Mango Kalakand ( Mango Flavored Indian Cottage Cheese Fudge )

After a break, I am back with a traditional Indian sweet dish today. When I noticed that my last post was 100^thone, made a plan to celebrate this event with some dessert recipe. Thanks to all of my readers to follow this blog and encourage me all the time.

When it comes to sweets, you will find different variety of cuisines in India. Some of these dishes are popular only in a specific region. But there are others that get widely popular and manage to cross boundaries of many states and regions. Kalakand is one such sweet preparation, which was invented in northern part of India, specifically in Rajasthan. But it has made its name in every part of the country and commonly appears during festival season of either parts of India. Kalakand, also known as Sandesh, is made out of solidified, sweetened milk and cottage cheese.The name of this Soft, crumbly, bite size , milky-white, square-shaped sweet makes all Indian’s mouth water.

You can follow several different styles to make kalakand. In one process, it’s preferred to use sweetened and solidified milk(khoya), while others like to use condensed milk. The whole preparation can be either done in a microwave or on a stove-top, whatever is the easier way for you.  I am not against the fact that the traditional method can still provide you the best results. It gives the best texture and the perfect softness, but at the same time, the easier method is not that bad as well! Though I have tried both, today I will share the traditional one. 

The process starts with making some fresh paneer. All you need is whole milk and something acidic, like lemon juice or vinegar. Making Paneer at home is little time-consuming. If you would like to take the short route, you can however skip this step completely. I mean, you can buy paneer from any Indian store or replace paneer with ricotta cheese. But I have preferred to use fresh paneer. As I said, most of the time Kalakand looks milky white. But since I added some mango pulp to give some summer flavor, so it got a nice yellow color in my preparation. Hope you would like this than the usual kalakand.  

Recipe of Mango Kalakand : for 24 pieces 

Ingredients :

Home-made fresh paneer / Chenna : 500 g around ( 2 cups )

Sweetened Condensed milk : 1 can (400 g)

Milk powder / Dairy whitener  : 2 tablespoons 

Mango pulp : 4 to 5 tablespoon 

Cardamoms : 3-4, crushed

Pistachios : few, chopped 

Method : 

1. Mash paneer coarsely and add milk powder to it. Add the condensed milk and mix it nicely. 

2. Take a thick bottomed pan, pour the mixture into it and heat it up. Cook on medium high heat. Add the cardamoms and mango pulp. Stir continuously till the mixture becomes thick. It will take 8 to 10 minutes (approximately ).

3. Remove from heat, and spread it on to a greased dish. Sprinkle chopped pistachios.

4. Put it into the refrigerator and let it cool. Cut into squares and serve. 

Continue Reading...

Tweet

Oreo Mug Cake

After a week’s break, I am back with a new recipe of a Mug Cake. World cup ended with a sad note for our family. Because my husband is an old Argentina supporter and I liked Messi because of his innocence look. We got an opportunity to watch the match in a big screen organized in their office and first time I saw my husband so excited. Though my son started with supporting Messi, he changed his mind once Germany won. Because he has to always win! Anyway, besides that life was good in the peak of summer vacation. We had a road trip to Big Sur on Labor Day weekend, enjoyed some breathtaking views, long-drive on US-1 and eating out in different places on the way.

I am going to share the recipe of Oreo Mug Cake. It’s perfect if you have busy schedule and have no time to try any complex recipe. I love the concept of microwave mug cake. Stir a few ingredients in a mug and put it in the microwave for a minute or two and it’s ready to serve. When I tried the mug cake first time, I realized that microwaves can be used for other purposes than heating frozen meals or making popcorn. It’s not so new concept but I came across this easy recipe of making Mug Cake in microwave very recently.  My temptation got stronger when I saw that it needs only three ingredients to make. It's full of chocolate flavor and has a great texture. 

The end product came out really tasty, but not so spongy and not overly sweet. This recipe is flexible enough to be built with other flavor combos. You can make fun additions like chocolate chips, marshmallows or nuts or Nutella spread to the recipe. Or serve it with a topping of peanut butter or chocolate sauce or with a scoop of ice cream. I promise this would be your new favorite mid-night chocolate snack.

Recipe of Oreo Mug Cake : for one Mug cup 

Prep time: 5 minutes, Cook time: 2 minutes, Total time: 7 minutes 

Ingredients :

Oreo cookies : 9 pairs 
Baking powder : 1/2 teaspoon 
Milk : 1/2 cup 
Sugar : 1 tbsp ( If you do not like overly sweet can skip it, I do not add any sugar )

For toppings : Ice cream and chocolate sauce  (or whatever you like )

Method :

1. Crush the Oreo cookies(do not remove the cream of the cookies) roughly. You can use food processor or blender. Or take a Ziploc bag, put the cookies into it. Take a rolling pin and gently press it. 

2. Take a bowl transfer the crushed cookies to it. Add the baking powder and combine well. Add milk and mix the batter until incorporated. 

3. Grease a microwave safe cup with oil or non-stick cooking spray. Transfer the batter into the prepared cup. Microwave for 2 minutes. ( in regular microwave mode )

4. Let it cool down for 10 minutes and serve with a scoop of ice cream and chocolate sauce. 

Related Recipes, you also might like :

Skinny Strawberry Ice Cream

Oreo Cheese Cake

Mango Yogurt

Continue Reading...

Tweet

Thai Basil Chicken

So the long-awaited summer vacation is here. The morning first hour is more relaxing now because no rush to make my kid ready for school. But later part of the day becomes busier to keep him active, taking him for sports and other classes. I had very high expectation that I would be able to spend more time for my next posts in summer vacation. But the way things are going, not sure if I have to scale it down. Looking for recipes which will be easy to prepare and take the snaps without requiring much setup.

Every country in the world has its own food habits that reflect their culture, environment as well as their lifestyle. Thai food always shows the color, the freshness, flavor and the simplicity. They use many kinds of herbs and spices that have health benefits and add good flavor at the same time. Few of the common ingredients used in Thai dishes are Holy Basil, Thai Basil, cilantro, chilies lemongrass, kaffir lime, Galangal, shallots mint. Thai style pays attention on not only how the dish tastes, but also on how good the dish looks and smells. What I love about their dish is strong aromatic components and mix of different spicy tastes. 

You have guessed it right; today I will share the recipe of Thai basil Chicken, which is known as Gai Pad Krapow. It’s one of the most popular street food dishes in Thai land. Whoever loves Thai food knows how common we order this dish when we visit Thai restaurant. It was in my mind for some time, but haven't made this because didn’t realize how simple and easy to prepare this dish. Also didn’t think Thai dishes could be this amazing. From the chopping board to dinner table, it needs only 30 minutes to prepare this lovely meal. The recipe is very flexible. I have tried with Chicken but you can try with Tofu if you are a vegetarian. Other than chicken the same recipe is supposed to go very well if you love pork or Shrimp too. When you make your own food, there are lots of options to tweak them in healthier ways. You can adjust as per your dietary needs or preferences. For example I used low sodium soy sauce. Authentic Thai Basil Chicken is supposed to be made with Holy Basil, but those are not easily available here. So I used Thai Basil. If you don’t find either type of these two basil near your home, you can use ordinary fresh Basil. You may try with cilantro too but the flavor will be little different and the name too.

Recipe of Thai Basil Chicken : serves 3 

Total time : 30 minutes, cook time : 20 minutes, prep time : 10 minutes 

Ingredients :

Chicken : 1 lb boneless, skinless thigh or breast, cut into 1/2 inch to 1 inch cubes 
Shallot : 3-4 thinly sliced ( if you don't get shallot, use half of one small red onion )
Garlic : 3-4 cloves, finely chopped
Red bell pepper : 1/2 of a small one, cut into thin 1 inch pieces
Thai chili peppers / Bird's eye chili / green chili peppers :  3 - 4, seeded and thinly sliced 
Thai Basil / Thai Holy Basil : 2/3 cup 

For Sauce :

Fish sauce : 2 tablespoons 
Soy sauce : 1 1/2 teaspoon 
Brown sugar : 1 teaspoon ( optional ) 
Black pepper powder : 1/4 teaspoon 
Oil : 2-3 tablespoons 

 Method :

1. Make the sauce, take a small bowl and add the fish sauce, soy sauce, brown sugar and black pepper. Stir it and mix well together. Set the bowl aside.

2. Take a large cast iron skillet or wok or a heavy bottomed pan heat it up and add the oil. Once oil becomes hot, add shallots to the pan and saute it. Add garlic and the chili, stir it over medium-high heat until onion is translucent. 

2. Add chicken to the pan, saute for couple of minutes until the color changes and chicken is almost cooked. Add the chopped red bell pepper pieces and keep stirring till everything is well cooked.

3. Add the sauce to the pan. Mix well till the chicken pieces are well coated with sauce. Add the basil and stir it well together. Turn off the heat. Sprinkle some extra basil leaves. Serve with steamed rice. 


Note :

You can use chili pepper flakes in the place of Thai chili.
I know, it's called Thai Basil Chicken, but you can make it with regular basil or cilantro.

Related Posts, you might like 

• Tom Yum Soup
• Mushroom Chicken

Continue Reading...

Tweet

Couscous with Shrimp and Feta cheese

It's been a very inconsistent and unpredictable climate here in San Diego for last one month. Sometimes it is cold crisp windy; the other day is warm and sunny. Today if you need a warm bowl of soup, the next day you may need some summer salads. This is typical here before the peak summer eventually arrives and summer fruits will bid good bye to winter.

Today what I am going to share is one of my favorite summer salads, called Mediterranean salad,  Couscous with shrimp and feta cheese. You can serve this as a side dish or serve it as a meal. The dish is made of couscous, granules of durum wheat and very popular staple food throughout North African cuisines. It is quick, easy and got a fresh look. Couscous has a mild flavor that makes it extremely versatile. And it works so well with different flavors, both sweet and savory. The texture looks like grainy, though it is technically not a grain. It tastes like a combination of pasta and semolina. It goes well with Greek spices and flavors. If you are from southern or eastern part of India and want to reduce your daily rice intake, then this dish is one of the healthiest substitutes. 

At this point, you may be thinking that it will be very complex process to cook Couscous and it’s not for the beginners. But that’s not true. It takes only 5-10 minutes to cook and came out perfect on my very first attempt! It’s difficult to go wrong in making nice fluffy couscous if you follow all the steps correctly. The old traditional method of cooking couscous used metal steamer first but nowadays you get ready-made pre-steamed and dried version.  So it got rid of at least one hard step :) 

There are several types of couscous. Most common one is the large Israeli one, which is pearled like couscous. Then there is Moroccan couscous that looks 3 times the size of cornmeal. What I cooked today is the second one. Just like any other salad, you can add any ingredient of your choice to this dish. Specifically I added grape tomatoes, garlic, shrimp, feta cheese and used light lemon dressing. That'sall! It came out not only very colorful but tasty too!

Couscous Salad with Shrimp and Feta Cheese : Serves 3
Prep time : 10 minutes, Cook time : 20 minutes, Total time : 30 minutes 

Ingredients :

Whole wheat Couscous : 1 cup
Extra-virgin Olive Oil : 2 tablespoon
Shrimp ( peeled and deveined ) : 1 lb
Red pepper flakes : a pinch
Grape or cherry tomatoes : 1/2 pint 
Garlic ( finely chopped ) : 2 cloves
Chick peas ( no salt added ) : 15 oz can , drained and rinsed 
Scallions / spring onion : ( 2 chopped )
Salt : 
Fresh dill / parsley / cilantro : 2 tablespoon ( finely chopped )
Lemon juice : 1 tablespoon 

Crumbled feta cheese : 1/2 cup

Method :

1. Cook the couscous as per package direction. Cover and keep warm until ready to serve.

2. Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp and sprinkle salt and red pepper flakes. Stir it occasionally, until the shrimp are pink. Once it is done, transfer the shrimp to a plate. 

3. Add the the remaining oil to the pan, and heat it up. Add garlic and tomatoes to the oil and stir it occasionally and cook until tomatoes are tender.  Add the chickpeas and keep stirring. 

4. Return the shrimp to the pan, add the scallions and 1 tablespoon dill.  Give some stirs. 

5. Fluff the couscous with a fork and add to pan. Add feta and mix it well. Check seasoning and add salt or red pepper flakes if needed. Add the lemon juice and again mix it. Sprinkle with the remaining 1 tablespoon dill and serve. 

Related recipes, you may like :

Garlic Prawn Pasta

Shrimp Fried Rice

Chow Mein ( Chinese Stir-fried Mixed Noodles )

Continue Reading...

Tweet

Yellow Moong with Bell Pepper

Like many other Indian families, Dal is an indispensable part of the dinner or lunch in our family too. Sometimes we make it light, sometimes it would be thick and hearty. My son will have it like a soup when it is light. There are several types of Dals which can be considered as aside dish too, specifically with bread. Though it looks very simple, you can make very delicious Dal preparation if you add your own innovation. For example, you can add different vegetables or even meats or egg or shrimp. There is little chance that you would go wrong with the flavors and taste.

I did similar experiment when I cooked this particular Dal couple of years back. I used to like bell peppers because it adds both flavors and color to any dish. So whenever I go for grocery, I buy some of them without any serious thought. That way some green and red peppers would be there in my refrigerator always. When I used them with this Dal, did not realize that the end result could be so delicious. This Dal has been highly appreciated by my friends and I guess you will also like it.

The recipe of the particular Dal that I am sharing is called "Flavorful Yellow Moong Dal". This is

the most common one along with other versions of Dal like Toor Dal, Chana Dal, Masoor Dal and Urad Dal. For my non-Indian readers, Dal is known as lentils outside India. It’s a readymade source of proteins for a balanced diet, particularly for those who like vegetarian diet. Most Dal recipes are very simple to prepare. The preparation of Dal always has two steps. First begins with boiling of Dal in water with turmeric and salt, then add fried garnish at the end of cooking. The process of adding fried garnish is called 'tadka'.  Having a pressure cooker would ease the process of cooking Dal and make it faster.

Recipe of Yellow Moong with Bell Pepper : Serves : 4 to 5 

Ingredients :

Yellow Moong: 1 cup 

Turmeric powder : 1/2 teaspoon

Green pepper : a small one ( chopped )

Red pepper : a small one or a half ( chopped )

Onion : a small one ( finely chopped )

Ginger paste : 1 teaspoon 

Garlic paste : 1 tablespoon

Tomato : a small one ( chopped )

Oil : 2-3 tablespoon 

Cumin seeds : 1/2 teaspoon 

Whole dry red chili : one or half ( cracked ) 

Coriander powder : 1 teaspoon

Red Chili powder ( optional ) : as per tolerance 

Chopped cilantro : a handful 

Method : 

1. First lightly toast the yellow moong in a dry skillet until nice aroma comes out and the color of Dal changes to golden yellow but not brown. Once it is done, let it cool down. Wash the lentils until the water runs clear.

 2.  Boil the Dal. There are two methods, one is pressure cooker method. Another one is sauce pan method.

3. For pressure cooker, rinse Dal and put it in the cooker along with enough water ( 4 to 5 cups) , salt and the turmeric powder. The water level should be half of the finger ( 1 cm approximately ) tall above the Dal. Cover the lid and let it cook in medium heat until you hear one whistle. Remove from heat, first let it cool down completely, then open the lid.

4. Another process of boiling Dal, take a deep sauce pan with lid, rinse Dal and put it in the pan with enough water, salt and turmeric. Bring it to boil and then let it simmer until the dal is well cooked. Add more water in the boiling process, if needed.

5.  Once Dal becomes soft and well cooked ( but not mushy ) set it aside.

6. Take a pan or wok, heat 2 to 3 tablespoon oil. Add dry whole red chili and whole cumin seeds. Once they become aromatic and start to spatter, add the chopped onion. 

7. Saute the onion until it becomes soft. Add ginger and garlic paste. Stir it and let it cook until raw smell goes off. 

8. Add the chopped green pepper and red pepper and give some stirs. Add salt and stir it till they become soft.

9. Add turmeric, coriander powder, chili powder. Give some good stirs until oil starts separating from the side of pan. 

10. Add chopped tomato and cook until it the tomato is mushy. Now drop the cooked dal to the pan. Stir everything well and let it cook for couple of minutes. Add water if needed.

11. Check the seasoning, add salt if required. Check the desired consistency. Add the chopped cilantro and turn off the gas. 

12. Yellow Moong with Bell pepper is ready to serve. Pour it in a serving bowl and serve hot with rice or bread or as a soup. 

Continue Reading...

Tweet