Lonavala Chikki (Dry Fruits Chikki)

A friend asked for a recipe for lonavala chikki on a open forum, i searched for the recipe on net and saw that teh recipe was too quick and easy so thought why not try it out.
So here i tried it and it was actually successfull too and was done in just 20 mins.

check it out and u have to taste it, u'll be surprised to know that it tastes axactly like the one we buy in Lonavala, Pune :)

INGREDIENTS:
• 1 1/4 Cups dry fruits
• 1 Cup sugar
• 1/2 tsp Elaichi powder

METHOD:
• Melt sugar in a non-stick pan till it turns brown in colour.
• Crush the dry fruits and elaichi powder. Add it to the melted sugar.
• Put this mixture immediately into a greased plate.
• With the help of a roller pin, spread it evenly.
• Now cut it with a greased knife.
• Allow it to cool and break into pieces.
• Lonavala chikki is ready.

Kung Pao Chicken

I just wrote in my last post that i will be uploading few chicken recipes which i tried over within last 2 weeks.
So here they are.
Well the recipe is actually taken from the Internet, but just would like to invite all you Chinese lover's to try it out once and see how u'll be amazed with the similar taste u find when u go out for a Chinese buffet.

INGREDIENTS:
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, 7 to 8 ounces each
Marinade:
2 teaspoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
Sauce:
2 tablespoons dark soy sauce
1 tablespoon Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
1 teaspoon sugar
Other:
8 small dried red chili peppers
2 cloves garlic
2 green onions (spring onions, scallions)
4 tablespoons oil for stir-frying, or as needed
1 teaspoon Szechuan peppercorn, optional
1/2 cup peanuts or cashews
a few drops sesame oil, optional

METHOD:
Cut the chicken into 1-inch cubes. Combine with the marinade ingredients, adding the cornstarch last. Marinate the chicken for 25 minutes.
While the chicken is marinating, prepare the sauce and vegetables: In a small bowl, combine the dark soy sauce, rice wine, and sugar. Set aside.
Cut the chilies in half so that they are approximately the same size as the chicken cubes. Remove the seeds. Peel and finely chop the garlic. Cut the green onion on the diagonal into thirds.
Heat the wok over medium-high to high heat. Add 2 tablespoons oil. When the oil is hot, add the chicken. Stir-fry until it turns white and is 80 percent cooked. Remove from the wok.
Add 2 tablespoons oil. When the oil is hot, add the garlic and stir-fry until aromatic (about 30 seconds). Add the chili peppers and the Szechuan peppercorn if using. Stir-fry briefly until they turn dark red.
Add the sauce to the wok. Bring to a boil. Add the chicken back into the pan. Stir in the peanuts and the green onion. Remove from the heat and stir in the sesame oil. Serve hot with white rice.


(recipe is taken from www.chinesefood.about.com)

Palak Parantha

Alright, now we have seen enough sweet things and some mouth watering snacks too.
Lets start with the regular food now.
Here comes the first recipe for everyday food.
Palak Parantha. This is the best way to make kids eat their green veggies.
My 3 and half year old just loves this parantha and its so simple to make.
here is the recipe:



INGREDIENTS:
1 whole Spinach(Palak) leaves washed and just cooked a bit in boiling water.
4-5 Garlic
3-4 green chillies(adjust spice according to Ur taste)
salt to taste
Wheat flour 2 cups
Besan 1/2 cup

METHOD:
Drain the palak put it in the blender, add garlic, green chillies and a little salt.
Make puree of this. In a big mixing bowl take wheat flour add besan and pour this paste over it add some more salt and knead it to a nice and soft piliable dough.
Now heat a griddle, take little portion of this dough and roll it into small Phulka's(circles) and cook it on the griddle on both sides like we cook the chapati's applying, oil, ghee or butter (whatever u prefer). Ummmmmm yummy parantha's are ready to eat, eat them with yoghurt or ketchup, kids will love it anyways.
Enjoy this dish and do let me know how are you liking my stuff so far.
Watch for more chicken recipes coming soon.

Tea Time Chivda

This is a recipe from my mother in law, she a great cook as well, i will be uploading her recipes too.
So lets see how to prepare this super fast and yummy chivda (namkeen Mixture) as u can call it.

INGREDIENTS:
Thick Poha = 6 cups
Cashews = hand full
Raisins = hand full
Peanuts = hand full
Green Chillies = 5-6 (adjust according to Ur spice level)
Curry Leaves = 7-8 nos
Dry Coconut sliced = hand full
salt to taste
Oil to deep fry
Haldi = 1 tsp

METHOD:
First deep fry the poha and keep it aside, then fry the remaining stuff and add it in the fried poha. Add salt and haldi mix everything well and there u go its ready to eat.
Its that simple.

Lasoon Shev

Hi Friends i thought lots of sweets is not healthy, so lets move to something namkeen or little spicy snacks.

Lasoon Shev

INGREDIENTS:
Besan = 2 cup
Red Chilli Powder = 2 tsp
Ajwain = 1 tsp
Garlic = grated 10-12 numbers
Salt to taste
Oil to fry

METHOD:
Mix all the ingredients and make it into very thick paste and use the Chakli machine with the appropriate fixture to make the sev and deep fry it.
Remove it in a plate and let it cool, after it cools down then you can break it apart.

Sweet Treats - Shankarpali

This is a very easy and amazing recipe by my mom, try it you will love it and will be surprised how fast and easy it is to make this sweet.

INGREDIENTS:
Milk = 1 cup
Sugar = 1 1/4 cup
Salt = 1/2 tsp
Ghee or Oil = 3/4 cup
Baking Powder = 1 tsp
All Purpose flour = as much as it fits in this paste.
Oil for frying.

METHOD:
As i mentioned the word paste i meant that make a thick paste by mixing milk, sugar, ghee or oil, salt and baking powder. Mix it in the blender and pour it in a big mixing bowl. Then add the all purpose flour (maida) till it turns into soft piliable dough.
Then take some portion of this dough and roll it into i inch thick round and cut it in squares and deep fry them in hot oil.
Enjoy this sweet snack at tea time .

Sweet Treats - Rava Ladoo

Hmm ready for another sweet treat, lets go

Rava Ladoo

INGREDIENTS:
Rava (Sooji) = 3 cup
sugar = 2 1/2 cup
Ghee = 1 cup
Elaichi = 8 numbers
handfull of dryfruits.

METHOD:
Fry the Sooji in the ghee, keep the flame medium.
Prepare single string sugar syrup and mix the fried sooji in this syrup add the elaichi powder and hand full of dry fruits mix it well and keep it aside for around 3-4 hours or till the mixture dry and we can form rounds out of it.
Once its dried to that consistency form little round balls using ur hands and savour them :)