Arvi Patta Curry!

Colocasia esculenta leaf Curry in Gravy (Arbi Patta Curry )

Ingredients:

A couple of Colocasia esculenta leaves with petiole( Arbi patta- about 10 -20 bunches) ( I made about 15 rolls with 2 -3 leaves rolled in 1 roll)

For batter:

250 grams chick-pea flour(besan or more depending on the leaves)

Fennel seeds(Sauf)-1-2 teaspoon

Ginger garlic paste-1 tsp

Red chilly powder-1/2 tsp-1 tsp

Ajwain-1 tsp

Hing- a pinch (optional- i avoided) if u making curry as the curry salt and roll salt get mixed)

Water

Baking powder-1/2 tsp(to keep leaves green)- optional( I haven't used it)

Curry

Onion-1

Tomotoes-2

Ginger garlic paste-1 tsp

Red chilly powder-1 tsp

Coriander powder-2 tsp

Salt-3/4 tsp

( blend all ingredients in a blender)

Tumeric powder-1/4 tsp

Cumin seeds-1 tsp

Oil-2 cooking spoon

Water

Method:

Batter:

1. Prepare a batter of the besan and water. Mix well with a spoon. Add all batter ingredients to the batter. The consistency should be right for evenly spreading over the leaf sauce.

2. Wash the leaves with petiole in running water carefully. Lay leaf blades on a colander and let then dry on itself.

3. Lay the leaf, undersurface up( the light green side with the root up), on a work-board and starting from one corner of the leaf, evenly coat the leaf surface with the batter. A spoon does this job well.

4. Roll Another leave on it and repeat the process....I generally put the leave on each other in such way that the root on one side is alternate to other side so middle doesnt become too thick....Add one more leaf if the leaves are small...Roll the leaves carefully and tightly. Do not press hard as batter is likely to ooze out from the sides. Once you have finished tolling all the leaves, place them on a steamer and steam for 10 minutes. Any steamer can be used. In case a steamer is not available, a medium dish can be filled with water to about 2 inches depth and a smaller dish (medium strainer can be used)overturned inside the medium one. On top of the strainer put the rolled leaves.Cover the dish with a medium plate (turned upside) /lid and put it over a stove. The steam generated inside works well to steam cook the rolls. If the rools are long curve them at the sides without breaking.

5. When the rolls are done they change colour and cool them . Slice them into one inch thick slices when cooled.One can also refrigerate them and eat as healthy snacks.

6.Deep-fry these slices in oil till crisp. These crispies can also be served as snacks.

Curry

1. Heat oil in pan and Add jeera to it and then the blended paste along with tumeric powder and salt . Fry this masala till it leaves out oil and fresh taste goes and then add water according to consistency and add crispies in end and cook for a minute or two. The curry is ready.

Suji Ki Katli

Ingredients

Suji(semolina)-2 cups

Besan( Chickpea)- 1 cup

Sugar- 3 cups

Ghee- 1 spoon+1 spoon (tablespoon)

Water- 6 cups

Milk- 1 cup

Malai- 2 tsp

Grated dry cocunut-1

Raisins(kishmish)-10-15

Small cardomon - 6-8 (use seeds)

Chirongi(melon seeds)- handful

Badam- blanched and grated (optional)- I didnt use.

Kevda-1 tsp

Recipe

1. Saute suji in a kadai till golden brown and take it out.

2. Add I tsp ghee in a kadai and add sauted suji and besan to it and do it till its sauted nicely( golden brown in colour) and leaves a smell. Make sure besan does not has knots and if it does remove it. The sauting with ghee is optional for katli so one can just saute alone too but ghee makes it delicious and soft.

3. Take 1 tsp ghee in a pan and add raisin and small cardomon. Once raisins swell immediately add 1 cup sugar and 1 cup water to it so raisins dont burn. Then add rest of the sugar and water to it.

4. Cook till sugar gets dissolved and the mixture gets sticky.Keep stirring while cooking and check mixture by touching the mixture and see if its sticky.

5. Add sauted suji to it or this mixture to kadai and then add milk, malai to it. Add chirongi, coconut to it. Stir it nicely fastly till its too heavy to stir and so all water is drained and its ready to be frozen. It takes 1-2 minutes.

6. Take a big thali and use ghee to moisten it. And then pour the full mixture to it and spread it with spoon to be even and let it dry under fan.

7. As its tuff to cut when its dry...marks square pieces in it when wet and when its almost hard, remove the pieces and store in a box.

Lauki Ke Kofte

For the Koftas

1 kg Lauki (Bottle Guards) peeled and grated

1 onion grated ( one can also add few thinly cut onion pieces for crunch)

2-3 green chilly (thinly cut)

Red Chilly powder-1/2 tsp

Ginger garlic paste-1 tsp

Besan- 1 cup or as much will dissolve the lauki properly

Salt- 1/2 tsp or according to taste

For the masala

1 Onion

2 tomotoes

2 tsp coriander powder

1 tsp red chilly powder

1/2 tsp tumeric powder

Salt- 1/2 to 1 tsp according to taste

Oil for frying and masala

1 tsp Cumin seeds for masala

Coriander leaves for garnishing

Recipe

1. Wash , peel and grate the launki.

2. Squeeze water from the launki and keep in a bowl.

3. Squeeze water from the grated onion and add in the same bowl.

4. Add rest of the ingredients except besan.

5. Add besan and mix it all nicely and make into nice dough.

6. Take small pieces from the dough and make small pakoras sized balls.

7. Heat oil in a kadai and make the pakoras and take it out and drain oil on a paper and keep it aside.

8. Mix the masala ingredients except salt in a grinder.

9. Take oil in a pan and heat it.

10. Add cumin seeds to the oil and let it splutter.

11. Put the mixture along with salt and fry it till it leaves oil and is done like bhuna masala. Keep adding water and do it.

12. Add water according to consistency for the gravy and boil it for few minutes

13. When water is boiled add the pakoras and coriander leaves and cook for4-5 minutes so that koftas become soft and serve.

Note: We can make kofta raitas too by adding the fried koftas in dahi .

Kadai Paneer

INGREDIENT:

250 gms Paneer (cottage cheese) ( I used 500 grams)

1/2 tsp cumin seeds

1 cinnamon

1 Large onion.

1 tbsp ginger garlic paste.

3 green chilis.

1 tsp turmeric powder.( i used 1/2 tsp)

1 tsp cumin powder.( i used 1/2 tsp as i used cumin seeds too or one can use 1 tsp of both too)

2 diced Capscicum

2 diced tomotoes

1 tsp coriander powder.

1 tsp red chilli powder.

1 tsp garam masala powder.

3 tbsp.tomato puree.

1 tsp kasoori methi.

Salt- 1/2 tsp

Sugar- 1 tsp

oil- 1+1 tsp

Chopped coriander leaves.

METHOD:

1. Cut paneer into cubes. Heat oil in a pan and fry paneer cubes in low flame for about 5 minutes. Set aside.

2. Blend onion and 2 green chilis into to get a paste.

3.Heat oil in a pan. Add cumin and cinnamon stick and then add onion chili paste and gingergarlic paste. Fry until the onion turns brown.Now add turmeric powder, cumin powder, red chili powder, coriander powder and salt. Fry the masala until the oil get separated from it.

4. Add tomato puree and sugar . Stir it frequently so as to get a thick gravy and it become bhuna and leaves the raw taste.

5. Now add Capscicum and Tomotoes and water and cover and cook for 5 minutes. Add garam masala and then cook till vegies are done.

6. Now add Paneer pieces and dry methi leaves( kasoori methi) and mix well .Cover the lid and let it cook for 5 minutes in low flame. Finally add chopped coriander.

7. Drain the water if you find it too watery.