Author: Sameera's Kitchen

Lal Mathachi Bhaji.

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Green leafy vegetables are very nutritious.Today I am posting a very simple recipe which goes well with chapati or bhakri.In my native place Nerur,this is the only leafy vegetable available, so there it’s cooked almost every alternate day.

Lal maath is also known as red amaranth leaves.

This is a simple stir fry of red amaranth leaves with minimal use of spices hence this dish has a very subtle flavour.

Here goes the recipe…

Ingredients : 

1 bunch Lal Maath.

5 Pods of Garlic.

2 Green chilies chopped into 4 peices.

1 big Onion chopped.

2 tbsp Grated Coconut.

1 tbsp Oil.

1/8 tsp Asafoetida.

1/8 Turmeric Powder.

Salt to taste.

Method : 

Pluck lal maath leaves from stem,clean well in water and drain.

Chop them finely.

In a pan heat oil,add garlic and asafoetida stir for 30 seconds,add chopped onions and green chillies.saute for a minute.

Add chopped Lal maath leaves,salt and turmeric powder,mix well.cover and cook for 4 to 5 minutes.Don’t at all add water as lal maath will leave its own water.

Once cooked,add grated coconut,mix well.

Remove in serving bowl and serve with chapati or bhakri.

Happy Cooking! ! ! 

Sameera 

Lemon Drizzle Cake

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If you love lemon drizzle cake and all things lemony, then this cake is for you!it is moist, tangy and packed with lemon flavours,with a thick icing on the top. Absolutely delicious.

It is famously known as Starbucks Lemon drizzle Cake as it is a hot selling item there,but I have been eating this cake since my childhood as my Mom used to bake it….but with different name…Madeira Cake.

My mom has a huge collection of baking books from various international writers with amazing recipes and this one is adapted from one of those…

Today my blog is 11 years old so posting this as a tribute to my first baking teacher my Mom,Mrs Meena Shrikant Nerurkar ❤️

11 years back had started my blog by posting one of my mom’s another hit recipe of orange cake…

So here goes this amazing recipe…do give it a try.

Ingredients:

100 gm Butter.

130 gm Sugar.

150 gm Flour(maida)

2 Eggs

1tsp Baking Powder.

1/2 tsp Lemon Essence.

1/2 tsp Lemon Yellow Colour.

Juice of 1/2 Lemon.

Rind of 1 Lemon(grated skin of Lemon)

For Glaze:

1/2 cup Icing Sugar.

1 tbsp Lemon juice.

Method.

Grease baking tin with melted butter and flour,dust off extra flour.

Sieve together flour and baking powder thrice,Keep aside.

Cream butter and sugar with electric blender till it becomes light and fluffy.

Add egg one at a time,continue beating.

Add essence,colour,lemon rind and lemon juice.

Start Preheating oven.

Fold in flour.Batter should be of dropping consistency.(when droped from spoon,should fall down smoothly)

Add little milk if required.

Pour into lined/greased baking tin.

Bake at 180 degree C for 30 minutes.

Insert a small knife in center to check if baked properly(knife should come out clean)

Invert on cooling mesh,demould and let it cool completly.

For Glaze:

Mix together lemon juice and icing sugar untill smooth and lump free,pour on the top of the cake.Let it cool completly, garnish with lemon slices.

Cut into pieces and enjoy.

Happy Cooking !!!

Sameera

Cheese Egg Omelette.

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Omelette is many households favorite breakfast dish and when added with cheese it’s cherry on the cake.Lightly crisp around the edges it is mostly served with soft white bread or a toast and tomato sauce or ketchup.

Ingredients:

2 Eggs.

1 Onion chopped.

1/2 Tomato chopped.

Few sprigs of Corriander leaves.

1/4 tsp Turmeric(Haldi) powder.

1 cube grated Processed Cheese.

Salt to taste.

1 tbsp Oil.

Method:

Mix together all the above ingredients except oil,egg and cheese.

Beat egg,add all the other Ingredients and mix well.

Heat tava,add oil.Add the beaten egg mixture,spread in a round shape using spoon.

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Cook on both sides on medium heat.

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Serve hot with bread or pav of you choice.

Happy Cooking !!!

Sameera

Dal Makhani,Maa ki Daal or Kaali Dal.

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Dal makhani has always been a favourite in my kitchen,it comes straight from the rich and flavourful Punjabi cuisine. Mostly this dal is served with plain rice or jeera rice, however,we at our home love it with tandoori roti or butter naans.

Traditionally in punjab,Dal Makhani is simmered overnight or for many hours in tandoor.
Overnight simmering of the dal gives it a smoky flavour coming  from the charcoal or wood.
And it is made only with black urad dal and rajma,but I have always been adding masoor to it,it’s optional and can be skipped.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup whole Urad Dal.

1/2  cup whole Masoor.

¼ cup Rajma.

½ cup Onion finely chopped.

1/2 cup Tomatoes finely chopped.

1 tbsp Ginger Garlic Paste.

1 Bay Leaf.

1/2 tspn Cumin Seeds.

1 tsp Red Chilli Powder.

1 tsp Dhana Jeera Powder.

1 tsp Pav Bhaji Masala or Rajma Masala.

1/2 tsp Haldi Powder.

1/4 tsp Kasuri  Methi crushed.

1/4 cup Fresh Cream.

1 tbsp Oil

1 tbsp Butter.

Salt to taste.

Method:

Soak whole urad dal,masoor and rajma overnight in enough water. drain them well.

Now add them in a pressure cooker. Add sufficient water to cover all the lentils and pressure cook for 8 to 10 whistles on a medium flame, till everything is cooked thoroughly and softened.

In a pan,heat oil and butter,add tej patta and cumin seeds,let them splutter.Now add chopped onion and ginger garlic paste,stir and saute on a low flame till they become light golden.

Now add chopped tomatoes and little salt,mix well.
Now add red chili powder,haldi Powder, dhana jeera powder and pav bhaji or rajma masala.
Mix very well and sauté this mixture on a low to medium heat, till fat starts releasing from the sides. This takes about 3 to 4 minutes on a medium-low to medium heat.

Now add the cooked urad dal,masoor and rajma.add water to adjust consistency,taste and add salt as required,mix very well and simmer the dal uncovered on a low heat. Keep on stirring often, so that the lentils don’t get stuck to the bottom of the pan.Simmer on very low heat for almost 15 to 20 mins.Now add crushed kasuri methi and cream,mix well.

Remove in a serving bowl,top up with butter and serve hot Add Naan,roti or jeera rice.

Happy Cooking!!!

Sameera.

Spinach Rice.

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This is a very simple and very flavourfull rice dish which goes well with any Continental Veg or non veg gravy…I had served it with vegetables in peei peri sauce and it was a hit combination.

I have made this rice only with spinach and garlic,but can alternatively be made with green peas,cauliflower,corn kernels,bell pepper,broccoli,french beans, carrots and potatoes and spiced with Indian spices.

Ingredients:

2 cups Spinach (Palak) roughly chopped.

6 cloves Garlic peeled and chopped.

2 cup cooked Basmati Rice.

1/2 tsp Chilli Flakes.

1 tbsp Butter.

Salt to taste.

Method:

Blanch spinach in boiling hot water for 5 minutes,drain and give it a cold water wash.

Once cold add to a blender jar and make puree,keep aside.

In a pan heat butter,add garlic and chilli flakes sauté for a minute, add pureed spinach and saute well.

Now add cooked rice,mix gently cover and cook for 2 minutes.

Remove in a serving bowl and serve hot with gravy of your choice.

Happy Cooking!!!

Sameera.

Cheesy Pull Apart Bun.

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I have been making pull apart bread loaf for a ling time now,so this time tried something different….This is quick to make cheesy bread which goes very well with soup,pasta or even Omelette.

Can be made in a jiffy using store bought burger bun.

Ingredients :

1 Burger Bun.

1 tbsp Butter Melted.

1 tbsp Garlic powder.

1/2 cup grated Mozarella  Cheese.

1 tsp Oregano dried.

Method:

Mix garlic powder,Oregano and melted butter together.keep it aside.

Grate cheesee and keep it aside.

Using sharp knife make crisscross insersions in the bun keeping the base intact.

In each insersion,apply butter infused with garlic and Oregano.

Stuff grated cheese in each and every incersion.

Press the bun together.Wrap it tightly in silver foil.

Preheat oven and bake the loaf at 180°C for 10 mins.

Remove and let cool or 5 mins.

Open the foil.

You will have bun with cheese oozing out of it.

Serve immediately.

Happy Cooking! ! !

Sameera.

Jeera Rice

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Fluffy jeera rice can elevate simplest of meal.Usually paired with Dal fry it goes well with almost every gravy be it chole or rajma.

This is simple basmati rice flavored with ghee and jeera.

Ingredients:

1 cup Basmati rice (washed,soaked for half an hour and drained)

2 cups Boiling water.

1 tbsp Ghee.

1 tsp Jeera.

2 Green chillies finely chopped.

2 tbsp Corriander chopped.

Salt to taste.

Method:

Heat ghee in a thick bottom pan,add jeera and chopped chillies.

Stir for a minute.Add Rice,salt and boiling water.

Mix with gentle hand,cover and cook,when half the water is soaked in the rice add chopped corrinander leaves.

Cook till water is completely soaked and rice is cooked.

Serve hot with Dal fry or any gravy of your choice.

Happy Cooking !!!

Sameera.

Kanda Kairi Chutney.

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Kanda Kairi is a delicious instant relish made with grated raw mango and onion. It is a great favourite in Maharashtra during summers and pairs perfectly with rotis and bhakris.

I can have it with anything even khakra

Ingredients:

1 Cup Grated Raw Mango.

1/2 Cup Grated Onion.

1/2 tsp Red Chilli Powder.

1 tsp Grated Jaggery or Jaggery Powder.

1/2 tsp Roasted Jeera Powder.

Salt to Taste

Method:

In a bowl,mix together all the ingredients.

Keep aside for 10 minutes.
Serve as a side dish.

Happy Cooking!!!

Sameera.

Thandai.

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Thandai is a very popular drink,which is actually dry fruit and saffron flavoured milk, that is traditionally prepared as an offering to Lord Shiva during the festival of Maha Shivratri.
Thandai is often mixed with ‘bhang’ to make an intoxicating drink popularly served during Holi festival.

Ingredients:

4 cups Milk.

1/4 cup Sugar

A pinch of Black Pepper powder.

A few strands of Saffron.

Make into powder:

1/4 cup Almonds.

2 tbsp Poppy Seeds.

2 tbsp Fennel Seeds.(saunf)

1/2 tsp Cardamom powder

1/2 tsp Cumin seeds.

Method:

Boil the milk in a deep pan, allow it to cool completely.

Combine the powder and milk in a deep bowl, mix well using a whisk and refrigerate for 2 hours.

Strain the mixture through a sieve, add the sugar, pepper powder and saffron and mix well.

Pour equal quantities of the thandai into 4 individual glasses add serve chilled.

Tip:Prepared masala can be stored in airtight jar in refrigerator for upto 3 months and used as and when required.

Happy Cooking!!!

Sameera.

Gulgule.

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Gulgule are crispy, soft fried sweet snacks made with whole wheat flour, banana,jaggery and fennel seeds.its a North Indian speciality.This begin the holy month of Ramadan,this recipe is seen quite a lot everywhere as it is one of the favorite item made for Iftari…So had to give it a try…

Method:

½ cup or 1 ripe Bananas chopped and mashed.

6 tbsp Jaggery Powder.

1 cup Whole Wheat Flour.

1 tspn Fennel Seeds. 

¼ teaspoon Cardamom Powder.

Pinch of Salt.

½ teaspoon Baking Powder.

Water as required

Oil for Frying.

Method:

Take chopped bananas and jaggery in a mixing bowl. Mash very well with a fork.

Add the wheat flour, fennel seeds, cardamom powder and salt to the mashed banana and sugar mixture.

Add half a cup of water first. Mix well and add more water if required to make a batter that is little thicker than besan batter for bhajiya.

Do not over mix as then gluten can form in the batter which will result in giving a dense texture.Keep aside covered for half an hour,just before frying add baking powder and mix well.

In a deep kadai heat oil.
Add spoonfuls of the batter in the oil. Fry on medium flame.Let the gulgule become light golden from the bottom and sides.

The gulgule will puff while frying,gently turn over each gulgula, Keep turning for even frying till they are crisp and golden.
Remove on absorbant paper.This way fry all the remaining gulgule.

Serve gulgule hot with Chai.

Happy Cooking!!!

Sameera.