DesiKhana

GurrGajarChawal_Featured3

I know I have been showing up after a while. When I am home with my family I dont get time to blog. Life is all busy with socializing, shopping, yapping, some baking workshop and lazying around. Last week I spent on the beaches of Goa and when I returned to Delhi it was freezing cold. The next day was Makar Sankranti which is the First Day of Hindu Calender. This day is widely celebrated in India with different names in different parts of the country like Pongal, Lohri, Bihu etc. Its believed to be the coldest day of winters when the cold is at its peak. Therefore, foods which keep your body warm are eaten and distributed with friends and family which included, sesame seeds, dates, jaggery, ground nuts and other dry fruits.

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I was home after many days and I was itchy to make something festive. So I decided to make this rice pudding with Jaggery, Dates and Carrots. Its my mother’s recipe and I have grown old on this. This is a keeper for winters. Its a wholesome meal I had also made Tilkoot which is Pounded Sesame Seeds and Jaggery Balls couple of years back . Its a traditional recipe from Uttar Pradesh.

Directions:

1. Soak Rice in Water for an hour or so.

2. Wash and Grate Carrots and keep aside.

3.Blanch Almonds and remove their skin and cut them into halves. Also deseed and chop some dates. You can also add raisins and cashews if you like.

4. For the syrup, in a pan heat water and when it comes to a boil add jaggery. Keep stirring and let the jaggery melt in water.

4. Add a spoonful of milk and a scum will form on top. Spoon out the scum and throw it away. That’s the impurity in jaggery which we don’t want to add to the rice. Turn the flame off and keep the syrup aside.

5. In a pressure pan add ghee and when ghee melts add cumin seeds.

6.Let them crackle that is when you add grated carrots to the pan and saute in ghee for a minute.

7. Add the dried nuts which we had chopped earlier.

8. Add Soaked rice without the water.

9. Lastly add the jaggery syrup and close with the lid. Pressure cook for 3-4 whistles or until the rice is cooked.

10. When the steam escapes fluff up with a fork and serve hot. Enjoy the winter bounty.

You can even try Tilkoot for Makar Sankranti.

Other Rice recipes you can try are: Rice Pudding with Mango & Saffron, Mushroom Biryani, Raw Mango Rice, Spicy Mint Rice, Italian Arborio Rice with Mushrooms, Kathal Ki Biryani, South Indian style Curd Rice, Bombay Biryani

GurrGajarChawal_Featured1 [whohit]GurrGajarRice[/whohit]

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Mooli aur Mooli Ke Patton Ki Sabzi is a winter delicacy. Winters are here in full swing and the most inviting winter produce we get in India are white long radishes. In mexico I have seen red colour variation of these. But nonetheless both are delicious in their own ways 🙂 The radish which are sold now often come with the leaves on. If you are lucky to visit the market in the morning you might find the fresh radish with their greens on. That what you must pick for this recipe. The tender the leaves the more delicious they will be. This is an interesting way to cook radish than to have it just as a salad or stuffed in a parantha.

It is my maternal aunt Neena’s recipe which she often makes with ground poppy seeds and mustard seeds. I tried this first time fearing my fussy husband wouldn’t like it. He simply detests radish and its close kin turnip. But I was hellbent to impress him. The dish came out delicious and it was proved without doubt when my husband took a second helping 🙂

Its not only delicious but very nutritious. The fresh greens and radish are a rich source of roughage and helps to regulate blood pressure. It fights constipation and is extremely good for asthmatic patients. Who doesn’t wanna like this humble vegetable with such health benefits.

Directions:
1. Take some firm radish with fresh tender leaves. Wash the radishes. Cut the neck of the radish and separate the leaves. Do not throw them away. Peel the radish.

2. Cut the radish into small cubes and separate the tender leaves.

3. Wash these leaves well so that no grit remains. Chop them finely, set aside.

4. In a dry grinder or coffee grinder add poppy and mustard seeds and grind them to a powder. Set aside.

5. In a wok or kadhai add mustard oil and smoke it. Add the mustard, poppy seeds powder and saute for a minute.

6. Add turmeric powder, salt and red chili powder.

7. Add chopped raddish and mix well with the spices. Cover with a lid and cook on medium low heat for 7-8 minutes or until your see its partially cooked.

8. Add the chopped radish greens to the wok and mix well. Cover it and further cook for another 5 minutes.

9. Serve hot with Roti and with some Bathua raita on the side.

For more everyday recipes you can try: Gobhi Danthal ki Sabji, Aloo Methi Punjabi Style, Swanjhane ki Sabji, Methi Matar Malai.

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Gurr Gajar Ke Meethey Chawal | Sweet Jaggery Carrot Rice Pudding

Mooli aur Mooli Ke Patton Ki Sabzi | Radish & Radish Greens In Indian Spices