Simply the Best meal - Khichdi Kadhi

After a long week or a hard day or if you are just craving for something very satisfying. There is nothing else I can think of other than Khichdi Kadhi that satisfies me. Even when you are not feeling good and don't feel like eating! Khichdi tastes good.
Its very simple food but the best.

Serves 4

For the Khichdi
1 cup rice
1 cup moong dal
1/2 teaspoon of turmeric powder
1/2 spoon ginger paste (optional)
1/2 spoon garlic paste (optional)
1/2 spoon chopped green chillies (optional)
1 tablespoon ghee
2-3 cloves (optional)
2-3 cinnamon sticks (optional)
salt to taste (about 2 teaspoons)

Kadhi
2 cups yogurt
2 tablespoon besan(gram flour)
1-2 tablespoons of sugar(for the gujaratis)
1/2-1 teaspoon green chillies (depending on how hot they are)
1 teaspoon ginger paste
1/2 spoon of dhana/jeera cumin/coriander powder(optional)
some chopped coriander

Tadka /Vaghar
1 tablespoon ghee
1teapsoon jeera(Cumin seeds)
1-2 cloves
1-2 cinnamon sticks
1-2 dried red chillies
pinch of ingh asofeida
1/4 teaspoon of turmeric powder
few curry leaves
Directions for making Khichdi
wash the rice and dal
add 4 cups of water(double the measure of rice and dal)
add all other ingredients
put it in a automatic rice cooker or you can put in a pressure cooker and let it cook for (2-3 whistles)


Directions for Kadhi
(Keep stirring is the key to good Kadhi)
On a low flame heat the yogurt after a couple of minutes add the besan. Use a hand mixer to make sure there are no chunks.
Add the ginger, salt, sugar, green chillies.
Now keep stirring and then once its pretty hot.
Put it on the side.

Tadka
Add some ghee to the smallest pan you have or a vaghariyu!
Add jeera, cloves, cumin
Now once the jeera starts becoming golden/brown and popping a bit
add all the other things with the curry leaves being at the end.
Add the tadka to the Kadhi and then let the Kadhi come to a boil.
Add the chopped coriander at the end

and your delicious ultimately satisfying dinner is ready.

You can have some chopped onions, mango pickle on the side. They taste great.
If you have more time you can make the potato/tomato (shaak) curry! or any of your favorite curry to go with it.
But even without anything else it tastes simply the best!

Now place the Kadhi on the stove

Enchiladas for the Mexican lovers

I'm going to share a recipe that I inherited from my Mom. Thanks, Mom. I made them today and they turned out great! As usual. Not necessarily the quickest, but its worth every minute of hard work.

Takes me 45min - 60min

Serves 4-6
Ingredients
1 can of old el peso enchilada sauce
1 can of canned black beans i use refried or the seasoned w/ cumin and green chillies (or any beans you prefer)
12 corn tortilla
1/2 cup corn
1/2 cup chopped onions
1/2 cup chopped tomatoes
1/2 cup chopped green onions
2 cups of Mexican blend cheese( I use low fat)
2 table spoons all purpose flour
salsa
1/2 spoon or to taste Jalapeños/green chillies
1 tablespoon Mexican seasoning(small packets are available in stores)/optional
tomato ketchup optional
oil

Getting ready
chop all ingredients
Mix corn, tomatos,onions, green onions(leave some for garnish), mexican seasoning(optional),salt in a bowl.

now warm the beans, I generally add some salsa, Mexican seasoning, 1 spoon of tomato ketchup, salt if necessary (only in some beans).

Making the enchilada sauce
Take a pan add some oil. Once the oil heats add 2 tablespoon of all purpose flour, let it mix well for a couple of minutes. Now slowly add the enchilada sauce. Try to make sure there are no whole pieces formed( i have still not mastered this). Once you add the enchilada sauce add the same amount of water. Now add 2-3 tablespoons of salsa, two tablespoons of sugar, 2-3 spoons of cheese. let it boil for some time and then place on simmer.
Your sauce is ready.

Now that all your ingredients are ready. You need to just assemble it.
Take a big baking pan add some sauce at the bottom.
Take a plate where the assembly will happen.
Put some sauce at the bottom, then some on top.
In the middle of the tortilla place spoon of beans, a spoon of the mixture, 1/2 spoon of salsa, about 1 spoon of cheese. Now start folding from one end and turn it so the closing is at the bottom. Your enchilada is ready to be baked. Place it in the baking pan. Repeat this process.
If the corn tortilla breaks place a few corn tortillas in the enchillada sauce to get soft. But be careful it does not break.
Once all enchiladas are wrapped add some more sauce on the top. Top it with some cheese. You can.

Bake it in the oven at 375 degrees for about 15 minutes.

Delicious enchiladas ready. It seems tedious, but totally worth it. I'm generally looking for easy cooking. But this one i keep making because of its tastes.

Serve with side of guacamole, sour cream, mexican rice(old el paso).
Watch everyone enjoy every bite.

Coconut Halva (Kopra paak)

For anyone with a sweet tooth.

Time: 10-15 minutes
Serving Size: 4-6

Kopra paak is an indian sweet dish (desert). It is a delicious sweet, actually as a kid it used to be my favorite desert! My mom used to make it for me quite frequently! I wanted to make a sweet dish to send to my dear brothers! So I tried making kopra paak. It turned out great and it was very simple.

Here is the recipe:

Ingredients:

1 cup (dry coconut)

1/2 cup (ricotta cheese) I used part-skim!

1/2 cup Sugar

1/2 cup Milk-Mava powder or carnation milk powder

2 spoons of ghee

few strands of saffron for color (if you heat for a few seconds in the microwave and then crush its better not necessary)

almond/pistachios/cashews for garnishing

Now the cooking process is also very simple

1. Take a microwave safe bowl with a lid mix all the ingredients (only 1 tea spoon ghee) (also not the garnishing ingredients )
2. Microwave for 2-3 minutes.
3. Stir add one more teaspoon of ghee/butter and microwave for 2-3 minutes.
4. If small circles can be formed from the mixture. It is done (make sure you don't overcook it).
5. Repeat heating if balls cannot be formed until necessary. Be careful though
6. Now take a baking dish or something similar grease the bottom with ghee and spread the mixture flat you can use a bowl greased at the bottom to press it and make it even.
   
7. Sprinkle almonds, pistachios, cardamom powder as desired.
8. Press on it again to make sure it sticks.
   
9. Leave aside for a little while and you can cut with a knife to make small squares.

And your sweet dish is ready!

Finally I have made it!

Hi Everyone,

For most of you who know me, are aware that I love cooking! I had been wanting to share my ideas, recipes, tricks with my friends, family and anyone out there looking for some easy, innovative sometimes complicated but delicious veg recipes. I plan to blog about a variety of cuisines Indian, Italian, Mexican and may be more.

I definitely try to keep cooking a quick thing as I work full time and once I get home. I hardly have time. But there are days when I come up with CRAZY ideas and spend more time. I shall warn you on those.

I wanted to thank my Baa and mom from whom i've been learning and some to the internet ;)

Drop a note if you have comments/suggestions about anything.

Thanks,
Bina