
8. Jeera powder- 1 tsp
9. Dry mango powder (aamchur)- 1/2 tsp
10. Mutton masala powder- 1/2 tsp
11. Flour (atta)- 1 1/2 cup
12. Oil


Procedure :

First heat 1 tsp of oil in a kadhai, add jeera and all the masala powders to it. Now mash the boiled peas properly and add it to the kadhai. Mix well and cook for 10 minutes until the mixture turns a little brown and sticks to the kadhai. Remove it from flame and cool it to room temperature.

Meanwhile make dough for paratha with flour, a little oil and water. Do not make the dough too soft as it will create a problem while rolling the paratha.

Now make medium balls from the dough and roll each into a 2 inch diameter roti and put little amount of the peas mixture. Cover the mixture from all side properly so that it does not come out while rolling. Now softly roll it to your desired size of paratha.

Heat 1 tsp oil in a flat surfaced frying pan and fry the paratha. Turn it after 6 to 8 minutes until it turns out brownish in color. You can also press it a little so that the paratha becomes a little crunchy.

Serve it hot with khatta meetha garlic chutney.

Posto Bora (Khus Khus Vada)

Khus khus is also known as posto in Bengal. Posto bora, as is popularly known in Bengal, is a favorite preparation for Bengali people. It is very easy recipe which does not consume much time. One can eat this with rice and daal.

Ingredients :

1. Khus khus (posto)- 1/2 cup
2. Onion (finely chopped)- 1 small
3. Green chilly (chopped)- 1
4. Roasted Jeera- 1/2 tsp
5. Salt to taste
6. Red chilly powder- 1 pinch
7. Turmeric powder- 1/4 tsp
8. Oil


Procedure :

First soak the khus khus in water for half a hour, then drain the water and grind it in mixer. Next add all the ingredients to the khus khus and keep it aside. Now heat 1 tsp oil in a flat surfaced pan and put one tbs of the khus khus mixture on the pan. Press it with the back of your spoon to give it a round look. Now leave it for 5 to 6 minutes on low flame. When the surface will turn brown in color as shown in the picture, turn the vada (bora) to other side, add little oil and cook it till it is done.

Gulaab-e-Moong

It is a sweet and a little sour moong daal recipe which looks very tempting to everyone. The color combination of golden yellow with brownish red is very appealing. Hope you will try this out at home.

Ingredients :

1. Maida (all purpose flour)- 3 to 4 tbs
2. Khoya- 50 gms
3. Milk- 500 ml
4. Lemon juice- 2 tsp
5. Moong daal (soaked in water for 30 minutes)- 1 cup
6. Water- 1 1/2 cup
7. Turmeric powder- 1/2 tsp
8. Red chilly powder- 1/2 tsp
9. Green Cardamom (crushed)- 1 tsp
10. Cinnamon stick- 2
11. Salt to taste
12. Sugar- 1 tsp
13. Lemon juice- 1 tsp
14. Jeera (cumin seed)- 1 tsp
15.Ghee- 1 tsp
16. Hing (asafoetida)- 1 pinch
17. Kasuri methi (fenugreek leaf)- 1 pinch


Procedure :

First you make the jamuns as the way I have described in my gulaab jamun recipe. Now in a kadhai add daal, water, turmeric, chilly powder, salt and sugar. Let it start boiling. When the daal starts boiling, reduce the flame and mix it thoroughly. Now cover it and cook for 7 to 8 minutes. Next add cardamom, cinnamon and cover it again. When the daal is done, add lemon juice to it and remove it from the flame. For the tadka, mix 1 tsp ghee, jeera, hing and kasuri methi and heat it for 1 to 2 minutes. When jeera will start spluttering, add it to the daal and mix well. Now serve the daal in a bowl and place one or two jamuns on top of it.

Recipe of home made Gulaab jamun

It is a very popular desert among Indians, specially those who have a sweet tooth. One can serve it hot as well as cold depending on their likings. It is a very easy recipe to follow and a good way to surprise your family.

Ingredients (it will make around 7 to 8 gulaab jamuns):

1. Maida (all purpose flour)- 2 to 3 tbs
2. Khoya- 50 gms
3. Milk- 500 ml
4. Lemon juice- 2 tsp
5. Sugar- 1 cup
6. Water- 1/2 cup
7. Oil
8. Cardamom powder and seeds- 1 tsp

Procedure :

First we will make chenna (chhana or home made paneer) from the milk. For that boil the milk in a deep bottom pan and add the lemon juice to it while boiling. The milk will start separating the curdle  (paneer) and whey (fluid). Stir the milk so that the whole milk is used to make chenna. Now when the whey turns light yellowish in color, remove the pan from heat. Pass the whole thing through muslin cloth or a very fine sieve. Keep the solid chenna part under running cold water for few minutes which will remove the taste of lemon as well as will keep the chenna soft. Now extract water from the chenna and keep it aside.

Before making the jamuns prepare the sugar syrup for it. Take the sugar and water in a pan and heat it. Stir the mixture after sometime so that the sugar gets dissolved in the water. Let it boil for 7 to 8 minutes and turn the heat off.

Next heat oil in a deep bottom pan for frying the jamuns. Mix khoya, chenna, cardamom powder and maida (one tbs at a time) in a bowl thoroughly. Make a soft dough. Roll the dough into small size balls and check if the oil is hot. Do not heat the oil too much as it will burn the jamuns. Now add one by one balls and do not press it with your spatula. Lower the flame and let it get cooked for about 2 to 3 minutes. Slowly roll/turn the jamuns without pressing them. When the jamuns turn brown, take them out and keep them in a paper napkin for 1 minute. 

Now add the jamuns into the warm ( it should not be hot at all) sugar syrup ( chaashni) and serve it after half an hour.

Sending this to Indian Methai Mela event.

Stuffed Paneer Paratha

Ingredients: 

1. Wheat flour- 2 cups
2. Oil
3. Paneer (mashed roughly)- 1 1/2 cup
4. Onion (finely chopped)- 1 large
5. Green chilly (chopped)- 2
6. Garlic (chopped)- 6 to 7 cloves
7. Ginger paste- 1 tsp
8. Jeera (roasted)- 1 tsp
9. Black pepper powder- 1 tsp
10. Jeera powder- 1 tsp
11. Garam masala- 1/2 tsp
12. Asafoetida (hing)- 1/2 tsp
13. Tamarind pulp- 1 1/2 tsp
14. Aamchur powder (dry mango powder)- 1 tsp
15. Salt to taste


Procedure:

First heat oil in a pan and add onion, garlic, green chilly. Cook till onion turns translucent. Add ginger paste, all the powders, roasted jeera and cook for 1 minute. Now add mashed paneer, tamarind pulp and salt. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes and keep the mixture dry. Remove it from the flame and cool it in refrigerator for half a hour. 

Now make dough with flour, 1 tsp oil and water. Add water in a little amount every time.  Do not make the dough too soft. Keep the dough covered for 10 minutes with wet cloth.

Make balls of the dough and roll them into paratha shape. Spread the paneer mixture on one paratha and cover it with another one. Now stick the sides of the parathas well so that the stuffing does not come out. Heat 1 tbs of oil in a flat frying pan and fry the paratha without pressing it hard. After 3 to 4 minutes change the side and add little oil and fry it till it turns brown. Serve it hot with chutney (tomato / garlic/ pickle).

Hot Brinjal Roll

It is a very simple yet classy veg recipe of brinjal. During winter season brinjal is a hot favorite vegetable in almost every household. Hence, I am sharing this recipe which will surely add a feather in your hat!!

Ingredients: 

1. Long and thin slices of brinjal- 3 to 4
2. Bharta brinjal
3. Curd (hung for 30 minutes)- 1/2 cup
4. Salt to taste
5. Black pepper powder- 2 tsp
6. Jeera powder- 2 tsp
7. Roasted jeera- 1 tsp
8. Chickpeas (boiled)- 1 cup
9. Green chilly- 2
10. Onion (chopped)- 1small
11. Tomato (chopped)- 1 large
12. Garlic (finely chopped)- 5 to 6 cloves
13. Sugar- 1/2 tsp
14. Olive oil

Procedure:

First marinate the brinjal slices with salt for 15 minutes and in the meanwhile mix curd, 1 tsp jeera powder, 1 tsp black pepper powder, salt to taste in a bowl. Now prick the bharta brinjal with a fork and apply a little oil over it. Roast the brinjal directly over flame till the skin of the brinjal turns black and dry.  After cooling  it, remove the skin of the brinjal. Mash well the bharta brinjal and mix half a cup of it to the curd mixture. 

Next grind chickpeas, roasted jeera, 1 tsp jeera powder, salt, 1 tsp black pepper powder, green chilly, few chopped garlic. Keep it aside.

Now heat 2 tbs olive oil in a flat frying pan and add the marinated brinjal slices. Cook them on high flame till they turn dark brown in color. Keep them on a paper napkin to remove excess oil.

To make the chutney fry chopped onion and remaining garlic till the onion turn translucent. Now add tomato and sugar to it and cook for 2 to 3 minutes.

Now place one scoop of the curd mixture on the plate, stuff the ground chickpeas on a fried brinjal slice roll it slowly and prick it with a toothpick. Place this roll on the curd scoop and add one tbs of the tomato chutney on top of it. Serve it hot.

Review of Marwa restaurant's (@ BTM Layout) Home Delivery

Though I always prefer to order Domino's home delivery for its reliable service, once we tried The Marwa restaurant's home delivery on a weekend. The restaurant is at BTM 2 nd stage (near Udupi garden). They deliver for a minimum amount of INR 150 within 3 kms. We called (080-32411981 / 080-26785734) them up at around 12:30 p.m. to place an order for two large chicken biriyani. It cost around INR 115 each plus tax. The order was delivered at around  2:00 p.m. The delivery boy apologized for being so late as he could not trace our apartment on time. The food quantity was good enough but there was only one problem that they provided very little raita with biriyani...:( ...But the biriyani was very tasty!! Now we have become a regular customer of Marwa. We have also tried their butter chicken and chicken tikka which are equally good. The only thing that you will have to deal with is the time that they take to deliver. Normally, the delivery is quite fast ( within 40 minutes) but sometimes it gets delayed due to traffic (as they explain it).

Tangri Chicken

This is one of my hubby's most favorite dishes so far. As the name is Tangri which means the Chicken leg piece, it serves as a delicious starter for all the non-veg lovers. And one beautiful thing of this dish is that one can cook it in microwave as well as in tawa!!

Ingredients:

1. Chicken legs- 2 to 3 pieces

2. Lemon juice- 2 tbs

3. Oil- 3 tbs

4. Salt to taste

5. Red chilly powder- 1/2 tsp

6. Curd (hung for 30 minutes)- 2 tbs

7. Ginger-garlic paste- 2 tsp

8. Cream (whisked)- 1/4 cups

9. Cornflour- 1 tbs

10. Fenugreek leaves- 1 tbs

11. Coriander (chopped)- 2 tsp

Procedure: 

Make 2 long cuts on each side of the chicken leg pieces and marinate them with lemon juice, salt, 1 tbs oil and red chilly powder for half a hour. Next mix all the remaining ingredients in a bowl thoroughly and add the chicken leg pieces only (not the liquid). Marinate it for another half a hour. Heat a flat pan and add 2 tbs oil. When it is hot, keep the leg pieces slowly. Cook them over low flame and turn very slowly after 8 to 10 minutes. Cook it until they turn brown from both the sides. Serve it hot with tomato ketch up sauce and green chutney.

For microwave cooking:

Grease a borosil flat dish and place the chicken pieces on it and cook in combination mode for 8 to 10 minutes or till it turns golden brown. Turn and apply the remaining marinade and cook for another 4 to 5 minutes.

Fish in Pepper-Honey Sauce (Honey Fish)

Ingredients :


1. Seer fish (sliced)- 4 slices
2. Carrot (sliced)- 1 small
3. Cauliflower- 1 cup
4. Beans (chopped)- 1/2 cup
5. Capsicum (thinly sliced) - 1/2 cup
6. Onion (finely chopped)- 1 medium
7. Garlic (chopped)- 5 to 6 cloves
8. Oil
9. Cornflour- 1 tbs

For the sauce :

1. Honey- 2 tbs

2. Black pepper powder- 1 tbs

3. Soya sauce- 1 tsp

4. Chilly powder- 1/2 tsp

5. Vinegar- 2 tsp

6. Ajina moto- 1 pinch

7. Salt to taste

8. Tomato ketchup- 1 tbs

Procedure :

First mix all the ingredients of the sauce in a bowl and keep it aside. Next heat oil in a pan and add the chopped onion and garlic and cook till the onion turns a little brown. Add all the chopped vegetable to it and a little water and cove it till the vegetables get cooked. Now fry the fish slices in 1 tbs oil in a separate pan for 3 to 4 minutes. Add cornflour, water to the cooked vegetables and also add the sauce to it. Mix well. Cook it over low flame and add little water if the gravy dries up too much. Next add the fried fishes and mix carefully so that the fishes do not break. After 6 to 8 minutes remove it. Serve it hot with rice.

 

  

Pani Puri (Golgappa or Phuchka or Bataashaa) recipe

When it comes to spicy food, the first thing comes to my mind is Pani Puri or Golgappa. As the name suggests, it is a round hollow small puri filled with boiled potato and spicy water. People find it difficult to make the puris at home as most of the time they do not get a perfect puri!! Here I am sharing with you my easy and secret recipe to make perfect pani puri at home.

Ingredients (for puri) :    

1. Maida (all purpose flour)- 1/4 cup
2. Suji (fine semolina flour)- 3/4 cup
3. Water- 1/2 cup
4. Salt-1 pinch
5. Oil to fry

Procedure :

First shift maida and suji through a sieve so that there is no lump when you prepare the dough. Then make a dough by adding little amount of water at a time. When the dough is prepared keep it covered with a wet cloth for about 10 minutes. Next heat oil for frying in a deep bottom kadhai and divide the dough in very small balls. Roll the balls in a little elongated shape with a diameter of around 1 to 1.5" (you can use a little oil while rolling the puris). Keep one wet cloth on the slab and then put the rolled puris on it. Cover the rolled puris with another wet cloth so that they retain a little moisture while cooking. Roll all the puris and when the oil is hot, add the puris one by one and press them a little with your spatula so that they inflate and get a proper round shape. Heat them in low flame and remove when they turn a little brown and keep on paper napkin to soak oil.

P.S. You can preserve puris for few months if you remove the excess oil from puri with the help of napkin and keep it in an air tight container after cooling.

Ingredients (for potato stuffing):

1. Potato (boiled and mashed properly)- 2
2. Kabli chana (chickpeas) (boiled and mashed roughly)-1/2 cup
3. Jeera powder- 1/2 tsp
4. Salt to taste
5. Black pepper powder- 1/4 tsp


Procedure :

Mix all the ingredients properly and keep aside.



Ingredients ( for Pani):

1. Coriander leaf- 2 bunches
2. Green chilly- 3 large
3. Tamarind pulp- 2 to 3 tsp
4. Jaljeera- 2 tsp
5. Salt to taste
6. Sugar- 4 to 5 tsp
7. Dry mango powder (aamchur)- 1 tsp
8. Water

Procedure :

Grind coriander, chilly, tamarind pulp, salt and sugar together in mixer. Take the mixture in a bowl and add jaljeera, aamchur and water to it. Add water such that the pani does not remain thick. Adjust salt and sugar after that according to your taste.
Now stuff the potato mixture in you puri and dip it in the pani and put it in your mouth :)

P.S. one can use mint leaf also for the pani.

Lunch Buffet @ Bar Be Que Nation, Koramangala, Bangalore

After a long dilly-dallying I surrendered to my hubby's wish to have lunch @ Bar Be Que Nation at Koramangala on a Sunday. He had already been there before and he liked the experience there, so he wanted me to enjoy it. But I was not comfortable with the bar-be-que  idea!! Anyways we reserved our table in the morning over the phone ( 080-60600001) as the restaurant sees a rush on weekends. Its in the Koramangala  1st block, just on the left side of the service road. We reached there few minutes before our time and were taken to our reserved corner table. They offer three types of buffet- veg (INR 425), non-veg (INR 475) and combo. We went for the combo one priced at INR 300 per person plus tax. There were paneer, baby potato in veg starter and chicken and fish in non-veg one. The ambiance was good and soon I felt comfortable with the live bar be que concept. They kept a grill in front of us and kept on filling it with the chicken and fish kebabs. The veg starters were served directly to us.I liked the potato and the fish kebabs a lot. We had few sauces which we were brushing on the bar be qued kebabs time to time.
There was a complimentary drink both alcohol (beer) or soft drinks with the buffet. We were chilling with beer and kebabs. But we had to keep an eye on the grilled pieces as it could burn if kept for a longer time. Once we were done with starters, we flagged down (there was a small flag on the table, once we flag it down it means we do not need any more starters). They also served us some sweet Indian bread. The main course was common for all the buffets.There were 2 types of veg rice, chicken biriyani, 3 to 4 veg and 4 non veg dishes,pasta, salad, desert, ice cream. The main course was very good specially the desert. What I liked most about the ice cream was they had kept different sauces like chocolate, strawberry and choco chips for dressing of your scoops.
The total bill amount was INR 681 (including 13.5% tax). They accept all kinds of cards. It was a nice experience for me and I would like to recommend everyone to go there at least once.

Bhojohori Manna @ Koramangala, Bangalore

For a Bengali the history of Bhojohori Manna is well known, but let me give a small introduction to others about this restaurant chain. The Bhojohori Manna restaurant was established in Kolkata few decades back and one could easily spot out top Bengali actors tasting the spicy Bengali dishes there. The name came from a famous song ami sri Bhojohori Manna sung by the famous singer Manna Dey. It is famous for its fish preparation and the sweets.
The same restaurant chain has an outlet in Bangalore at Koramangala, a good news for a Bengali  cuisine lover like me!! The restaurant is situated just opposite to the Koramangala Club. There are two floors, but I always prefer the ground floor for its ambiance. It would be advisable to reserve a table on weekends over the phone ( 080 2550 3666) otherwise you might have to wait for 15-30 mins!!
I always prefer to start with the old favorite mock tail ampora shorbot, it is made of raw mango and has a cooling and refreshing effect. I have also tried their Maxi Thali which is a combination of rice, sweet pulao, fried potato (aloo bhaja), one veg curry (shukto/cauliflower gravy etc), mango chutney, papad and sweet. It costs around INR 170. Also the Ilish shorshe (Hilsa in mustard gravy) and Bhetki paturi are the main attraction of the restaurant. Among prawn dishes Daab chingri ( large prawn served in coconut) and chingri malaikari are the hot favorites among the food lovers. One unique thing you will find here, that every dish tastes a little sweet as sugar is  used in every dish. Each non-veg dishes cost around INR180 and the veg dishes (like shukto, mocha, dhokar dalna etc) around INR 70. One must try the ice cream as a desert. It is made up of nolen gur ( jaggery) which is a specialty of Bengal.
The lunch for two would cost around INR 600-800. During festival time this place remains crowded throughout and even if you have reserved your table, you would have to wait!! A  problem which I have found here is that the waiters/ manager speak in Bengali always. They can not identify whether a person is Bengali or not and even if you tell them they feel uncomfortable in speaking Hindi/English. So you better have patience while visiting there and dealing with them... :)

Review of Movenpick Resort & Spa, Mauritius, Bel Ombre

As I have already described my holiday experience in Mauritius in " When Dreams come true", here I would like to talk about the most important part of our holiday which has made our trip memorable. And that is our stay at the Movenpick Resort & Spa.

Before selecting the resort I went through a lot of reviews and even asked a few people through email. Two resorts were running neck to neck, one was Movenpick and the other one was Jalsa Beach. I went through the websites of both these resorts and had a look at their gallery and finally we reached Movenpick on 22nd June,2010.

sugarcane field

The resort was located in the south-west coast in Bel Ombre. It took almost 2 hours to reach there in the minibus. On the way we passed through small localities, few local markets and lots of green field, mostly with sugarcane cultivation. And the more we were nearing our resort, we could feel the fresh air coming from the sea-side. There was a small bridge which was so narrow that two vehicles could not drive together, hence it was operated on the basis of an automatic signal.

on the way to Movenpick

When we were almost 20 minutes away from Movenpick, there was a spot where the Indian Ocean was at a stone's distance from us. I guess that place was a local picnic spot as later during our stay I had seen people gathering there on weekends and having fun with their family.

view from resort's lounge

We reached the resort premise at around 3:30 p.m. All our tiredness of traveling just vanished by the way the hotel stuff warmly welcomed us. They took all the luggage without even asking anyone which one belongs to whom!! We were directed to their waiting area where we had to finish some formalities like filling up forms with our details, duration of stay and choice of food etc etc. Meanwhile we were served a chilled welcome drink. They had two different flavors and I took the Orange juice one. It was a nice view from that waiting lounge as we could see the backyard of the resort with its volleyball court and beach.

resort entry

After half an hour of wait we were taken to our room. On the way there were a boutique, some other gift shops. Our deluxe room was on the first floor. The moment we entered the room we could feel a refreshing smell. The first thing my hubby told me that it was a very nice choice.... There was a king size bed, a TV, electronic safe, a minibar and a kettle. Also there was unlimited supply of milk, sugar and tea bags. It was just that you would have to ask the room service to fill in the new stock. We also got a complimentary fruit basket, a bottle of red wine, one pareo and t-shirt special add ons to honeymoon couples. Be careful before using their minibar as the alcohols were priced at much higher rate. Also you would not get water for free!! Two bottles of water were priced at 90 Mauritian currency (almost 140 Indian rupee)!!

deluxe room

view from our balcony

The view from our balcony was just awesome. Everyday at around 11 a.m. house keeping staff would come to clean the room and they even arranged our clothes sometimes!! The towels were clean but you have to make sure that all the towels are changed everyday. You can get beach towels from them and also the toiletries ( they provide very less toiletries at a time). You will also get hair dryer. It would be advisable to carry an appropriate adaptor to charge your mobile phone or your camera (as in our case we could not charge our mobile for this). The morning breakfast used to be open from 7:00 to 10:00 a.m. in the main restaurant "Le Moulin" (serves buffet only). There were 2 other restaurants, La Grand Caze (mainly for dinner and specially the candle light dinners that the restaurant offer with the honeymoon package)  and Le Camaron (its for lunch) and the main bar, Flangourin, next to the main pool. We were on a half board package ( that includes breakfast and dinner buffet), hence we ate at Le Moulin only. You can sit inside or have your breakfast in the open area. But in the morning it used to be a little cold, so we chose to sit inside only. While having our food, we could see small birds chirping around, I even gave one bird a little piece of bread!! The breakfast menu was same for all the seven days: varieties of bread, fruits, sausages, pancakes, ham, yogurt and some other milk products. After breakfast we used to have a long walk along the beach. The beach was very quiet and clean. It was a little difficult to walk bare footed throughout as there were lots of small pebbles and few sea urchins!!

the beach

    Apart from the main swimming pool there were two more pools, one specially for the kids. There were a lot of  sunbathing chairs along the beach and the pools. The resort offered some complimentary activities like : snorkeling, kayak, glass bottom boat, paddle boat, wind surfing. But to avail most of the activities, one should have booked the slot at          

least a week ago!!

glass bottom boat ride

Which was not  possible in our case as we stayed there for a week only, so we could only use paddle boat and got our slot for glass bottom boat on the second last day of our stay. But it was a nice experience for an hour and half. We went close to the huge waves which were almost tossing our little boat with its 10 passengers.....at one point it became scary as the boat's engine stopped for 15 minutes and one of the passengers started screaming out of fear. We had a great view of the coral reefs, fishes. Also one can spend time in aqua gym or on table tennis  table or volleyball court. The Aldana Tropical Spa's timing was from 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. We had a complimentary half a hour spa massage for both of us (we had taken our spa massage slot the day we reached there and we got it on the third day morning). After that we spent 2 hours in sauna, steam and jacuzzi, all free of cost for that day.

The night buffet used to start as early as from 7:00 p.m. and it was theme based. During our stay we had American, African, Italian, European, Indian themes and everyday they kept few Indian food items at one corner as the resort was a hot destination for Indians.The varieties of sauces, chicken, duck, deserts, rice, pasta, noodles, sea foods were countless. During dinner time they provided free drinking water, which was a nice thing I guess. For the first time I ate baby Octopus, squids and I liked them!! On the Sunday night dinner there was a surprise performance from the resort's side, there were 4 ladies wearing some extra colorful dresses, dancing and singing with the rhythm of the drums. On the second night of our stay we got an invitation for the candle light dinner (complimentary for honeymoon couples) at La Grand Caze where the dinner table was near the pool and there was a musician playing his guitar. There we had Indian dinner and a bottle of complimentary Champagne. It was very very romantic...

It was told not to tip everyone separately as the resort had a policy where one could pay the total amount of the tip directly to the resort and the resort would distribute it to all the staffs on special occasions. The resort had a very cozy atmosphere which I liked a lot and would like to return there again.

A suggestion : Once you will reach Mauritius buy at least 2 to 3 bottles of drinking water from the shops near the airport. Or you can buy it on the way to the resort if you find any super market or shop. It will be much cheaper (around 30 Mauritian rupee) than at the resort. And when you will go out for any tour the guide will take you to super market once. Hence you can get a new stock.

                                                                                                                                                                     

A Tale of Little 'Zing' - Part 1

It is a story of a little girl, say 'Zing' who was born in a small town of eastern India in late '80 s. When her mom was going to the hospital before her delivery, her elder sister told her mom that she wanted a brother to play with, not a sister. When her mom asked if you had a sister then? She blatantly told " I will flush her in our toilet". God was amazed with this statement and gifted the mom a baby girl......'Zing'. Thankfully she was not flushed and was warmly welcomed in the family.

Little Zing was an 'angel' to her mother as she did not cry much to disturb her mom's daily routine, Zing never made her mom run after her for food. Zing was happy with her little pillow and her left thumb (yes.....it was her candy...and she was so much addicted towards the thumb that even at the age of 10 she could not get rid of that habit......and how she came out of it is another story which I will tell you later). Her  elder sister who was just 6 years older than her, became a little responsible as she was learning to do her works on her own.

When Zing turned 5, she showed her love for one food called "chi chi".......it was fish. But poor Zing , her dad was out of the town for his job at that time and mom was too busy handling the house and the two daughters. She could not manage a fish every time. So her mom came up with an idea......she used to fool her with fried brinjal saying that it was "chi chi". God knows whether Zing could catch the bait or not....but after a few years she started disliking fish like hell!!

In Zing's neighborhood there was a family of 5 people... the granny, grandpa and their 3 children all were at the age of 30's. Zing was their favorite toy......whenever she used to go to their house they used to give her one chocolate in her hand. And in the name of Zing, grandpa also used to eat a few chocolates. They were the 'bestest' friends of Zing. Here are few instances of how much they loved Zing: 

When she was very young and could not walk, one day she fell from her bed and she rolled beneath the bed. Unable to come out of that place poor Zing cried loudly and started banging her head against the wooden leg of the bed. Her mom was in the bathroom, so she could not come out and was trying to soothe her from the bathroom just by singing and some consoling words. Soon Zing's cry turned into scream and her granny came running to her house to see whether every thing was alright. Granny knocked the door madly, and then Zing's mom  had to come out of bathroom and they finally saved little Zing. After that on her granny's insistence, Zing's mom used to keep Zing at the granny's house whenever she used to be busy with her work.

On another day her mom was feeding her milk and rice. Zing ,being a naughty girl , kept on running all around their yard. She was running up and down the staircase without listening to her mom...... one of her uncles was present in their house at that time. Suddenly she stumbled and missed a step. She came rolling down the staircase crying all the way. Her uncle rushed quickly to hold her but could not stop her. Here again,  came the granny and her daughter.....they put some sugar on Zing's lips as it was bleeding. Zing was crying badly but soon she calmed down as she got busy in licking her sweet lips..

One thing was for sure that Zing was mastering the art of rolling!!

Review of Mainland China @ Indiranagar, Bangalore

I had always been a fan of Main Land China when I was in Kolkata. And that is why when I came to know that in Bangalore also there is one Main Land China at Indiranagar, I could not help but indulge my taste buds into the Chinese delicacies there. So on a Sunday we went there with 6 of our friends. It was easy to find out the restaurant, as it was just next to the Indiranagar flyover on the right hand side. It would be better if you book a table on weekends, as there might be a possibility that you would have to wait. The sitting arrangement was on the first floor and it was quite cozy ambiance. They served us soft drinks, soups and starters (both veg and non veg). There were so many varieties (chicken,lamb, fish, prawn )that I was tired of taking a note of the names of the dishes. The prawn dishes were too good and also the crab one. I loved the mixed veg as it had baby corn in it.....though in the desert's corner we had a very few options, I did not mind that, as the ice cream and pastry was of my choice. While booking the table my hubby had informed them that it was a celebration for a newly wed couple. Hence they offered us a complimentary cake at the end. The buffet price was INR 525 plus tax per person. But the cuisine really worth that money. I would definitely suggest you to go and pamper your taste buds.

Do check out the review of Main Land China at Church Street.

Methi ( Fenugreek) Chicken

Ingredients :


1. Chicken pieces (medium in size)- 400 gms
2. Onion (paste)-1 small
3. Onion (finely chopped)-1 large
4. Tomato (paste)- 2 medium
5. Green chilly (paste)-2 large
6. Green cardamom- 4 to 5
7. Cinnamon- 3 sticks
8. Garlic (chopped)- 7 to 8 cloves
9. Garam masala- 1/2 tsp
10. Jeera powder- 1 tsp
11. Black pepper powder- 1 tsp
12. Methi (Fenugreek)  powder- 1/2 tsp
13. Mutton masala powder- 1 tsp
14. Salt to taste
15. Sugar- 1 tsp
16. Turmeric powder- 1/2 tsp
17. Coriander powder- 1 tsp
18. Hing (Asafoetida) powder- 1/2 tsp
19. Amul cream- 1/2 cup
20. Curd- 2 tbs
21. Oil
22. Methi leaves (chopped)


Procedure :

First fry the chicken pieces in 1 tbs oil and when oil will separate out from chicken pieces, transfer the whole thing to a pressure cooker and add 2 cups of water to it. Cover the cooker and keep it on flame till one whistle blows. Remove it and let it cool down. Next fry cardamom,cinnamon, garlic, methi leaves and chopped onion until the onion turns translucent. Next add all the masala powder to it and mix well. Cook for 2 minutes. Pour the tomato and green chilly paste and cook till the mixture turns brown in color. Now add curd and stir continuously so that no lump is formed. Next add the chicken pieces and the water from the cooker. Lastly add the cream and stir well. Cook until the oil separates out.

A Girl's Diary..: Fusion Paneer

A Girl's Diary..: Fusion Paneer: "Ingredients : 1. Fresh Paneer (cut into 1 inch pieces)- 200 gms 2. Onion (chopped finely)- 1 small 3. Green chilly ( roughly ground)- 2 4...."

Fusion Paneer

Ingredients :

1. Fresh Paneer (cut into 1 inch pieces)- 200 gms
2. Onion (chopped finely)- 1 small
3. Green chilly ( roughly ground)- 2
4. Tomato (finely paste)- 2 small
5. Garlic (chopped)- 5 to 6 cloves
6. Cinnamon- 2 sticks
7. Black Cardamom- 2 small

8. Salt to taste

9. Sugar- 1/2 tsp

10. Turmeric powder- 1/2 tsp

11. Red chilly powder- 1/2 tsp

12. Amul Cream- 1/2 cup

13. Coriander powder- 1 tsp

14. Mutton masala powder- 1/2 tsp

15. Vinegar- 1 tbs

16. Grated Paneer- 1 tbs

17. Oil

18. Tomato ketchup sauce- 2 tsp

19. Black pepper powder- 1/2 tsp

Procedure :

First heat oil in a deep bottom pan and add cardamom, cinnamon, chopped garlic, onion and fry till the onion turns translucent. Next add tomato paste and the green chilly to it. Cook it for 5 to 7 minutes till the color of the mixture turns brownish red. Now add grated paneer and all the above mentioned masala powder , vinegar and sauce to the mixture except the cream. Add salt also. Cook it for few minutes. Now mix the cream to it and mix it thoroughly. Also add a little water and cover it. After cooking for 10 minutes on a medium flame, add the pieces of Paneer and mix well. Cook for another 4 minutes and remove it.

                                                                                                       

DTDC courier service

Few years back it was the postal service which people used for sending letters, gifts or any other articles, but now as the time has become dearer to us, we are ready to bear extra expenses to get our work done in time. Hence people like me, who stay away from their families, must know how much we depend on courier services nowadays to send/receive gifts or important articles. 

I have been using DTDC courier service for the past one year though they charge a little extra and the reason behind that is the location I send the couriers to, has only DTDC as service provider.I have no problem with that extra charge only if the couriers reach in time!! Yes I am saying that from my past experiences......First time (on August 3rd,2010)  when I sent a courier I was surprised that the status of my consignment was not getting updated in the DTDC website ( www.dtdc.in)  even after 5 days of sending it. I immediately called up the customer care at Bangalore who told me that they have lost the track record of my consignment and asked me to wait for 24 hours so that they could resolve the matter. Though I was annoyed I had no other option but to keep mum. And after few hours I received a call from DTDC that they have asked the courier boy to deliver the consignment to the address and they did.

Next time (i.e. on October 8th) I did not want to take any chance, so sent the courier well before the date it must reach the place. It showed in the website that the consignment had reached there on 9th,so I was a bit relaxed that time. But it did not get delivered even on 10th. Again  I followed the same procedure......this time the customer care assured me that the courier would be delivered on 10 th only. I even managed to get the number of the branch which had the consignment with it and called them on that day. They apologized for the delay and said it would be done the next morning. This time I thought of registering an official complaint against that particular branch of DTDC. And I did that through filling up the complaint form of DTDC provided in their website. But nothing happened.....after one month I received a mail from some other branch of DTDC giving me a detailed status of my consignment i.e. its date of delivery, address of recipient which I already knew!! That was the only reply I got for the complaint I made!!

Third time it happened just 2 days back, on 24th November. My dad sent me an urgent courier which weighed at around 700 grams. The DTDC branch told him to do it through their Metro Plus category as it was super fast service and the courier would reach the next day or they would return the money. Dad paid INR 450 /- for that service. But again it did not reach on 25th. When my dad inquired about it in the DTDC branch they told him that the consignment was with Bangalore branch but they did not deliver it...but they assured it would get delivered on 26th morning. It did!! But my point is if you are charging for a better service then please provide that or do not cheat public. Lets see now whether they would really keep their promise to return the money or not. But to me DTDC courier service is not worthy enough for the price they charge.



P.S. DTDC has not returned the money as they claim the train got delayed after the flight as if we are responsible for that!!!

Taste of Rampur, Bangalore

It was certainly a windfall for me as my hubby got a leave on Monday, 22nd of November. We searched on Google for a suitable lunch buffet on weekdays and we came across Taste of Rampur @ Koramangala, Bangalore. We had already been there few months back for a dinner and we liked the ambiance at  that time. So we decided to go for it for the weekdays lunch buffet that they were offering at INR 199 plus tax. We booked our table over the phone (080-41467000 given in the website). The restaurant is situated near Forum mall and close to Standard Chartered building. 

We were there 10 to 15 minutes before our time. But as it was a weekday there was no crowd waiting for their turn. We chilled out with a large whiskey and a gin as the buffet took a little more time to get served. The place was cozy, dim lighted and the waiters were very polite and helpful. They served hot kebabs, chaat and variety of salads. there were two types of non-veg (both chicken) kebab and two veg (fried masala cauliflower and corn-potato tikki ) kebabs. Among the salads I liked the boiled potato one but my hubby liked the sweetcorn one. The chaat was awesome and I guess it was a nice surprise for all the spicy-food lovers like my hubby. The main course included jeera rice, chicken biriyani, naan/roti, one chicken dish and one mutton dish. In veg menu there were palak paneer, daal tadka and some sukhi sabzi. And as always I was after green salad (specially cucumber) and plain curd as they are good for their digestive property. In sweet corner we had two options : gajar ka halwa (which according to my hubby was not as good as the one I usually prepare at home) and shahi kheer. Also we had a scoop of Vanilla ice cream. We enjoyed every item of the buffet and the ambiance. The Monday lunch ended on a happy note.

And the most important part of the story is that please carry cash with you as they do not accept any cards!! :(

Experience @ Vodafone Store,Koramangala

Recently due to some government rules all the mobile phone customers are being asked (by SMS or call) to resubmit their identity documents. The same happened with me also. I got an SMS to do the same for my two Vodafone connections on 11/11/2010. I did not delay it because I did not want any disruption in my connection. So I reached my nearest Vodafone store that is at Koramangala, Bangalore, on 13/11/2010. It was around 12:30 p.m. As I told one Vodafone store representative about my purpose to visit the store, he gave me a token number and asked me to wait for my turn to talk to one of the customer care representatives. My token number was 103 and at that time the token which was been called, was 69!! As it was going to be a long waiting period for me so I went out to do some other work and returned there at around 2 p.m. After half an hour wait, my token was called. As soon as I explained my purpose, the representative asked me to stand in a queue where I would have to submit all the documents. It was the same Vodafone person (who gave me the token) who was giving forms to everyone standing in the queue. He did the same mistake with 2 other people who were asked to wait with their token and then sent directly to that line. I was getting annoyed for that wastage of my time. Then I collected two forms fro him saying that I need forms for my post paid connection. He gave me two of them. In a hurry I filled up them as the queue was getting longer and there was rush. When I submitted the forms and gave my address and ID proof, they took my originals to get them xeroxed. It was another wait of 15 minutes......phew!!

Now after signing the documents I realized that the forms were for prepaid connections!!! I immediately told that to the representative. He asked me to fill up two fresh forms for post paid connections.....to this I got agitated and said it was their fault as they provided me the wrong forms though I mentioned that I need forms for post paid connection. As he could realize their fault, he hurriedly gave me two fresh forms and asked me just to fill up the present address and sign it. He said rest will be done. But I did not want to take any risk and filled all the required boxes in both the forms and attached two photos and signed all the documents. Then while checking my forms another representative asked me to add two lines in the present address as its mentioned in the address proof. To which I showed him that the address he was referring was my bank's address!! It took time for him to get what I was talking about!! After everything was done one person asked me whether I have my mobile with me or not.....to which I said yes. And he promptly asked me to check the SIM card number and write it down in a specific box. Though it was their duty to check their system and find out the SIM number, just due to lethargy they did not. So it is my personal opinion to avoid any hassle please carry your SIM card with you. 

The whole process got over at around 3:30 p.m!! So whenever you go to Vodafone store keep enough time in your hand to go through n number of hurdles. Also it would be better if you carry more than one document as they rejected a few ID proofs saying that they were invalid. For ID they prefer Government issued ID cards ( such as Voter ID , PAN, Passport,  Driving license, Government employee ID card etc etc.) and for address proof  ( bank pass book, letter from the HR of your company, Electricity or telephone bill etc etc.). Also carry 2 passport sized colored photographs with you.

Besan ke Laddoo

Ingredients :


1. Besan (gram flour)- 2 cups
2. Ghee- 3/4 cup
3. Sugar- 1 1/2 cup
4. Cashew- 15
5. Green cardamom- 5 to 6



Procedure :

First grind the sugar, cashew and cardamom in mixer grinder. Next add besan and ghee in a non stick pan and cook it on low flame. Keep on stirring the mixture so that no lump is formed. After 20 to 30 minutes a nice aroma will come out and the mixture will turn a little brown in color. Mix it well and remove it. Now add the sugar and mix it thoroughly. The mixture will turn thick and a little roughness will be there. Cool it for sometime and when you can touch it (remember the mixture should be a little warm otherwise  it will  not take a shape of laddoo), make small round balls like laddoos. And your besan ke laddo is prepared. If you want to decorate it, you can add a little kesar and some ground cashews on top of it.

Prawn stuffed Parval (Chingri-Potoler Dolma)

Ingredients:


1. Parval- 5 to 6
2. Prawn (small and peeled)- 100 gm
3. Onion (paste)- 1 large
4. Tomato (paste)-1 1/2
5. Sugar- 2 1/2 tsp
6. Green chill (chopped thinly)-1
7. Salt to taste
8. Turmeric powder- 1/2 tsp
9. Jeera seed- 1 tsp
10. Cinnamon- 2 sticks
11. Clove-2 to 3 
12. Jeera powder-1 tsp
13. Garlic (chopped thinly)- 4 cloves
14. Ginger paste-1 tsp
15. Chilly powde-1/2 tsp
16. Mutton masala powder-1/2 tsp
17. Lemon juice- 2 tsp
18. Coriander powder-1 tsp
19. Oil
20. String
21. Bay leaf- 1


Procedure :

Peel the skin of the Parval and make a vertical slit along the length of it. Now slowly scoop out the seeded portion of the parval and keep them aside. Marinate the scooped parval with little turmeric powder and salt. Next wash the prawns and marinate them in turmeric and salt. Heat oil and fry the parvals. Remove them as soon as they turn a little brown. Fry the prawns also for 3 to 4 minutes and remove. Now add garlic, chilly, cinnamon and cloves and fry for 2 minutes. Add the prawns and 1 tsp sugar and salt to taste and cook for few minutes. Cool the mixture for half an hour. Now stuff the parvals with this mixture and tie them with string. Heat oil and add bay leaf, ginger, onion and tomato paste, sugar, salt and all the other powder masala to it and mix well. Add a little water and cook it till the gravy dries  up. Add the tied parvals to it and cook for 4 minutes. While serving remove the strings slowly.

                                   

Fish in Banana Leaf (Bhetki Paturi)

Ingredients :

1. Slices of fish (Bhetki/Hilsa/Seer)- 4 to 5
2. Mustard powder- 6 to 7 tbs
3. Sugar- 2 1/2 tsp
4. Salt to taste
5. Black pepper powder- 1 1/2 tsp
6. Jeera powder- 1 tbs
7. Red chilly powder-1/2 tsp
8. Turmeric powder-1/4 tsp
9. Coriander powder-1 tsp
10. Ajwain- 1/2 tsp
11. Hing powder-1/2 tsp
12. Onion- 1 large
13. Green chilly- 2
14. Mustard oil
15. Banana leaf
16. String



Procedure :

Grind the onion and green chillies roughly. Next mix all the above mentioned masala powder  in a bowl and add a little water and keep it aside for 15 minutes so that the mustard paste does not taste bitter. Now cover one side of the fish piece with the onion- chilly paste and on top of it the mustard paste and place it on a banana leaf (cut according to the size of the fish pieces). Cover the top side of the fish piece with onion and mustard paste and add a little mustard oil to it. Pack the fish with the banana leaf from all side and tie it with the string. Do it with all the other pieces and keep the fish like this for 30 minutes. Next heat 3 to 4 tbs of oil in a flat surface pan and when it is smoking hot, add the fish (covered with a banana leaf) pieces. Fry each side until it turns out to be brown. You can also keep these banana covered fishes in a cooker to get a steamed fish paturi.

                                                                         

                                                                    

                                                                                                       

Sweet Curd (Mishti Doi)

Ingredients :

1. Skimmed milk- 500 ml
2. Sugar- 5 tbs
3. Water
4. Earthen pot
5. Curd- 1 tbs


Procedure :

Heat the milk and 2 tbs of sugar in a deep bottom pan in a low flame. Keep on stirring it. Heat it till the milk reduces to half and turn a little brown. Next add a little water to the rest of the sugar and heat it until the mixture turns light brown in color. Now add this sugar syrup to the milk and boil it for 10 to 15 minutes more. Remove it from the pan and let it cool down. When the milk becomes lukewarm pour it  through a  sieve  (to remove the malai from the milk) into the earthen pot and add curd to it. Set aside the mixture in a casserole so that it will remain in a constant temperature and do not shake it  for a day and your sweet curd is ready.

P.S one can also use condensed milk (milkmaid) for this recipe.

Soya-Subz Pulao

Ingredients :


1. Long grain rice (soaked in water for 30 minutes)- 1 1/2 cup
2. Jeera- 1 tsp
3. Mustard seeds- 1/2 tsp
4. Curry leaf- 10
5. Cashew (broken)- 10
6. Capsicum (long and thinly sliced)- 1/2 cup
7. Onion (finely chopped)- 1 small
8. Tomato (finely chopped)- 1 small
9. Peas- 1/2 cup
10. Soya or Nutrela ( soaked in warm water for 30 minutes)- 1 cup
11. Vinegar- 2 tsp
12. Jeera powder-1 tsp
13. Black pepper powder- 1 tsp
14. Mutton masala powder- 1 tsp
15. Ghee- 1 tsp
16. Oil
17. Salt to taste
18. Lemon juice- 1 tsp


Procedure :

First fry cashew and curry leaves in oil for 2 to 3 minutes, when cashews turn a little brown remove them. Next add onion and fry it until it turns translucent. Now remove onions and fry capsicum, peas for 6 to 7 minutes and remove them. Squeeze the soaked soya and add to the pan. Also add the tomatoes, all the masala powder,salt and vinegar to it. Now cook it for 10 minutes until it gets dry. Next drain the water from the rice and add 3 cups of water and lemon juice to it and cook it. Add 1/2 teaspoon of oil to it. Mean while Heat a little oil and add jeera and mustard seeds to it. Let it splutter and  keep them aside. When the rice will be almost done ( a little hardness will be there) remove it from the gas. Drain the water from the rice and keep it under running cold water in a sieve. Next in a deep bottom pan add one layer of rice and one layer of the fried vegetables, soya. Then again a layer of rice and the vegetables. Now heat the pan in a low flame and mix the rice and vegetables softly. After 4 to 5 minutes remove the pan from the gas and add ghee to it, mix well. Decorate the pulao with fried cashew, jeera, mustard seeds and curry leaves.

Crispy Chicken Cutlet

Ingredients :

1. Chicken ( boiled and shredded)- 400 gms
2. Bread (wet in water and crushed) - 3 slices
3. Onion(chopped finely)- 2 medium size
4. Garlic (chopped)- 6 to 7 cloves
5. Ginger (finely chopped)- 1 inch size
6. Green chilly (chopped)- 2
7. Coriander powder- 1 1/2  tsp
8. Chilly powder- 1/2 tsp
9. Jeera powder- 1 tsp
10. Mutton masala powder- 1/2 tsp
11. Vinegar- 1 1/2 tsp
12. Salt to taste
13. Turmeric powder- 1/2 tsp
14. Black pepper powder- 2 tsp
15. Garam masala- 1/2 tsp
16. Bread crumbs
17. Egg (beaten)-3
18. Maida flour- 1 cup
19. Oil



Procedure :

Heat 2 tbs of oil in a kadhai and add onions, ginger, garlic and chilly. Fry until the onion becomes translucent in color. Next add the chicken and all the masala powder, salt and vinegar and mix well. Now squeeze the excess water from the crushed bread and mix it well with the chicken mixture. Cook it for 5 minutes and remove the kadhai when the mixture will turn sticky. Now keep it in refrigerator for 1 hour. Mean while keep maida, beaten egg and bread crumbs in three separate bowls in the respective order. Heat oil in a deep bottom kadhai for frying the cutlets. After an hour take the mixture out and make medium or small size balls and press them between your palms. Dip them into maida first then egg and lastly in the bread crumbs. Make sure the cutlets are fully covered with bread crumbs from all side. When the oil is smoking hot, add the cutlets one by one to it and fry. Remove them when the cutlets turn golden brown. Keep them on a paper napkin to soak excess oil. Serve hot with Tomato ketchup. 

Masala Paratha

Ingredients :

1. Wheat flour- 3 cups
2. Water
3. Oil
4. Ajwain- 3 tbs
5. Jeera- 2 to 3 tbs
6. Kasuri methi leaf
7. Salt to taste
8. Jeera powder- 2 tbs
9. Chat masala- 2 tbs
10. Black pepper powder- 1/2 tbs


Procedure :

First of all heat a frying pan and add jeera, ajwain to it. When they will start crackling and a nice aroma will come out, remove it from the gas. Now with the flour add salt and 3 to 4 tbs oil and mix it well. Next add the jeera, ajwain, all the masala powders and kasuri methi leaves and keep on adding water slowly to make a soft dough. Now divide the dough into small ping pong size balls and make parathas from them and fry it on tawa with rest of the oil. For a better result fry parathas in low flame and keep pressing the paratha so that it becomes crispy. You can serve hot masaledar paratha with normal curd and pickle.

Butter paneer masala (yellow curry)

Ingredients :

1. Paneer (cut into cubes of 1 inch size) - 200 gms
2. Onion (paste)- 2 medium size
3. Tomato (paste) - 1 large
4. Cashew nuts (paste) - 10 to 15
5. Green chilly(paste)- 2
6. Grated paneer- 1 cup
7. Turmeric powder- 1/2 tsp
8. Salt to taste
9. Coriander powder- 1 tsp
10. Ginger-1 inch stick cut into small pieces
11. Garlic- 5 large cloves cut into small pieces
12. Cinnamon (green)- 2 to 3
13. Clove- 3
14. Curd- 3 tsp
15. Jeera-1 tsp
16. Garam masala- 1 tsp
17. Sugar- 1 tsp
18. Oil- 3 tsp
19. Butter- 1 tsp
20. Coriander leaf



Procedure :

First heat the oil in a deep bottom pan and fry the paneer cubes until they turn golden brown in color. Remove them and add jeera to the oil. When the jeera will start spluttering add the ginger, garlic, cinnamon and clove pieces and fry for 2 mins. Now add all the pastes and cover it for few minutes so that the paste becomes thick. Add all the masala powder (except garam masala) and stir it. Add curd and grated paneer and a little water and cook it for 4 to 5 minutes. Now add the fried paneer pieces to it and mix it well, let the gravy becomes thick then add butter and garam masala and remove it from the gas. Decorate the dish with chopped coriander leaf.

Chatpati Tamarind chutney

Ingredients :

1. Tamarind pulp- 100 gms
2. Jeera- 1 tsp
3. Salt to taste
4. Sugar- 2 to 3 tsp
5. Fennel seeds (Saunf)- 1 pinch
6. Oil- 1 tsp
7. Water
8. Chat masala- 1 pinch




Procedure :

Heat oil in a pan and add jeera. When jeera will start crackling add salt to it. Now add the tamarind pulp and some water and mix well. Add water whenever the mixture gets dry. Add sugar to it and mix thoroughly. You have to stir the mixture constantly so that it does not stick to the pan and at the end add the saunf and chat masala into it. After certain time when the mixture will become thick and dark brown in color, remove it and keep it in refrigerator.

Microwave your Samosa !!

Ingredients :

For dough :

1. Wheat flour - 2 cup
2. Water
3. Ajwain - 1 tbs
4. Salt to taste

Procedure :

Mix all the above ingredients except water and mix it thoroughly. Now add little amount of water gradually and make a stiff dough. Keep it covered with a wet cloth for 10 minutes.

Ingredients :

For stuffing :

1. Potato (cut into small 1/2 inches pieces) - 2 medium size
2. Peas - 1/2 cup
3. Salt to taste
4. Oil - 1 tbs
5. Jeera - 1 tbs
6. Jeera powder- 2 tbs
7. Dry mango powder- 2 tbs
8. Green chilly cut into small pieces
9. Coriander (Dhania) powder- 1 tbs
10. Hing powder- 1/2 tsp

Procedure : 

First heat the oil in a pan and add jeera into it. When there would be a crackling sound of the jeeras, add green chilly, peas and potato and fry it for 2 -3 minutes.Now add all the masala powders and mix it well. Next add a little water so that the potatoes get cooked ( if you do not want to spend more time to cook the potatoes, you can boil them in a cooker with one whistle and then add to the mixture).When done remove it from the gas and let it cool down.Next take the dough and make elongated size rotis and cut the roti into two equal halves. Take one half and fold it like a cone and press the side of the cone so that it sticks (you  can also use few drops of  water to stick it). Now stuff the cone with the mixture and stick its ends in a samosa shape. Keep the samosas in a baking tray and bake in preheated oven (180 degree C)for 20 to 25 minutes turning them every 5 minutes. It will gradually turn out brown in color. Now serve them with Sauce and tamarind chutney.