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PUNJABI PAKORA KARDHI



    Thought of treating you guys with this golden glory, ‘Punjabi Pakora Kardhi’. Made it yesterday for my daughter, as it’s her favourite dish. I still can’t forget the day when she was just 5, she came back home from school and had 3 plates of Kardhi and chawal (rice) and was still asking for more! Her dire love for this dish has become a memorandum in the family, and I hope you can make similar memories with this dish for yourself!

    SERVES: 6

    PREP TIME: 15 minutes

    COOKING TIME: 45 minutes

    TOTAL TIME: 1 hour



    INGREDIENTS


    For Kardhi:

    • 1 ½ litre Laban/Buttermilk

    • ¾ cup Besan (Gram Flour)

    • 4 cups Water

    • 2 tsp Salt

    • 1 ½ tsp Turmeric

    For Tempering:

    • 1 tsp Coriander Seeds

    • ½ tsp Methi (fenugreek) seeds

    • 4-5 Whole Red Chillies

    • 2 tsp Coriander Powder

    • ½ tsp Red Chilli Powder

    • 2 Green Chillies

    • 1 large Onion, chopped

    • 4 cloves Garlic

    • 1” piece Ginger, chopped

    • ½ tsp Garam Masala

    • 1 tsp Kasuri Methi (dried fenugreek)

    • 1 tsp Green coriander, chopped (to garnish)

    • ½ tsp Salt

    • 3 tbsp Oil

    For Pakoras:

    • 1 medium Onion, chopped finely

    • 1 small Potato, chopped finely

    • 1 Green Chilli, chopped

    • ¾ cup Besan (Gram Flour)

    • 1 tsp Coriander seeds (hand crushed)

    • ½ tsp Pomegranate seeds (anar dana)

    • 1 tsp Ginger, finely chopped

    • 1 tsp Salt

    • ¼ tsp Red Chilli Powder

    • ½ tsp Ajwain (Carom Seed)

    • 1 tsp Coriander Powder

    • ¼ tsp Garam Masala

    • ½ cup (approx.) Laban

    • ½ cup (approx.) Water

    • 1 ½ cup Oil (for frying)

    • 1 tbsp Chopped Coriander leaves



    METHOD


    To Make Kardhi:

    1. In a large deep cooking pot, pour laban, add besan, 2 tsp salt and turmeric.

    2. With a wire whisker, whisk them together and make lump free batter; add water and mix well.

    3. Simmer on a low flame for 25-30 minutes, stirring frequently.

    To Make Pakoras:

    1. In a bowl sift besan, add onions, potatoes and all the other dry pakora ingredients, pour water and laban, mix well to make soft batter. Leave to rest for 15 mins.

    2. Heat oil in a pan on medium high flame, pour the batter in small dollops (approx. 1 tbsp each).

    3. Deep fry pakoras until golden brown on both sides. Drain on absorbent paper.

    To Make Tempering:

    1. Crush garlic, ginger and green chillies with ½ tsp salt in mortar and pestle and make paste.

    2. Heat oil in a fry pan over medium-low heat, add coriander seeds, fenugreek seeds and whole red chillies, sauté for few seconds, add garlic, ginger and green chilli paste, stir for a few seconds, add onions, raise heat and fry them until golden brown.

    3. Add coriander powder, red chilli powder, garam masala and salt, sauté for few seconds and add it to the simmering kardhi.

    4. Add pakoras in the kardhi. Cook it further for another 5-7 minutes at low heat, taste and add salt if required.

    5. Rub kasuri methi in your palms, add it to the kardhi and stir to mix.

    6. Garnish with garam masala and coriander. Serve hot with steamed rice.


    COOK'S NOTES:

    • You can also use 2 cups of sour plain yogurt instead of laban or buttermilk. To get the right tartness in kardhi, use 2 days old yogurt.


    GREEN PEA AND LEEK SOUP WITH ROASTED BEET CHICKPEAS



      This green goodness is highly nutritional food for the soul which I make for dinners usually when your body needs soulful food to keep you light on your stomach and your senses uplifted. Made leek and peas soup with roasted beet chickpeas and added some freshly plucked basil to enhance its flavours.


      Basil is still blooming well in my garden and thought of using it before the sizzling summer hits Muscat and destroys it! Adding this herb in soup gives that extra flavor and freshness. I love basil so much that I almost end up adding this to most of my recipes, be it a soup, drink, salad, wraps, sandwiches or a even a dessert! Will keep posting my experimental recipes for you to try, and in the meantime, enjoy this green goodness and punch of roasted beetroot chickpeas which is again very nutritious and full of vitamins like B6, magnesium, potassium, calcium and more. Try this recipe!

      SERVES: 4

      PREP TIME: 15 minutes

      COOKING TIME: 55 minutes

      BAKING TIME: 20 minutes



      INGREDIENTS


      For Soup:

      • 4 cups frozen peas, thawed

      • 2 leeks, white and light green parts, sliced

      • 2 cloves garlic, smashed and peeled

      • 1 small onion, chopped

      • 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

      • 1 cup buttermilk

      • 20g butter (optional)

      • 3 cups hot water

      • 1 tsp sea salt

      • 2 tbsp vegetable stock powder

      • 1/3 cup fresh basil leaves, loosely packed

      • 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

      • 2 tbsp crème fraîche, for garnishing

      For Roasted Beet Chickpeas:

      • 250ml beetroot juice

      • 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

      • 1 can/ 400g chickpeas, drained, rinsed and pat dried



      METHOD


      1. For roasted beet chickpeas, preheat oven at 200° C, pour the beetroot juice and vinegar in a small saucepan and bring to boil, and simmer for 20-25 minutes until it’s reduced to about 65 ml and has thick and syrupy consistency.

      2. Now line a small baking tray and tip the chickpeas on it and pour half the reduced beetroot syrup, stir to coat them well, place in preheated oven and roast for 10 minutes. Remove from oven, pour the remaining beetroot syrup, stir to coat and roast further 10-12 minutes, making sure the syrup does not burn. Remove from oven and set aside.

      3. To make soup, cut leek lengthwise and thoroughly wash through each segment 4-5 times to remove dirt. Slice them all.

      4. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-low heat, add shallots and garlic and sauté for few seconds, add leeks and cook them for 10 minutes until softened.

      5. Add vegetable stock and salt, stir to combine and season, add hot water and raise the heat briefly to bring to boil, then simmer and cook for 20 minutes.

      6. Now add the peas and cook for 4-5 minutes until they are tender. Strain the soup into another saucepan.

      7. Pour the stained solids in a blender along with buttermilk, basil and tarragon leaves and blend to a smooth consistency. If necessary, add a ladle or two of stock to the blender for easy blending.

      8. Add the pepper, taste, and add more salt if required.

      9. Now pour the hot soup into bowls, garnish with swirl of crème fraîche on top and gently arrange the roasted beet chickpeas on top, sprinkle a dash of fresh pepper and serve.


      COOK'S NOTES:

      • Sometimes I also add tarragon leaves, which further elevates the taste of the soup.


      BREAKFAST GRANOLA


        Do you eat your breakfast for dinner or as a snack? I do that all the time with my homemade granola. Healthy nutritional breakfast is a kick-start and power boost to keep your energy levels up high to work the whole day. Greek yogurt topped with granola, chia, cherry compote and fruits is my all time favorite. I eat this as dinner sometimes or to ease my pallet for sweet cravings I have it after my meals. It’s that versatile! Try my homemade granola recipe and you won’t buy a store bought one. Do you also like to eat the way I eat my granola?

        SERVES: 8-10 servings

        COOKING TIME: 40 minutes

        PREP TIME: 10 minutes

        TOTAL TIME: 50 minutes



        INGREDIENTS

        • 3 cups rolled oats

        • 1/2 cup almonds, sliced

        • 1/4 cup pecan nuts

        • 1/3 cup pumpkin seeds

        • 3 tbsp sunflower seeds

        • 1 tbsp flax seeds

        • 100 g pitted majdool dates, chopped

        • 1/2 cup water

        • 1/2 cup honey

        • 3 tbsp coconut oil



        METHOD

        1. Mix all of the dry ingredients in a bowl.

        2. Separately mix water honey and oil, whisk together to combine, pour it in the dry ingredients, mix them all together.

        3. Spread the granola mixture on a large baking tray and place it in a preheated oven for 40 minutes at 170°C, tossing every now and then to get even toasting.

        4. Leave to cool completely and store it in an airtight container.


        COOK'S NOTES:

        • Serve these as it is with cold or warm milk, or have it with Greek yogurt, fruit compote and fresh fruits. You can also sprinkle on parfaits for desserts.

        • Easily turn this into a vegan recipe by using raw, locally sourced honey from a reputable bee farming source, or use vegan honey!


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