Instant Rice Chakli Recipe

Tandalachi Chakli is a light crispy crunchy savory spiral shaped snacks from Maharashtrian Cuisine.  With an instant recipe this chakli made with rice flour and homemade Chakli Masalas is vegan, gluten-free, absolutely flavorful and ready within 45 minutes from scratch. It makes for a delicious Diwali Faral and an excellent travel food owing to good shelf life, healthy finger food for kids and an irresistible tea-time munching snacks for all ages.

                      

What is Chakli?

Chakli is a deep-fried savory snack that is spiral in shape and has a spiked surface. This snack is usually made using rice and lentils and is a part of the Diwali Faraal ( term used to refer the various sweet and savory snacks made typically during Diwali) in Indian states of Maharashtra and Gujarat. In the South India, this snack is referred to as Murukku. Chakli can be made using different proportion of ingredients and thus it has many versions. A typical Maharashtrian Diwali faraal will have a Bhajni Chakli that is made using bhajni flour (a blend of roasted and ground rice, lentil and spice mix). Many instant versions of chakli are also there. 

Video Recipe for Instant Rice Chakli

             

Details of the Ingredients used for Instant Rice Chakli 

• Rice Flour: Rice flour is the key ingredient of these chaklis. You may use homemade or store bought rice flour but it has to be fresh. Using old rice flour will break the chaklis.
• Roasted Gram: Do not skip this ingredient. Roasted gram gives a lovely nutty flavor and texture to the chaklis. We will use it in powdered form.
• Spices for Chakli Masala: This chaklis gets a lovely aromatic flavor from the freshly roasted and pounded spice mix. Cinnamon, cumin seeds, coriander seeds, cloves and black pepper are used in this spice mix.
• Sesame seeds: White sesame seeds lend a wonderful nutty flavor to the chaklis and also make them all the more appealing.
• Carom Seeds: Carom seeds aid in digestion and also adds flavor to the chaklis.
• Oil: This is a vegan version hence, hot oil is used while kneading the flour and also for deep frying the chaklis.

Dietary Notes: These Instant rice Chaklis are

• Vegan
• Gluten-free
• Crispy crunchy Snack
• Has a good shelf life
• A wonderful travel food
• Festive snacks
• Tea-time treat
• Kid friendly

Related Event: Diwali Dhamaka @ShhhhhhCooking Secretly Challenge

These crispy crunchy rice chaklis are featured in the Facebook gourmet group, shhhh cooking secretly challenge where the theme for the month of October was Diwali Dhamaka as Diwali is just round the corner. Hindus across the world celebrate Diwali festival with zeal and enthusiasm. It is a festival which symbolizes the spiritual victory of light over dark, good over evil and knowledge over ignorance. Diwali falls on the no-moon day( darkest night) of the auspicious Hindu month of Kartik. On this day, goddess Lakshmi ( the Deity of good luck, fertility and prosperity) is worshiped. Houses and work places are thoroughly cleaned, painted and renovated prior to the festival and lit with oil lamps and lanterns in the evening to welcome goddess Lakshmi. Apart from shopping, cleaning and decorating houses and work places, preparing scrumptious feast (both sweet and savory snacks) is one big affair and we Indian ladies take it as a pride to flaunt our culinary skills. These Diwali goodies are munched during the festivity and distributed to family and friends.

As per the theme, we had to cook a dish sweet or savory which me make for Diwali festival to serve our guests or that can be gifted. 

In this group all participating members are divided into pairs and both partners exchange a set of secret ingredients, using which both have to cook a dish depending upon  the theme for the particular month. Once the dish is ready only the pic of the dish is shared on the group and the other group members take turn in guessing the secret ingredients just by looking at the pic of the dish. The secret ingredients and the dish name are revealed at the end of the month when the recipe is published by the respective blogger.

My partner for October month was Shobha Keshwani di. I gave her Cardamom and ghee as her secret ingredients and she prepared delicious Whole Dry Fruit Ladoos using her set of ingredients.  Shoba di is a versatile  blogger and you can find delicious  easy to make dishes from round the globe on her space. I have bookmarked her Mysore Pak recipe to try out next. She have me ajwain smd oil as my secret ingredients  and I made these instant rice chaklis using me set of ingredients. 

Preparation Time: 20 minutes

Cooking Time: 20 minutes

Serves: 20-24 Chaklis

Ingredients: Measurements used 1 cup = 240 ml

For Chakli Masala (Spice Mix)

• 1 inch Cinnamon stick
• 1 teaspoon Black Pepper corn
• 4-5 Cloves
• 1 teaspoon Cumin seeds
• 1 tablespoon Coriander seeds

 For Instant Rice Chakli:

• 250 grams/ 2 cups Rice flour
• 1/4 cup roasted gram (Phutanyachi Dal)
• 1 tablespoon white sesame seeds
• 1 tablespoon Chakli masala
• 1 teaspoon Carom seeds
• 1 teaspoon red chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 2 tablespoon Oil + for deep frying
• Salt to taste

 Method:

1. We will begin by making the Chakli Masala by dry roasting the spices mentioned under chakli masala and then grinding them to powder on cooling in grinder jar.
2. Next, powder the roasted gram and set aside.
3. In a large mixing bowl or parat, take rice flour, add powdered roasted gram, chakli masala, red chili powder, turmeric powder, sesame seeds, carom seeds and salt to taste.
4. Heat 2 tablespoon oil and add it to the flour. Rub the hot oil to the flour very well until it appears like bread crumbs.
5. Add 1 cup hot water in batches and knead the flour to a semi soft dough. Knead it for 5-7 minutes until its is nice and smooth.
6. Cover the dough with kitchen towel and allow it to rest for 15-20 minutes.
7. Grease the snack maker and fit a single star shape cut out to it.
8. Also grease a parchment paper with oil/
9. Knead the dough again after 15 minutes and divide into portions. Shape one portion like a log and add it to the snack maker mould.
10. Cover it with its lid and press the snack maker handle such that the dough comes out through the star shape cut out. Moving the wrist into circular motion, press the shaped dough into spirals as it comes out. Small spirals with 3 rounds are easy to handle. Break off the end and press it lightly into the last coil to ensure it does not come apart later. Make 4-5 such spirals, one batch at a time. If you make too many ahead of time, they will dry up and the spirals may not hold shape while frying.
11. Heat sufficient oil in a frying pan till moderately hot. To check the readiness of the oil, drop a small ball of dough into it. If it sizzles and comes up to the surface with tiny bubbles around it, within 2-3 seconds then the oil is just right. If it takes more time, let the oil heat up a little more. When the oil is ready, pick up the spirals using a flat spatula, one at a time and slide into the hot oil carefully. Slip in as many spirals as the frying pan can accommodate comfortable without overcrowding.
12. Once in oil leave them untouched, for 1 minute or so. Then touched the spirals with a slotted ladle. If the spiral has turned hard and the color changed to golden, flip the spirals carefully. Fry on the other side for another 1 minute or so and then remove them using a slotted spoon on to a plate lined with an absorbent paper.
13. Repeat the process till all the dough has been used up. Let the chaklis cool down completely. Store them in an air-tight container. Enjoy the delicious moong dal chakli with some masala chai or just on its own !

Would love to hear from you !

I hope you would love trying out this Instant Rice Chakli. If you do so, feel free to share your feedback with us in the form of likes and comments in the section below this post.

All your suggestions are more than welcome. If you like my work, and feel that it is worth following, do hit the follow button on the top right corner of this blog. Your appreciation means a lot to me. It gives me the inspiration and motivation to keep doing my work and give my best each time.

If you like my work and want to be updated with new recipes, do follow us on various social media platforms. My social media handles for your kind reference are as follows. 

 

You Tube Channel English : 

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCasKW9Cq5khnTS3JnJ43m2A 

You Tube Channel Marathi : 

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5lWdtDq45pDz04dJeezw7A

You Tube Channel Hindi : 

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3BoiHHEbhS8gIfeRzPfb7w

Facebook Handle: https://www.facebook.com/poonambachhavblogspot

Instagram Handle: https://www.instagram.com/poonambachhav/

Pinterest Handle : https://in.pinterest.com/poonambachhav/

Twitter Handle: https://twitter.com/poonampagar_B

 

See you soon with yet another healthy and delicious creation from my Kitchen. Until then Stay safe and eat right !

 

Happy Cooking !

Happy Eating !

 

Regards

Poonam Bachhav 

 

Related Posts:

• Bhajni Chakli

• Cornflakes Chivda

• Easy Motichoor Ladoo

• 101 Sweet and Savory Diwwali Special Recipes

• Gulache Anarse

• Chocolate Kalakand

• Badam Katli

Cholar Dal / Bengali Style Chana Dal

                                    

Cholar Dal is a flavorful lentil dish from the Bengali Cuisine. Made from chana dal, raisins, whole spices and flavored with fried fresh coconut, this Cholar dal is a Vegetarian Bengali delicacy, specially made during Durga Puja. This mildly sweet and a bit spicy in taste Cholar dal is aromatic, unique, and different from the North India Chana dal which is not sweet. Cholar dal can be served as a side dish with poori or steamed rice. The is a Satvik (onion-garlic free) lentil dish and the recipe is vegan, gluten-free.

                                      

Durga Puja Festival

Durga Puja also referred to as Durgotsava or Sharadotsav is an annual Hindu festival in South Asia that celebrates the worship of the Hindu goddess Durga. It is  particularly popular in the Indian states of West Bengal , Odisha, Assam, and Tripura. Durga puja festival marks the battle of the goddess Durga with the powerful buffalo demon Mahishasura, and her emerging victorious over the evil. Thus the festival epitomizes the victory of Good over Evil, but it also is in part a harvest festival that marks the goddess as the motherly power behind all of life and creation. 

Durga Puja festival is celebrated from the sixth to the tenth day of the bright lunar fortnight in the Hindu calendar month of Ashwin. Bengali's celebrate it with dance, food, music, grandeur, and community gatherings. While in Northern and Western India, people observe 9 days of fasting during Navratri, Bengali's (die-hard foodies) enjoy scrumptious food during Durga Pooja. Check out my Bengali Vegetarian Thali / Durga Puja Special Platter.

                                     

                                                                                                                                                                        Durga Puja a major festival of Bengal is a five-day celebration that runs parallel with Navratri, a Hindu festival where nine forms of Goddess Durga are worshiped. The five days are Shahsthi, Maha Saptami, Maha Ashtami, Maha Navmi, and Vijaydashmi. It is believed that during Durga Puja, Goddess Durga, accompanied by her four children, Ganesh, Karthik, Lakshmi and Saraswati- descends on earth every year to visit her parents and to fight evil. As a part of Durga Puja celebrations, huge pandals with idols of Goddess Durga are set up and devotees come in large numbers to offer prayers to the goddess. During this festival of Durgostav, devotees wear new clothes, indulge in sweet and traditional food, and enjoy cultural programs. The rituals that start off on Shashthi come to an end on dashmi, when idols of the goddess are immersed by teary-eyed devotees in ponds, lakes, and rivers. 

I had made this emboss painting 20 years back and it still adorns the wall at my parent's house :

  

Related Event A to Z Recipe Challenge Group Part 2-Alphabet D

This Kala Cholar Dal recipe is featured in the A to Z recipe challenge group where we have started a new season or we can say part 2 of our A to Z series where we have decided to make recipes alphabetically with Hindi names. For instance, d for Dahi, Dal, Dalia, Dhaniya etc. I chose D for Dal as my key ingredient and made this healthy for the theme.

                                                                

What goes into my version of Cholar dal / The Key Ingredients:

• Chana Dal: Chana dal is the key ingredient of this lentil dish. You may substitute chana dal with moong dal.
• Mustard oil: Traditional recipes use ghee. I have used mustard oil to make it vegan. If you do not have any dietary restrictions, you may top the dal with a dollop of pure ghee.
• Coconut: Fresh coconut pieces are fried and added to the Cholar dal which lends lovely nutty flavor and bite to the soft dal.  I would strongly recommend not to substitute the fresh coconut with desiccated coconut or dry coconut.
• Whole spices: whole spices like bay leaf, cardamom, cloves, dried red chilies, cumin seeds make the aromatic and flavorful.
• Raisins and Sugar: Golden raisins and little sugar are added to the Cholar dal which lends a mildly sweet taste to the dal which makes it unique and different from the North Indian chanal dal.

Dietary Notes: This Bengali style Cholar dal is 

• Satvik (No Onion No Garlic)
• Vegan
• Gluten-free
• Mildly sweet and savory lentil curry
• Bengali Delicacy
• Durga Puja special dish
• Kid-friendly

Preparation Time: 2 hours

Cooking Time: 30 minutes

Serves: 4

Ingredients: 

• 1 cup Chana dal/Bengal gram
• 3 tablespoon Mustard oil
• 1/4 cup fresh coconut slices
• 8-10 golden raisins
• 2 green chilies, split
• 2 dried red chilies
• 1 bay leaf
• 2-3 clover
• 2 green cardamom
• 1/2 inch ginger, grated
• 1/2 teaspoon roasted cumin powder
• 1/2 teaspoon Bengali garam masala/Curry powder
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
• Salt to taste

Method:

1. Wash the chana dal thoroughly and soak it in water for 2 hours or for at least 30 minutes.
2. Transfer drained soaked dal to a pressure cooker along with 1 cup water and 1/2 teaspoon salt.
3. Pressure cook the dal for 2-3 whistles on medium flame such that the dl is soft and well cooked, yet not mushy. On cooking, the dal should be able to retain its shape. 
4. Heat mustard oil in a pan on medium flame until it smokes. Put off the flame. Allow the oil to cool down a bit. Now heat the oil again and add fresh sliced coconut to it. Fry the coconut pieces on low flame while stirring until it turns golden brown. Take care not to burn the coconut.
5. Remove the fried coconut pieces to a plate.
6. To the same oil add the cumin seeds. Once the seeds crackle, add bay leaf, slit green chilies, green cardamom pods, cloves, and dried red chilies. Fry the whole spices for few seconds. 
7. Add grated ginger to it and stir fry for few seconds.
8. In a bowl take 1/4 cup stock from the cooked dal and add turmeric powder, garam masala, and cumin powder to it. Give a good stir. Add this slurry to the tempering, so that the spices do not burn.
9. Cook the spices in the slurry until you see oil floating on the top. Add the cooked chana dal at this stage and give it a good mix. Add more water if desired to adjust the consistency of the dal.
10. Allow the dal to boil. Add sugar and a little salt. Be cautious while doing so, as we have already added salt while cooking the dal.
11. Add raisins and fried coconut at this Stage. Cook for another 1-2 minutes and put off the flame. The dl thickens further on cooling. So adjust the cooking time accordingly.
12. Serve the aromatic and flavorful Cholar Dal with hot pooris or rice and enjoy with your loved ones!  

Recipe Notes:

• Traditional recipes use ghee. I have used mustard oil to make it vegan. If you do not have any dietary restrictions, you may top the dal with a dollop of pure ghee.
• Cook the dal such that it should be soft yet not mushy. 

Would love to hear from you!

I hope you would love to try out this healthy and delicious Bengali Style Cholar Dal. If you do so, feel free to share your feedback with us in the form of likes and comments in the section below this post.

All your suggestions are more than welcome. If you like my work and feel that it is worth following, do hit the follow button on the top right corner of this blog. Your appreciation means a lot to me. It gives me the inspiration and motivation to keep doing my work and give my best each time.

If you like my work and want to be updated with new recipes, do follow us on various social media platforms. My social media handles for your kind reference are as follows. 

 

You Tube Channel English:

 https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCasKW9Cq5khnTS3JnJ43m2A 

You Tube Channel Marathi:

 https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5lWdtDq45pDz04dJeezw7A

You Tube Channel Hindi

 https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3BoiHHEbhS8gIfeRzPfb7w

Facebook Handle: https://www.facebook.com/poonambachhavblogspot

Instagram Handle: https://www.instagram.com/poonambachhav/

Pinterest Handle: https://in.pinterest.com/poonambachhav/

Twitter Handle: https://twitter.com/poonampagar_B

 

See you soon with yet another healthy and delicious creation from my Kitchen. Until then Stay safe and eat right!

 

Happy Cooking!

Happy Eating!

 

Regards

Poonam Bachhav 

Related Posts: 

• Bengali Vegetarian Thali/ Durga Puja Special Platter

• Sandesh

• Mishti Doi

• Tomato Khejur Aamshottor Chaatni

• Panch Phoran Tarkari

• Aloo Posto

• Begun Bhaja

• Sponge Rasgulla

• Kasundi

Navratri Fasting Thali / Ratalyache Kaap Recipe

                                                                   

Ratalyache Kaap is a delectable sweet potato dessert and an apt fasting option for festivals like Navratri, Hartalika, Mahashivratri and Shravani Somvar. My Navratri Fasting thali comprises of 7 easy-to-make, healthy and delicious, non-deep-fried dishes that are easy to digest and will help one feel energetic and hydrated throughout the day while fasting without overloading on calories. The platter has Apple Rabadi (caramelized apple cooked in reduced milk), Dahi Sabudana (roasted sago pearls soaked in seasoned curd), Ratalyache Kaap (sweet potato roundels cooked in ghee and jaggery), Varai Bhat (cooked Barnyard Millet), Shengdanyachi Amti (roasted peanut curry), Kachya Kelyache Cutlet (Raw Banana Cutlet) and Amla (Indian Gooseberry) chutney.

                                     

Navratri is an important festival dedicated to the worship of the Hindu deity Durga. The word Navaratri means 'nine nights' in Sanskrit. During these nine nights, nine forms of Devi (Goddess) are worshiped. In 

In northern and western India, devotees observe 9 days fast (vrat) during the Navratri festival.

Durga Pooja is celebrated twice every year - Vasant Navratri which comes in Chaitra month (March-April) and Sharad Navratri which comes in Ashwin month (September- October) with full faith and devotion. This year Sharad Navratri will begin on 7th October 2021 and will end on 15th October 2021 following Dushera which is also, another important festival that celebrates the victory of good over evil. 

                                 

Video for Navrstri Fasting Thali 

             

Navratri Fasting Recipes:

Navratri- Nine nights is traditionally a time to fast and to pray. It is the time to purify our souls and cleanse our system and to rejuvenate. A time when devotes observe period of fast, following a restricted diet to detoxify the body and prepare it for the change in the season from monsoon to winter. During this Navratri fasting, grains are not allowed and food with onion garlic is restricted. 

However, fasting does not mean you starve yourself nor does it mean that you overeat. a proper balance has to be made and the food has to be chosen wisely so that we can reap maximum benefits from fasting. Whole fresh fruits, milk and milk products, dry fruits are the best choice during fasting. I have tried to provide some healthy recipes of the fasting foods in this Navratri fasting thali which are quick to make, easy to digest, and at the same time would keep one hydrated and energetic throughout the day while fasting.

Let's have a look at all the dishes of this thali one by one.

Ratalyache Kaap: Ratalyache Kaap is a delectable sweet potato dessert and an apt fasting option for festivals like Navratri, Hartalika, Mahashivratri, and Shravani Somvar. Ratalyache kaap is made by cooking sweet potato roundels in ghee and sugar. Here, I have stir-fried the sweet potato slices in little ghee and cooked it in jaggery powder instead of sugar to make it a guilt-free affair. The caramelized sweet potato roundels are garnished with almond slivers and flavored with cardamom powder. Ratalyache Kaap is a delicacy from Maharashtrian cuisine and is very easy to make dessert, perfect for sweet cravings. It makes an ideal fasting food as well.

                                   

Preparation Time: 5 minutes

Cooking Time: 10 minutes

Serves: 2

Ingredients:

• 1 large sweet potato
• 1-2 teaspoon ghee
• 2-3 tablespoon jaggery powder
• 1/4 teaspoon cardamom powder
• 1 tablespoon slivered almonds (optional)

Method:

1. Wash the sweet potato thoroughly under running water, pat dry, and peel it.
2. Cut the peeled sweet potato into thin round slices and add them to a bowl of water. This step will remove extra starch from the sweet potatoes and also prevent discoloration. 
3. Heat 1-2 teaspoon ghee in a pan and add sweet potato slices to it.
4. Stir-fry the slices in ghee for 1-2 minutes.
5. Add the powdered jaggery and give it a good stir so that all the slices get coated with jaggery powder.
6. Cover cook the sweet potato slices in jaggery until they are soft but not mushy. On cooking, the sweet potato should be tender but the slices should hold their shape.
7. Turn off the flame. Arrange the Ratalyache kaap onto a serving dish.
8. Sprinkle cardamom powder and garnish with almond slivers and serve immediately!

                    

• Dahi Sabudana : Dahi Sabudana is a simple yet delicious fasting food (vrat ka khana) from the Maharashtrian Cuisine. It is a quick savory, gluten-free dish made from sago / sabudana, curd, and crushed peanuts that are seasoned with cumin seeds and green chilies.

• Kachya Kelyache Cutlet / Raw Banana Cutlet:  A crunchy, tasty, nutritious snack that serves as a filling fruit diet during fasting.

• Amla Chutney : A flavorful yogurt-based dip made from fresh Amla (Indian gooseberry), green chilies and roasted peanuts.

• Apple Rabadi  : A delicious dessert made from evaporated milk and apple. It is very easy to make, requires minimal ingredients, and tastes divine.

• Bhagar Amti / Varaicha bhat ani Shengdanyachi Amti : 

Bhagar amti or the Varaicha Bhat and shengdanyachi amti is yet another classic fasting combo from the Maharashtrian Cuisine. Here, barnyard millet(bhagar) is cooked with simple cumin seeds ghee tempering and served with a spicy tangy and sweet peanut curry (shengdanyachi amti)

                  

Would love to hear from you !

I hope you would love trying out this healthy and delicious Makhana Chat. If you do so, feel free to share your feedback with us in the form of likes and comments in the section below this post.

All your suggestions are more than welcome. If you like my work, and feel that it is worth following, do hit the follow button on the top right corner of this blog. Your appreciation means a lot to me. It gives me the inspiration and motivation to keep doing my work and give my best each time.

If you like my work and want to be updated with new recipes, do follow us on various social media platforms. My social media handles for your kind reference are as follows. 

 

You Tube Channel English:

 https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCasKW9Cq5khnTS3JnJ43m2A 

You Tube Channel Marathi: 

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5lWdtDq45pDz04dJeezw7A

You Tube Channel Hindi: 

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3BoiHHEbhS8gIfeRzPfb7w

Facebook Handle: https://www.facebook.com/poonambachhavblogspot

Instagram Handle: https://www.instagram.com/poonambachhav/

Pinterest Handle: https://in.pinterest.com/poonambachhav/

Twitter Handle: https://twitter.com/poonampagar_B

See you soon with yet another healthy and delicious creation from my Kitchen. Until then Stay safe and eat right!

Happy Cooking!

Happy Eating!

 

Regards

Poonam Bachhav 

Related Posts:

• 101 Navratri Special Recipes
  

• Rajgira Sheera

Paneer Pulao Recipe

                                               

Paneer Pulao is a healthy and flavorful one-pot rice dish made with veggies, aromatic spices and topped with crispy shallow fried Paneer/Indian Cottage cheese. This fuss free pulao tastes great on its own but can be paired with some raita or curd. It makes for a quick meal option on and  lunch box menu as well. The recipe is gluten-free.

                      

Related Event:  Exotic Biryani and Pulao @Shhhhh Cooking Secretly Challenge

This healthy and delicious paneer pulao recipe is featured in the Facebook Gourmet group, Shhhhhhh Cooking Secretly challenge. Here, participating members take turn to propose the theme for each month. Swaty who was our hostess for the month of September, proposed Exotic biryani and pulao as the theme. Swaty is a versatile food blogger and her blog is a home to many delicious recipes from Inidan as well as International Cuisine. I look forward to her baking recipes as well. Do check out her Kathal Biryani, a flavorful rich rice dish made from unripe jackfruit and Lucknowi Veg Dum Biryani recipes.

In this group all participating members are divided into pairs and both partners exchange a set of secret ingredients, using which both have to cook a dish depending upon  the theme for the particular month. Once the dish is ready only the pic of the dish is shared on the group and the other group members take turn in guessing the secret ingredients just by looking at the pic of the dish. The secret ingredients and the dish name are revealed at the end of the month when the recipe is published by the respective blogger.

My partner for this challenge was Narmadha who blogs @NamsCorner. Her blog is a treasure trove of many authentic South Indian recipes and other dishes from around the globe. I love all her bakes as well. You might want to check out her Semiya Vegetable Biryani which is next on my to-do-list. For this challenge i gave her star anise and curd as her secret ingredients and she made very flavorful  Aloo Dum Biryani using the set of ingredients. In return she gave me bay leaf and caraway seeds (shah jeera) and i made this Paneer Pulao with it.

Preparation Time: 15 minutes

Cooking Time: 20 minutes

Serves: 4

Ingredients: measurements used 1 cup =240 ml

• 1 cup Basmati rice. soaked in water for 30 min
• 2 tablespoon ghee or oil
• 1 large onion, sliced
• 1/4 cup green peas
• 1 carrot, chopped
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 inch cinnamon stick
• 1 Star Anise
• 1/4 teaspoon caraway seeds
• 1 teaspoon ginger, garlic, green chili paste
• 1/4 cup finely chopped coriander leaves
• 2 green cardamom pods
• 2-3 cloves
• 3-4 black pepper corn
• Salt to taste

Ingredients for Paneer marination

• 250 grams Paneer/Indian Cottage Cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder
• 1 tablespoon gram flour
• 1 teaspoon kasuri methi
• 1 teaspoon Homemade Tandoori Masala
• 1/2 teaspoon ginger garlic paste
• 1 teaspoon oil
• 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
• Salt to taste

Method:

1. We will begin my marinating the panner. For that take panner cubes in a mixing bowl.
2. Add all the ingredients under the list of paneer marination.
3. Gently coat all the spice powders, oil and herbs on paneer cubes and allow it to marinate for at least 15 minutes.
4. To make the pulao, heat ghee or oil in a wok over medium flame.
5. Once the oil or ghee is hot enough, lower the flame and add caraway seeds  to it. Once the seeds crackle, add bay leaf, cloves, black pepper corns, cinnamon stic followed by cardamom pods.
6. Let the whole spices sizzle in ghee or oil for few seconds.
7. Next, tip in sliced onions and saute them for 2 minutes before adding the chopped carrot and green peas.
8. Stir-fry the veggies in ghee for 1-2 minutes.
9. Add the washed, soaked and drained rice to the veggies and stir-fry for around a minute. Add 2 1/2 cups of hot water, followed by salt to taste and finely chopped fresh coriander leaves.
10. Give a quick stir. Once it comes to a rolling boil, lower the flame and cover cook until the rice is completely cooked.
11. While our rice is getting cooked, we will pan-fry our panner cubes. For that heat a skillet over medium flame. Drizzle some oil or butter on the skillet and place all the marinated paneer cubes on it. Fry the paneer cubes until golden. Do not over cook the paneer , or else it will turn hard and chewy.
12. Open the lid and check out whether the rice is cooked or not. Fluff the cooked pulao gently taking care not to break the grain.
13. Remove the pulao on to a serving plate and top it with fried paneer cubes. 
14. Serve the Paneer pulao with curd or raita of your choice. i have served it with Boondi Raita

           

    

Would love to hear from you !

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See you soon with yet another healthy and delicious creation from my Kitchen. Until then Stay safe and eat right !

 

Happy Cooking !

Happy Eating !

 

Regards

Poonam Bachhav 

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