/body> >

Wednesday 29 August 2018

Mohanthal Recipe


Mohanthal is a traditional dessert from Indian state of Gujarat. It is basically a delectable, melt in mouth besan (chickpea) fudge. Mohanthal is rich in calories and is made during special occasions and festivals like Janmashtami, Navratri and Diwali. Mohan is one of the names of Lord Krishna, and as it is a preferred offering to him, hence the name of the dish. This fudge is a perfect blend of ghee roasted chickpea flour, khoya (milk solids) and sugar. It is further topped with loads of dry fruits and flavored with green cardamom.


Mohanthal can be made at home and trust me, it is far more better than the store bought ones as we know what exactly is going into it. i make the Khoya also at home. During festive season there are more chances of adulteration so it is best to make milk based sweets at home. The crucial step in making Mohanthal is the sugar syrup consistency. We need to wait patiently until the sugar syrup attains a two string consistency. If you add the syrup before that stage, your fudge will not set. Also the besan has to be roasted in ghee on a low flame , while continuously stirring till it is aromatic.


Video Recipe for Mohanthal

                              


Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes
Serves:8

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup besan / chickpea flour
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1 /2 cup Khoya ( click here for link to Homemade Khoya recipe)
  • 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoon milk
  • 1/2 cup ghee
  • 2 tablespoon almond slivers
  • 2 tablespoon pistachio slivers
  • 1/2 teaspoon green cardamom powder
  • Few Saffron strands
Method:
  1. Take chickpea flour in a bowl. Add 2 tablespoon warm milk and 2 tablespoon warm ghee to it and mix well. It should resemble bread crumbs and you should be able to bind the flour with your fist.



2. Now sieve the crumbled flour using a soup strainer . Use the back of a spoon or your fingers to press the flour against the strainer.


3. Next in a sauce pan take 1 cup sugar and little more than 1/2 cup water and heat it on a low to medium flame. Keep stirring until all the sugar is dissolved in the water. Now allow the syrup to boil and it reaches a 2 string consistency. Keep stirring the sugar syrup occasionally.


4. While the sugar syrup is getting ready, we will roast the flour. For that in another non stick wok add remaining ghee and heat it. Add the sieved flour to the ghee and roast it on low to medium flame while continuously stirring. Keep roasting the mix , until it becomes aromatic, change in color to golden from yellow and becomes light.




5. Now add the grated or crumbled Khoya to the roasted flour and 1/4 cup milk and blend well. Now check the sugar syrup for 2 string consistency. For that take one drop of syrup on the thumb and try to pull it with the index finger, you should be able to get 2 strings. Other method is to take a drop of sugar syrup and drop it in a bowl of water. Now try to gather the syrup drop, it should come together as a ball, the desired consistency is attained.



  6. Carefully add the sugar syrup to the roasted mix. Stir well so that the syrup is distributed evenly . Cook the mix on low flame for another 2-3 minutes. Add the cardamom powder and mix. By now the fudge mixture would have started leaving the sides of the wok. Immediately put off the flame and pour the  mix in a greased tray. 




7. With a greased back of bowl press and flatten the fudge. Garnish it with slivered almonds and pistachio press again and set the fudge aside for setting. Cut the fudge into squares or into desired shape while still hot. Allow the mohanthal to cool down completely before separating out the pieces. Transfer the pieces of mohanthal in an air tight container until serving time.




Recipe Notes:
  • Do not reduce the amount of ghee if you are looking for the authentic taste of Mohanthal
  • Mohanthal stays good at room temperature for 2-3 days. 
  • Sieving the crumbled flour gives the desired texture to the fudge so do not skip that step.
  • Be patient while roasting the flour at low flame and also while making the 2 string sugar consistency.
  • Few saffron strands may be added to mohanthal.
I hope you would like this post . If you ever try this recipe, do share your feedback with us in the comment section below. 

Follow us on #Facebook  #Instagram ,  #Twitter and #Google+  for more recipes and new updates. 

If you are looking for more janmashtami special recipes, do check out my posts on Dried Figs, Dates and Nuts rollInstant Peanut Coconut LadooMakhane Ki KheerDhaniya Panjiri , GopalkalaLauki Ki Barfi

For similar recipes, do check the following posts from my blog
                            
                            
                           
                          
                          


Monday 27 August 2018

Mushroom Tikka / Grilled Mushroom Appetizer


Mushroom Tikka is a healthy and delicious dish made from button mushrooms . This protein rich appetizer is made by marinating mushrooms and assorted vegetables in aromatic spices and yogurt and then grilled or baked until golden brown. The recipe is very simple and easy to follow and uses just 1 tablespoon oil. Sprinkle some chat masala and drizzle lemon juice over the grilled mushrooms and you are all set to serve restaurant style Mushroom Tikka as a perfect party starter with a green chutney or dip of your choice ! 


Tikka is a popular dish of Punjab Cuisine served as an appetizer. There are many veg and non-veg varieties of tikka recipes in India. Among the vegetarian tikka recipes, Paneer tikka is most popular. I have already shared Paneer Tikka and Hara Bhara Paneer Tikka on my blog. Soya Vegetable Tikka is yet another delicious and healthy starter on my blog. Mushrooms are my little one's favourite food. He can have mushrooms almost daily. I must say he has a great choice. Mushrooms are low in calories, are great sources of fiber and protein. They also provide many important nutrients, including B vitamins, selenium, pottasium, copper and vitamin D. I keep on trying different dishes with mushrooms to please him. Mushroom tikka served at Barbeque Nation is what he wanted me to try out at home. So this time when the theme for our #159th week on #FoodieMondayBlogHop was decided as #Grilled Recipes, i knew i was going to try my hands on Mushroom Tikka.


I have used colored bell peppers and onion along with button mushroom in this recipe. The marinade is made using hung curd, chickpea flour, herbs and aromatic spices. I would recommend to  marinate the veggies and mushrooms in this marinade for 6-8 hours or overnight in refrigerator as more the time for marination, the spices and yogurt infuse well in the mushrooms making it more delicious.
Use small to medium sized button mushrooms for as they cook fast .You may use veggies like baby-corn, broccoli also along with mushroom, bell-peppers and onion in this recipe. I have served the mushroom tikka with green coconut chutney which is my family favourite. You may serve it with any dip of your choice. So without any further ado lets get started.


  Preparation time: 6-8 hours or overnight
  Cooking time: 20 minutes
  Servings: 6 

  Ingredients:
  • 20-25 small to medium sized button mushrooms ( approx 300 grams)
  • 1 red bell pepper , deseeded and cubed
  • 1 green bell pepper, deseeded and cubed
  • 1 onion , quartered and layers separated.
For the marinade
  • 3-4 tablespoon hung curd ( tie 3/4 cup curd into a muslin cloth for 2-3 hours)
  • 2 tablespoon chickpea flour / besan
  • 1/4 teaspoon carom seeds / ajwain
  • 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder / haldi
  • 1 teaspoon ginger garlic paste
  • 1-2 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder ( adjust as per taste)
  • 1-2 teaspoon coriander powder / dhaniya powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon roasted cumin powder / jeera powder
  • 1 teaspoon kasuri methi ( dried fenu greek leaves)
  • 1/2 teaspoon garam masala
  • Salt to taste
  • 2 tablespoon lemon juice
Other ingredients:
  • 1 tablespoon oil
  • 5-6 satay sticks
Method:
  1. Rinse the button mushrooms thoroughly under running water to remove all the dirt . Pat them dry using a kitchen towel. Chop off the bottom layer of the stalk and set aside. Also deseed and dice the bell peppers and quarter the onion and separate its layers.


2. In a large mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients under the list , for the marinade and blend well.



3. Coat all the veggies and mushroom with the marinade evenly. Cover the bowl with a cling film and refrigerate overnight.


4. Next day, soak the wooden satay sticks in water for at least 20 minutes. This will prevent them from burning while getting grilled. Now skewer the marinated mushrooms , bell peppers and onion alternatively on the satay sticks. Grease a nonstick tray or cover it with an aluminium foil . Place the skewered satay sticks on it and grill for 10 minutes in a convection microwave oven or OTG . Brush the mushroom and veggies with oil after 10 minutes, rotate the sticks and grill again for 10 more minutes.




 5. Sprinkle little chat masala and drizzle some lemon juice over the mushroom tikks and serve it with  some salad, mint chutney or dip of your choice . I have served it with Coconut Coriander Chutney.


  Recipe Notes:
  •  I would recommend to  marinate the veggies and mushrooms in this marinade for 6-8 hours or overnight in refrigerator as more the time for marination, the spices and yogurt infuse well in the mushrooms making it more delicious.
  • Use small to medium sized button mushrooms for as they cook fast .You may use veggies like baby-corn, broccoli also along with mushroom, bell-peppers and onion in this recipe.
  • The same recipe can be use to make paneer tikka, tofu tikka or soya chunk tikka.
  • You can also bake the Paneer Tikka in an oven for 15 minutes at 180 degree Celsius.
  • Left over marinade can be added to any gravy .
  • For making Mushroom Tikka on stove top - take a non stick tawa / skillet and grease it with oil or butter, add the marinated mushroom and veggies on it and roast on medium heat. When one side gets browned, gently lift and turn over until they turn golden brown from all sides. You can char or brown the veggies if you wish. While still hot skewer the grilled mushrooms and veggies on a wooden skewer and serve. 
  • Soak the wooden satay sticks in water for at least 20 minutes before grilling to prevent them from burning.
 For more mushroom recipes from my blog , click on the following links : Mushroom MasalaMatar MushroomCream of Mushroom SoupGoan Mushroom XacutiMushroom Pulao .

If you ever try this recipe, do share your feedback with us in the comment section below. 
Follow us on #Facebook  #Instagram ,  #Twitter and #Google+  for more recipes and new updates. 

For more similar recipe, do check out the following from my blog.
                                       
                                        
                                        

     So eat right and stay fit until i come back with yet another healthy and delicious recipe from my kitchen.

~ Poonam Bachhav


Monday 20 August 2018

Amritsari Aloo Kulcha / Potato Stuffed Indian Flat Bread


 Amritsari Aloo Kulcha is a potato stuffed flat bread and a traditional recipe from Indian state of Punjab. Aloo Kulcha is very popular street food from North India . These stuffed kulcha are soft as well as crisp , fluffy and delicious and are typically served with Pindi Chole and Dal Makhani but they taste equally good with even plain curd and Raw Mango Pickle.They can be served at breakfast, lunch or dinner.

Traditionally kulcha are made using refined flour / maida and are baked in clay tandoor. Here i have made them with whole wheat flour and roasted them on fire/ gas stove to give the smoky flavor and texture. The roasted kulcha are immediately rubbed with home made ghee . I have not used yeast to leaven the bread. The recipe is onion garlic free and very simple and easy to follow. The filling for the kulcha is mashed boiled potato spiced with basic Indian spice powders. The kulcha are topped with black sesame seeds and coriander leaves. I have served the aloo kulcha with Matar Mushroom and Pomegranate Raita.


It is Monday today and we bloggers at #FoodieMondayBlogHop are back with a new theme for our #158th bloghop event. It was my turn to choose the theme this week. I gave out #IndianFlatBreads as my theme because, i felt there is a vast variety of Indian Flat Breads and as it is an integral part of Indian Cuisine, it needs to be covered in our blogs as well. I had plans to make the traditional Khoba Roti from Rajasthan for this theme, but i made this delicious Amritsari Aloo Kulcha instead. 


Last weekend i went on a lunch date with some of my friends and our kids to eat the famous Amritsari Kulcha. There were almost 20 different varieties of stuffed kulcha served in that food court. The kulcha served there was very big , it was crisp from outside and soft from within. It was paired with chole which was more of a liquid consistency. We enjoyed the lunch thoroughly. So this week when i told my little one that i am planning to cook a new type of roti for him, he jumped and said are you making aloo kulcha mumma ! It was then when i dropped my plans of Khoba roiti and made these soft fluffy Amritsari aloo kulcha using whole wheat flour. I made this kulcha yesterday for our Sunday lunch. Paired it with our all time favourite Matar MushroomPomegranate Raita and Mango Pickle. Little one said this kulcha is far better than the restaurant one..so with that pat on my back i was all happy ! So without any further ado lets get to the recipe.


Preparation Time: 2 hours
Cooking Time: 20 minutes
Serves: 4

Ingredients for the outer covering
  • 1 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
  • 2 tablespoon curd
  • 1/4 cup milk or as required
  • 1 tablespoon ghee / oil
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • Pinch of baking soda
  • Salt to taste
Ingredients for Stuffing:
  • 2 -3 boiled potatoes
  • 2 tablespoon fresh coriander leaves, finely chopped
  • 1 teaspoon coriander powder
  • 1 teaspoon red chili powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon roasted cumin powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon chaat masala (optional)
  • Salt to taste
Other Ingredients:
  • Wheat flour for dusting the kulcha dough
  • 1 tablespoon black sesame seeds 
  • 2 tablespoon coriander leaves
  • Ghee to brush on the kulcha


Method:
  1. Take whole wheat flour in a bowl. Add sugar , salt , baking soda and baking powder to it. Mix well. Now make a well in the center of the flour and add curd and oil to it. Mix well . Next add warm milk little by little and knead into a soft dough. Cover and set aside in a warm place for 1 1/2 hours to 2 hours for fermentation. 





2. In another bowl grate or mash the boiled potato and add spice powders ( red chili powder, chat masala, roasted cumin powder, coriander powder), salt and chopped coriander leaves to it and mix well. Our stuffing for the kulcha is ready.


3. After fermentation, the dough will rise. Knead it again for a minute or so and make equal sized 4 dough balls. Similarly divide the stuffing also into equal parts. Place one dough ball on a dusted working surface or rolling board . Flatten it using a rolling pin. Now place the stuffing in the center , gather the edges and seal them in the center. Add little chopped coriander and sesame seeds on the stuffed dough ball and carefully roll it out into oval shape. Do not roll out very thin . 





4. Now apply water on the back side of the rolled out kulcha and place it on the heated skillet such that the water coated side sticks to the skillet. Use a thick tawa/ skillet for making kulcha other wise it will burn. Now on medium to high heat , roast the kulcha for 2-3 minutes. Now lift the skillet with handle and invert it over the open flame. Keep moving the tawa over the flame until the kulcha is roasted well and light brown spots appear on the surface. The kulcha will puff and get roasted.





  5. Remove the kulcha using a flat spatula from the tawa and place it on a plate. Immediately rub it with homemade ghee or butter. Repeat the same process with the rest of the dough and stuffing. Serve the kulcha warm with Pindi Chole , Dal Makhani or any curry . You can even pair it with some raita, or plain curd and Mango Pickle. I have serve the aloo kulcha with Matar Mushroom curry and Pomegranate Raita.



Recipe Notes:
  • I have made the kulcha using only whole wheat flour. You may use whole wheat flour and maida in 1:1 ratio or make the kulcha entirely using maida if you are looking for the typical dhaba style taste.
  • You may use finely chopped onion and green chili also in the stuffing. I have not used.
  • You may use kalonji / nigella seeds/ onion seeds to top the kulcha. I have used black sesame seeds instead as i wanted to make onion garlic free kulcha.
  • The kulcha can be baked in an oven. For that keep the rolled out stuffed kulcha dough in a preheated oven on a greased baking plate and bake on high for 10 minutes.
  • Rub ghee or butter on the kulcha once it is roasted.
  • Use a thick tawa or skillet to make kulcha or else it will get burned.



If you ever try this recipe, do share your feedback with us in the comment section below. 
Follow us on #Facebook  #Instagram ,  #Twitter and #Google+  for more recipes and new updates. 

For more Indian flat bread recipes, check out the following recipes from my blog
                             
                              
                              
                              
                             
                             
                            
                             
                            
                            
                            
                           
                           
                           
                          
                         


poonambachhav.blogspot.com