Rajma Tikki - Kidney Beans Cutlet

Rajma Tikki

Certain dishes just tend to happen...without planning or thought...well not exactly ( some thought does go into it )...but almost...since this is how this tikki happened...

My original plan was to make a 3 bean salad , but one of the 3 beans (the kidney beans ) that I had pressure cooked was under done...so could not use it that day...so froze them...with plans to recook and then use another time...

Recently I had made rajma curry...and then a few days later it was rajma rice...so was not too keen to do either of  those again...wanted to do something different...

Then I remembered a recipe I had watched on the Food Channel...it was a tikki with rajma and brown rice...but did not have all the ingredients ready.....so decided to go for our traditional cutlet (tikki) recipe...with potato etc...

So that's how this all came about...and boy, was I glad I went with it...it was really and truly awesome...and so I had to share the recipe with all of you...here's hoping that you all love it too...

Ingredient :

1/2 cup rajma  - kidney beans
2 medium potatoes
1 medium onion
2 green chillies
2 tsp ginger-garlic paste
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp salt or to taste
2 Tblspn of oats
1 or 2 slices of bread or bread crumbs
a few sprigs of coriander leaves.
oil for shallow frying.

 Method :

1) Soak the rajma ( kidney beans ) over night and then pressure cook it with about 1/8 tsp of salt, till done. Drain the water ( you can use it in a curry ). Mash the beans.
2) Boil and mash the potatoes after draining the water.
3) Chop the onions and chillies and coriander leaves.
4) Mix rajma, potatoes, the veggies above and the seasonings, oats, ...then if required add bread crumbs or a slice or two of bread, you need for it all to come together. The oats and bread absorb any moisture left in the cooked beans and potatoes. Do not make it too dry.
5) Form small balls the size of a lemon...flatten it slightly and then shallow fry it in a non-stick pan with a little oil. Cook on both sides till it becomes firm and browned up.
Serve hot with tomato ketchup or green chutney.
Enjoy !!!

This is good as a chaat - with beaten curds, chaat masala and roasted cumin powder sprinkled over it...you could add the green chutney and tamarind chutney too...
Or it could be had as a snack, or as a side with a meal, any which way - it is an amazing dish.

I made a few and kept the mix for the next day to make some more - had wanted to give some to my mom too to try out - she also loves trying out what ever I make...love to have her opinion on the same.
Since both T and my mom gave the thumbs up for these - guess I will be making it soon again...would be great if you try it out and let me know how you like it too....
 

Beetroot Salad - Beetroot Kosambari

Beetroot Salad

When you read newspapers or magazines re. what to eat, what is good for you, you get so confused ....every day there is a new diet, new idea, a new fad....lots of confusion...should you follow it....or continue with the way things are?

A long time ago...( sounds like the start of a fairy tale, but is not so )...I too had  joined up along with a friend....a lady was conducting some classes - re. nutrition and healthy eating...would rather not mention the actual name of that organisation...do not wish to create any controversy....not sure how I feel about their ideas now....but at the time I was very convinced about their philosophy and thoughts etc...and followed it in totality....
Their concept was that in the morning our systems are busy with the cleansing process and so should be given energy to do their job !?!....and hence we should not eat a heavy breakfast...it should be just fruits...tons of it ( supposed to be energy givers )....
Lunch at around 12...the heaviest meal of the day...should definitely contain sprouts, and salads ( better if raw )...less or none oil in our meals...
Dinner light meal...
Milk to be avoided, yogurt good, nuts yes, along with fruits or salads.

There is a lot more in the same vein and as I mentioned ...that I had been a convert for a while...until regular life intruded and it became quite difficult to continue with that scheme of diet.

But certain points still remain with me...I try to reduce oil in my cooking...have as much as fruits as possible...and add nuts in salads for taste...whether it is fruits ( with walnuts ) or the above beets with peanuts....it adds a crunch to the dish and you do not miss the oil...a simple salt, pepper, lemon and you have an dish out of this world.

Spicy Curd....& Carrot Raita

I love curds in all it's forms...eaten plain or sweetened ( if thickened a bit it is like shrikand )  or made into chaas ( buttermilk ) which is  how we currently tend to have it ...just water and salt and all churned up (simple )...or sometimes we spice it up a bit with chillies or ginger or sometimes a pinch of chaat masala...

It is so versatile and we generally have it in some form of the other...sometimes I make a raita with either boondi or some veggie which could be potato, onion, spinach ( already posted ), cucumber, carrot...each one as delicious as the other...or sometimes I make curd rice...and had with pickles & or papad it can serves as a light meal.

T's cousin is the one who introduced us to spicy curd, it is so simple to make and yet it is like a good dip to use, we even have it with handwo ( which is another of her speciality, she is an awesome cook and also grows some veggies and herbs )...
I used the same to make my carrot raita and we thought it was just amazing...so decided just have to write this down...
So with big thanks to A for her handwo, spicy curd, brownies and loads of other yummy dishes, I am posting this....

Paneer Bhurji

Today we were in a mood to have something light and different for our meal....the weekends are generally like that - it starts with getting up late,  having dosa or chilla or sabu khichdi or powa...(you get the drift ) for breakfast...

Lunch and dinner also tends to be aloo paratha with curds - or sandwich and soups - idli or rava idli - handwo....etc...

This makes a change from our regular dal, rice, subzi, chapati & salad routine....

Paneer bhurji is one such very light meal - quick to prepare and absolutely yummilicious...is there such a word ? ....if not we should create it....
It can be had as a side to a main meal of course - but it goes very well with toasted sandwich too..

So with that plan in mind ....I asked for extra milk in the morning, we have a very obliging and courteous milkman...and nowadays with the ubiquitous mobile...( everyone ...man,woman, child and pet having one)....it was a simple matter to call at the crack of dawn...I also get a good morning madam from him ( hence the courteous tag )...and got the milk for my paneer...

I love making paneer at home whenever possible...and when that is not so, we have a place where we get fresh paneer which is  very soft and tasty...
But today I was in the mood for some made at home...so as per my earlier post of home made paneer ...made some and then later the bhurji...

Ingredients:

200 gms paneer - soft and crumbled
1 medium onion
1 medium tomato
1 - 2 green chillies as per taste
1 capsicum ( optional )
1/4 tsp tumeric powder
1/4 red chilli powder ( optional )
1/2 cumin seeds
2 tsp oil
Salt to taste

Method :

Heat oil in a pan, add cumin seeds.
When it splutters add chopped onions ( if using capsicum, add at this stage )...
After the onions become translucent, add tomato and green chilli - cook till it becomes soft.
Add the dry powders, salt...you can add coriander powder too (optional )...
Add the paneer after crumbling it...and mix thoroughly...
Let it cook for a couple of minutes covered - sometimes the paneer releases water - if it does - cook till the water is dried up...
Switch off the gas and serve.
Enjoy !!!

How to make paneer...at home

It's been some days since I last blogged - not that I have not been cooking....but somehow got too busy with other matters....but today I have made paneer and plan to make paneer bhurji, so decided that this requires a mention...

There is nothing like fresh home made paneer ....and it is the most simplest thing to do...esp. if using in a dish like paneer bhurji where it does not even require to be set....it can be used in it's original crumbly form...

So here's how you can make paneer...

Ingredients:


1 litre of milk
juice from 1 lemon or few tsps of vinegar


Method:


Bring the milk to a boil...and reduce the flame.
Start adding the juice of the lemon (or vinegar ) slowly while stirring till the milk separates into whey and paneer...
If it is not completely separated - you could add some more lemon juice...
Sieve the mixture through fine mesh or muslin cloth


In case you need to use paneer in cube form - then at this stage you should cover the paneer in the muslin cloth and press a heavy dish or stone over it for about 1 hour...this enables the water to be removed totally and also hardens the paneer...allowing you to cut it into pieces as required for your dish. You could also refregirate it for a while before cutting it.


However if you need to use for paneer bhurji as I plan to ...then it can be stored as it is just after separating the whey....

This gives about 200 gms of paneer.
Enjoy !!!

Spinach Raita

I am always looking to use spinach in dishes...mainly hidden ...as in dhokla, handwo, soup ( blended ) or palak paneer etc...cause leaves in any dish by itself is not eaten at our place...even methi is used with flour to make methi thepla or parathas...though aloo methi is one of personal favourites...love the bitter taste of methi leaves..( though that brings me to  another whole story )....

Spinach Raita

I had been longing to make this dish (spinach raita) ever since I had eaten in at a cousin's place...but as I said was wary of the reaction to it....but I needn't have worried, this turned out so amazing..so creamy and smooth ...with sour, sweet and spicy flavours blending so well to turn into a dish which could be had as a side, as a raita, with the whole meal or actually just by itself with rotis, or parathas....


Ingredients:

1 cup spinach
1 cup curds
1 green chilli
2 garlic cloves
1/2 inch ginger
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1 dry red chilli
salt to taste
1/4 roasted cumin powder
pinch of asafoetida (hing)
1/4 - 1/2 tsp of sugar - or to taste

Method :

1) Whisk the curds till smooth in a bowl and keep aside.

2) Wash the spinach leaves and chop it fine...take a pan, put about a teaspoon of oil and add ginger, green chilli chopped, fry for a bit and then add the chopped spinach, stir till it wilts about 5 mins...once done take out the spinach mixture and cool it totally before adding it to the curds...

3) In another pan for seasoning the raita -  take some oil, add cumin seeds, once it splutters, add chopped garlic  and the dry red chilli and pinch of asafoetida, stir for a minute and then add to the curds and spinach mixture along with salt to taste and roasted cumin powder and sugar and mix...you can adjust the seasonings according  to your personal tastes.

Serve this raita cold...the above proportions serve 2-3

This dish is both tasty and nutritous...and can be had with both rotis and rice.