Kathal Keema Curry (Raw Jackfruit & Chicken Mince Curry)

          Kathal (Raw Jackfruit) combined with Keema (Chicken Mince) turns out real yummy. It was my first try and this dish goes well with both rice or any Indian bread. You can use up any leftover keema curry in this way, by adding some boiled kathal and creating a fusion out of it. Chicken mince can be substituted with mutton mince or soya granules for a veg. version. 

• 1 small size kathal (raw jackfruit), chopped & boiled 
• 1 cup chicken mince
• 1/2 cup green peas 
• 3 tbsp. oil 
• 2 bay leaves
• 1" cinnamon stick
• 2-3 cardamoms 
• 4-5 cloves
• 1 tsp. cumin seeds 
• 1/2 mace
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2-3 garlic cloves
• 1" ginger
• 1 tbsp. tomato paste / puree of one tomato
• salt to taste
• 1 tbsp. roasted coriander powder
• 1 tsp. roasted cumin powder
• 1 tsp. garam masala powder
• 1 tsp. red chili powder
• 1/2 cup yoghurt, well beaten
• 1 tsp. kasuri methi, crushed 
• 1 tbsp. coriander leaves, chopped 
• 1 tsp. ghee 

            Make a paste with the onion, ginger and garlic. Keep aside. Make a paste of all the dry spices, tomato paste and some water. Keep aside.

          Heat oil and temper with cumin seeds, bay leaves, cinnamon, cardamoms, cloves and mace. Sauté for a few seconds. 

          Now add the onion paste and sauté till the moisture evaporates. Add the spice paste and stir fry till the oil separates.

          Add the beaten yoghurt and kasuri methi. Mix everything well and stir fry for 2 minutes. Add the chicken mince and give it a stir. Cook on a low flame for 4-5 minutes.

          Add 1 & 1/2 cups water, kathal and the green peas. Bring it to a boil and simmer, covered till the gravy slightly thickens and you get the desired consistency. 

          When done, switch off the flame. Add the ghee and coriander leaves. Serve with any type of rice or Indian bread.

Keema Anda Korma (Chicken Mince & Egg Curry)

          Turn your usual keema curry into an amazing dish by adding few eggs to it. It will immediately take the dish into a next level. I also added some green peas, but it is purely optional. In this recipe, I have used chicken keema (mince). 

           However, you can also go in for mutton keema as per your preference. This is a great party recipe, where you can serve along with jeera rice, pulao, plain biryani, tandoori roti, naan or roomali roti. So check out the step by step pictorial recipe to prepare it.

• 400 gms. chicken mince / keema
• 2-3 eggs, boiled
• 1/2 cup green peas 
• 3 tbsp. oil 
• 2 bay leaves
• 1" cinnamon stick
• 2-3 cardamoms 
• 4-5 cloves
• 1 tsp. cumin seeds 
• 1/2 mace
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2-3 garlic cloves
• 1" ginger
• 1 tbsp. tomato paste / puree of one tomato
• salt to taste
• 1 tbsp. roasted coriander powder
• 1 tsp. roasted cumin powder
• 1 tsp. garam masala powder
• 1 tsp. red chili powder
• 1/2 cup yoghurt, well beaten
• 1 tsp. kasuri methi, crushed 
• 1 tbsp. coriander leaves, chopped 
• 1 tsp. ghee 

          Make slight gashes on the eggs and keep them aside. Make a smooth paste with the onion, ginger and garlic. Keep aside. Make a paste of all the dry spices, tomato paste and some water. Keep aside.

          Heat oil and stir fry the eggs till light brown. Drain and keep aside. Temper the same oil with cumin seeds, bay leaves, cinnamon, cardamoms, cloves and mace. Sauté for a few seconds. 

          Now add the onion paste and sauté till the moisture evaporates. Add the spice paste and stir fry till the oil separates.

          Add the beaten yoghurt and kasuri methi. Mix everything well and stir fry for 2 minutes. Add the chicken mince and give it a stir. Cook on a low flame for 4-5 minutes.

          Add 1 & 1/2 cups water, fried eggs and the green peas. Bring it to a boil and simmer, covered till the gravy slightly thickens and you get the desired consistency. 

          When done, switch off the flame. Add the ghee and coriander leaves. Serve with any type of rice or Indian bread.

                        Heat oil & stir fry eggs till light brown. Drain & keep aside. 

                     Temper the same oil with cumin seeds, bay leaves, cinnamon, cardamoms, 
                     cloves & mace. Sauté for a few seconds.

                        Add onion paste & sauté till the moisture evaporates. 

                        Add spice paste & stir fry till oil separates.

                       Add beaten yoghurt & kasuri methi. Mix well & stir fry for 2 minutes. 

                       Add chicken mince & give it a stir. Cook on a low flame for 4-5 min.

                       Add 1 & 1/2 cups water, fried eggs & green peas. Bring to a boil & 
                       simmer, covered till the gravy comes to a desired consistency. 

                      When done, switch off the flame. Add ghee & coriander leaves. 

                                Serve with any type of rice or Indian bread.

Eggless Whole Wheat Apple Muffins

           My Christmas treat this year are these easy and simple Eggless Apple muffins made with  whole wheat flour / atta for a healthier version. Brown sugar can be substituted with jaggery or honey. I flavored it with cinnamon powder. 

          However, you may use only vanilla essence or cardamom powder according to your preference. So enjoy them as a tea-time snack, dessert, or serve them as an after school snack to your kids, where you can sprinkle any of their favorite dry fruits. 

• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda 
• pinch of salt
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon powder
• 1/2 cup powdered brown sugar
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/4 cup oil
• 1 cup grated apple
• 1-2 tbsp. chopped pistachios

          Sift together whole wheat flour, pinch of salt, baking powder and baking soda. Keep aside.

          Whisk the sugar, milk, oil and cinnamon powder to combine well. Now fold in the flour mix, followed by the grated apple. 

          Place the muffin liners on the muffin tray and spoon the batter in it till 3/4 of the liners. Sprinkle the chopped pistachios over them.

          Bake in a preheated oven at 180 degrees C. for 20-25 minutes. Do the toothpick test to ensure it is well done. 

           Bring it to room temperature and enjoy them as a tea-time snack, dessert, or serve them as an after school snack to your kids, where you can sprinkle any of their favorite dry fruits. 

Spinach Stir Fry with Fish Egg Fritters

          This is a great way to turn your greens stir fry into something interesting. In this recipe I have made use of spinach and added some fish eggs fritters (pakora) to it to give a non-veg. touch. It turned out real yummy and took this simple and healthy dish into the next level. Very easy to prepare, you can enjoy as a main course or side dish with any type of rice or Indian bread. So check out the step by step pictorial recipe to prepare it. 

Fritters - 

• 1/2 cup fish eggs, cleaned and mashed
• salt to taste
• 1/4 tsp. turmeric powder
• 1/2 tsp. nigella seeds (kalonji)
• oil to deep fry

Stir Fry - 

• 2-3 bunches of spinach, chopped
• 2-3 tbsp. mustard oil
• 1 dry red chilies
• 1/2 tsp. nigella seeds
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 tsp. ginger, grated 
• 1 tsp. garlic, grated
• 1-2 green chilies, slit
• 1/2 tsp. turmeric powder
• salt to taste
• 1 tsp. coriander powder
• 1/2 tsp. cumin powder
• 1/2 tsp. garam masala powder
• 1 tsp. ghee

          Fritters - In a bowl, mix together the fish eggs, salt, turmeric powder and nigella seeds. Heat the oil in a kadai / pan and drop spoonful of the mix in batches. Deep fry till golden in colour. Drain on a kitchen towel and keep aside. 

         Stir Fry - Heat oil in a pan and temper with dry red chili and nigella seeds. Sauté for a few seconds. Now add the onion, ginger and garlic. Sauté till light brown.

          Add the chopped spinach, green chilies and all the dry spices. Mix well and cook on a low flame till half done. 

          Now add the fried fish egg fritters. Combine everything well and cook till all the moisture has evaporated. 

          Switch off the flame and add the ghee. Give it a stir and serve with plain steamed rice or chapati. 

                     Mix fish eggs, salt, turmeric powder & nigella seeds. Heat oil & drop 
                     spoonful of the mix in batches. Deep fry till golden in colour. Drain on a 
                     kitchen towel & keep aside. 

                     Heat oil & temper with dry red chili & nigella seeds. Sauté few seconds. 
                     Now add onion, ginger & garlic. Sauté till light brown.

                      Add chopped spinach, green chilies & all dry spices. Mix well & cook
                      on a low flame till half done. 

                     Add fried fish egg fritters. Mix & cook till the moisture has evaporated. 

                       Switch off the flame & add the ghee. Give it a stir.

                                 Serve with plain steamed rice or chapatti. 

Khaman Dhokla

          Khaman Dhokla is a traditional Gujarati steamed savoury snack, which is wholesome, healthy and yummy.  They can be served as a tea-time snack, for breakfast or as a lunch box meal. Choice is yours. This is an instant version prepared out of besan (gram flour), yoghurt and few other flavouring agents.

          It is steamed to perfection, with a tempering of mustard seeds, sesame seeds, curry leaves, etc. They are then garnished with fresh grated coconut and chopped coriander leaves. So enjoy this amazing and nutritious snack along with some green chutney. Check out a quick step by step pictorial recipe to prepare this soft and fluffy dhoklas. 

• 1 cup besan (chickpea flour)
• 1 tbsp. sooji (semolina)
• 1/2 cup yoghurt
• salt to taste
• 1/4 tsp. of turmeric powder
• 1 tsp. ginger paste
• 1-2 green chilies, chopped or ground
• 1 tbsp. lime juice
• 1 tsp. sugar
• 1 tsp. eno fruit salt
• 2 tbsp. oil
• 1 tsp. sesame seeds
• 1/2 tsp. mustard seeds
• 1/4 tsp. asafoetida (hing)
• 2 green chilies, chopped
• 1 sprig curry leaves
• extra lime juice, sugar and a pinch of salt or to taste
• 1 tbsp. fresh coconut, grated
• 1 tsp. coriander leaves, chopped

          Mix together besan, sooji, yoghurt, salt, ginger paste, green chilies paste, lime juice, 1 tbsp. oil, sugar and turmeric powder with enough water to form into a batter of pouring consistency. Keep aside for 30 minutes.

          Add eno fruit salt to it and mix well. Pour into a greased steel container and steam for 20 minutes on a medium flame. When cool, cut into desired shapes.

         Heat remaining oil in a pan and temper with mustard seeds. After it stops spluttering, add sesame seeds, asafoetida, curry leaves and green chilies.

         Saute for a few seconds and switch off the flame. Add 1/4 cup water, extra lime juice, sugar and a pinch of salt. 

          Mix everything well and pour on the steamed Dhoklas. Garnish with coconut and coriander leaves. Enjoy with some green chutney. 

                  Mix besan, sooji, yoghurt, salt, ginger paste, green chilies paste, lime juice, 
                  1 tbsp. oil, sugar & turmeric powder with enough water to form into a batter
                  of pouring consistency. Keep aside for 30 minutes.

                   Add eno fruit salt to it.

                  Mix well & pour into a greased steel container. Steam for 20 minutes on a 
                  medium flame. 

                   When cool, cut into desired shapes.

                  Heat remaining oil & temper with mustard seeds. Then add sesame seeds,
                  asafoetida, curry leaves & green chilies. Sauté few seconds & switch off 
                  flame. Add 1/4 cup water, extra lime juice, sugar & a pinch of salt. Mix well.

                   Pour on the steamed Dhoklas. Garnish with coconut & coriander leaves.

                                Enjoy with some green chutney.