Raji's Indian cooking class

Bhajias (Fritters)

Green Chutney
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Badshahi Biryani
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Boondi Raita
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Saag Paneer
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Carrot Halwa
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Carrot Halwa

ingredients:                                                                                                           

• 2 lbs carrots (preferably large organic), skin scraped off and shredded
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1 ½ cups sugar
• 1 stick of unsalted butter
• ½ stick butter to garnish with 2 tbsp of pistachio (slivered and fried)
• 10 cardamom pods, skin removed and seeds crushed
• Pinch of saffron (optional)

Steps                                                                                                                      

1. Heat 1 stick of butter in a heavy saucepan or pressure cooker until melted.
2. Add shredded carrots and fry for 6 minutes or until wilted.
3. Add milk and cook for 15-20 minutes on low or medium low heat.  Stir constantly to avoid burning of carrots. Alternatively, in a pressure cooker, add milk and shredded carrots and cook until pressure develops for 3-5 minutes and turn off the stove.
4. Add cardamom powder and stir.
5. Add sugar and stir constantly until the mixture is translucent, for 30 minutes under a medium flame.
6. Transfer it to a glass dish.
7. Cool and garnish with fried pistachio.

Green Chutney

 ingredients:                                                                                                        

• Juice of 2 green limes
• 3 cloves of garlic, peeled and chopped
• 4 hot green chillies (2 inch size)
• ¾ tsp salt
• ½ tsp sugar
• 1 whole bunch of coriander (cilantro) with bottom cut off, washed and chopped fine
• 2 tsp salted peanuts

Steps                                                                                                                  

1. Combine garlic and lemon juice and grind.
2. Add chillies, salt and sugar. Grind more.
3. Add coriander and keep grinding.
4. Add peanuts. Grind.

Saag Paneer

Ingredients:                                                                                                     

• 1 large red onion, finely chopped
• 3 cloves of garlic, peeled and chopped
• 1 inch of ginger, chopped
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 2 tomatoes chopped
• 2 hot green chillies (2 inch size)
• 1 tsp garam masala
• 1 tsp ground red chillies (flakes)
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp of coriander (cilantro), washed and chopped fine
• 2 packages of spinach, thawed and squeezed
• 1 package of paneer, cubed
• ½ cup cream
• Pinch of nutmeg
• 2 tbsp of oil

For tadka:

• curry leaves
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 1 tbsp oil

Steps                                                                                                                                      

1. Heat spinach in a microwave for 4 minutes.  Set aside.
2. Saute onion, garlic, ginger and cumin in oil.
3. Add chillies, tomatoes, garam masala, and salt.
4. Saute for 5 minutes.
5. Add spinach to mixture in the pan, with a little water.
6. Cook for 5 minutes.
7. Cool.
8. Puree in blender.
9. Shallow fry paneer.
10. Add to spinach mixture.
11. Cover and cook for 5 minutes.
12. Add cream and nutmeg and stir well.
13. To prepare tadka,heat 1 tbsp oil in a frying pan.
14. Add mustard seeds.
15. When mustard spurts, add curry leaves.
16. Add tadka to spinach.

Bhajias (Fritters)

Ingredients:

• 1 bottle marinated peppers (red and green), chopped (6 oz)
• 3 potatoes, skins removed and cut into small thin pieces
• 1 large red onion (chopped)
• 1 cup frozen green peas (Bansi brand from Indian store recommended, peas are firm)
• 1 carrot, chopped fine
• 1 cup chickpea powder (besan)
• ½ tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp cumin-coriander powder
• ½ tsp amchoor powder (dried mango)
• 1 tsp ajwain seeds
• ½ tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp salt
• ½ tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp oil
• Oil for frying (~ 1 ½ cup)
• Fresh chopped coriander (cilantro, optional )

Steps:

1. Soak potatoes, carrots, and peas in water for an hour to remove start. Drain well in colander.
2. Mix with remaining ingredients in a bowl.
3. Add ½ cup water, slowly, while mixing well.
4. Heat oil in khadai until temperature reaches 375F.
5. Fry in oil at 375 F.

Badshahi Biryani

Ingredients:

• 1 box Chicken Biryani (Bombay Biryani, Shaan brand)
• Chicken, 6 boneless thighs and 6 boneless breasts, cut into 2 inch pieces
• 1 cup yogurt
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tsp scraped ginger
• 2 cloves of garlic, crushed
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 2 ½ cups basmati rice
• 1 large red onion, sliced fine
• 1-2 fresh tomatoes, chopped
• 4 canned plum tomatoes
• 1 tsp cardamom pods
• 1 tsp black cumin
• 2 tbsp oil + 2 tbsp butter
• 2 tbsp milk
• Pinch of saffron

Garnishing:

• 1 tbsp Olive oil + butter mixture
• 2 tsp raisins
• 2 tsp cashew
• 2 tsp slivered almonds
• 1 tbsp chopped mint
• 1 tbsp chopped coriander (cilantro)

Steps:

1. Put chicken in bowl with yoghurt, lemon juice, 1 1/2tsp salt, ginger, and garlic.
2. Mix and marinate for at least 2 hours.
3. Wash rice and soak for 2 hours.
4. Add 2 tbsp of oil/butter mixture to pan. Fry onion.
5. Add 1 tsp cardamom and 1 tsp black cumin.
6. Drain rice. Add to pan and fry.
7. Add 5 cups of water and 1 1/2 tsp salt and cook slowly.
8. In a separate pan, add 2 tbsp of oil/butter mixture and fry chicken until it is white in color.
9. Add tomatoes and biryani powder and simmer until oil separates from sauce.
10. When rice is ¾ cooked, transfer to oven-proof dish. Add chicken and mix gently.
11. Add frozen peas and carrots.
12. Cover with foil. Bake at 375F. Cook for 30-45 minutes.
13. Mix saffron in milk and sprinkle over rice.
14. Fry raisins, cashews and almonds in olive oil & butter mixture.Use as garnish for rice.
15. Sprinkle with chopped mint and coriander.

Boondi Raita

ingredients:                                                                                                    

• 1 cup Boondi (savory fried chickpea balls, dried, sold in packets in Indian store)
• 1 cup yogurt
• 1 hydrophonic cucumber, peeled and chopped fine
• 1 shallot, finely chopped
• 1 tsp black cumin, dry roasted
• ½ cup milk
• Pinch of salt
• 1 tbsp chopped coriander (cilantro)
• 1 tsp chopped mint

Steps                                                                                                                     

1. Beat yogurt and milk with a pinch of salt.
2. Add shallot and cumin and mix well.
3. At the very end, just prior to serving, add boondi.  Stir nicely
4. Garnish with chopped coriander and mint