ALOO BHUJIA

    Aloo Bhujia is a popular Bikaneri Namkeen commonly remembered along with Haldirams who popularized the snack around the world. My son & my brother love this snack. I usually buy big packs of these Haldiram Aloo Bhujias whenever I can get hold of it. This recipe is my trial with the all-time favourite snack - Aloo Bhujia.

    Bikaneri Bhujias are quite famous in & around India & its popularity is widespread around the world. Bhujias have taken a special place in the list of snacks & savouries. We can get a variety of Bhujias from Bikaner, a city in the western state of Rajasthan in India. Light yellow coloured snacks, mostly prepared with Gram Flour/Moth Bean Flour & spices has gradually become synonymous to Bikaner gaining the GI(Geographical Indication) patent for the same. But the name of the city, Bikaner has imposed deep in our minds for its all-time famous Bikaneri Bhujias, epitomizing it as the land of snacks. The omnipresent Bhujia has taken different avatars in due course. And one among the avatar is the Aloo Bhujia.

Once an Indian Poet Ashok Vajpeyi remarked Bikaner, like this - 

    "This is also a city where one half of the population is occupied with making bhujia & the other half with eating it".

   While I was making Sev for Bhel Puri, I thought maybe can give a try with Aloo Bhujia. Aloo Bhujia is nothing but a Sev like savoury snack prepared with Chickpea Flour, boiled & mashed Potatoes with flavourings. Mainly it would have an overwhelming flavour of Chaat Masala, Black Salt and Mint in it. It is such an easy & foolproof recipe. I added boiled & mashed Potatoes along with Besan(Bengal Gram Dhal Flour) & some spices to add flavours to the snack. Deep-fry it on a very flame and as simple as that, there it's - the Aloo Bhujia. Homemade Aloo Bhujia turned out to be a tasty treat with an added advantage that it has no additives, preservatives and above all, it was not salty as the ones we buy from the stores. This spicy & Crispy Aloo Bhujia serves best as a tea time snack. Serve it along with Garma-Garam Chai(Tea) or with a hot Cup of Coffee. Sprinkle Aloo Bhujia as a topping while serving Chaat items like Bhel Puri, Pani Puri, Dahi Puri etc., With the upcoming festive season, this recipe can be an easy addition into your Savoury list.

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 Cuisine - Indian

 Recipe Type - Snacks

 Spice Level - Low

 Difficulty - Medium

 Author - SM

Preparation Time - 15-20 Minutes

Cooking Time - 30 -45 Minutes

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 HOW TO MAKE ALOO BHUJIA

ALOO BHUJIA

INGREDIENTS:

For Aloo Bhujia:

Potato - 1/2 Cup 

Bengal Gram Dhal Flour (Besan) - 2 Cups

Butter - 2 1/2 Tbspn

Turmeric Powder - 1/2 Tspn

Red Chilli Powder - 1 Tspn 

Asafoetida Powder - 1/2 Tspn

Chaat Masala - 1 Tspn

Dry Mint Powder - 1 Tspn 

Baking Soda - a Pinch 

Lemon Juice - 2 Tbspn 

Salt - To Taste

Water - As Required (1/4 Cup + 2 Tbspn)

*Scroll down to see how to make Dry Mint Powder.

For Deep Frying: 

Oil 

For Sprinkling:

Chaat Masala - 1/4 Tspn

Black Salt - 1/4 Tspn(Optional)

Dry Mint Powder - 1/4 Tspn(Optional)

METHOD:

• Clean, wash & Boil the Potatoes until soft & cooked.
• Once cooked, peel the potatoes and mash it well.
• Add it along with the all the other dry ingredients mentioned under ' For Aloo Bhujia' and mix well.
• Melt the butter & pour the hot butter into the above ingredients and mix well.
• Add a little bit of water at a time and knead it into a soft dough.
• Adjust the amount of water according to the starchiness of the Potatoes. You may need approximately 1/4 cup + 2 Tbspn of water.
• Knead it into a stiff, but pliable dough(Once kneaded the dough shouldn't have any cracks in it) & keep it aside.
• Grease the Sev "press" with attachment.
• Roll some dough and fill the cylinder of the Sev Press with the dough and close it.
• Heat oil in a frying pan on medium heat. 
• Oil should be moderately hot while dropping the Sev Strands into it.
• Now hold the Sev press over the frying pan and press the handle.
• Press out thin strands of Aloo Bhujia directly into the oil, making a whole circular motion.
• Stop as you complete one circle. 
• Deep-fry the Aloo Bhujia on a very low flame until the colour changes from all the sides and sizzling stops. 
• It shouldn't turn brown. 
• Remove the Aloo Bhujia with slotted spoons and drain on an absorbent paper.
• Follow suit and deep-fry the remaining Aloo Bhujia.
• Keep aside to cool for 5 to 10 minutes.
• Transfer the Aloo Bhujia into a deep bowl and break them into small pieces.
• Sprinkle dried Mint Powder, Black Salt, Chaat Masala & give a good toss.
• Store in an air-tight container and use as required.

ALOO BHUJIA

 

NOTES:

• Mash the cooked Potatoes well enough that there should be no lumps in it.
• Use water as required. The amount mentioned is how much I used while preparing the dough.
• Deep fry the Aloo Bhujias on a very low flame. Otherwise, it will turn brown.
• Drop the Aloo Bhujia into hot oil in swirls and wait until the sizzling stops before turning up to the other side.
• Fry the Bhujias until they turn into a nice yellow colour. 

HOW TO MAKE DRY MINT POWDER:

    Homemade Mint Powder is flavourful & makes Aloo Bhujia wonderfully aromatic. You can easily make it at home. I usually make dry mint powder fresh for the recipes and have not tried store-bought ones. Fresh homemade Dry Mint Powder retains a lot of flavours in it, which makes the Bhujia flavourful. You would need a handful of Mint Leaves for the purpose. Use more or less to suit your recipe. Can store it in an air-tight jar for later use.

METHOD:

• Remove the Mint Leaves from the Stalk.
• Wash it and allow it to dry on a clean kitchen towel.
• Once dried, dry roast the Mint Leaves on a low flame until it turns crisp & dry.
• Powder it using a coffee grinder or a small blender jar.
• Sieve it & there you go with Dry Mint Powder.
• Can use the residue to sprinkle on top of the Bhujias.

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SHRIKHAND RECIPE - KESAR ELAICHI SHRIKHAND

    Shrikhand is a popular dessert from the Western States of India - Maharashtra & Gujarat. Shrikhand, colloquially called 'Matho' is one must serve dessert in a Wedding Thali Meal. It is mentioned as Shikhrini in Sanskrit Literature. Shrikhand is made from hung Curd/Yoghurt referred to as 'Chakka' in Marathi. Hung Curd is the thickest form of a Curd where all its whey has drained off & only the thick Curd/Yoghurt is left out.

    Shrikhand is an extravagant avatar from the humble homemade Curd/Yogurt. Homemade Curd/yoghurt with a few processes & add-ons it is converted into a creamy, smooth, silky-textured Shrikhand. An easy, no-cook recipe loaded with nutrition, digestive agents and above all - a guilt-free sweet indulgence. Shrikhand recipe is made from thick hung Curd/Yoghurt, powdered Sugar, Cardamoms, Saffron with a bit of milk and served with loads of slivered nuts. Shrikhand is served as a dessert in a Thali Meal or sometimes served along with Rotis or Puris.

    'Kesar Elaichi Shrikhand' - Saffron & Cardamom flavoured Shrikhand is the basic recipe. Yet another popular variation of the same dessert is Mango Shrikhand where they add Mango Pulp along with hung Curd/Yoghurt. You would just need 3 ingredients to make Shrikhand - Hung Curd, powdered Sugar, Cardamom Powder. Adding Saffron, dry fruits, nuts, rose petals etc., are optional.

    Traditionally, a device called Puran Yantra was used to hang & drain the Curd/Yoghurt. But a clean cloth is just what we would need for the job. Pour the yoghurt/curd into the kitchen cloth and tie it up together with a knot. Place it on top of a deep vessel, until all the whey is removed from the Curd/Yoghurt. I leave it in the refrigerator overnight. This way, the Curd/Yoghurt wouldn't get sour. 

     Once the hung Curd/Yoghurt is ready, you can leave it in the refrigerator and make this dessert immediately, whenever you want it.  It can be incorporated within minutes & leave it in the refrigerated chilled.  Serve it in a Thali Meal or as a dessert. 

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 Cuisine - Maharashtrian, Gujarati (Indian)

 Recipe Type - Dessert

 Difficulty - Medium

 Serves - 3-4

 Author - SM  

Preparation Time(For Hung Curd) - 5 -6 Hours/Overnight

Preparation Time(For Shrikhand) - 25 -30 Minutes.

Cooking Time - Nil

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SHRIKHAND - KESAR ELAICHI SHRIKHAND

SHRIKHAND RECIPE - KESAR ELAICHI SHRIKHAND

Points to remember while making Shrikhand

Curd/Yogurt -

• Use fresh homemade Curd/Yoghurt. Make sure it is not sour. Leave the Curd/Yoghurt to drain in the refrigerator.
• If using store-bought Curd/Yoghurt, make sure it is fresh. 
• If you are in short of time, Greek Yogurt would be a good choice. As Greek Yogurts tend to be naturally thick, it would require less time to drain off the whey.

For a detailed Recipe on HOW TO MAKE CURD/YOGHURT, Click here...

Sugar -

• Use normal sugar for the recipe. Powder it using a blender.
• Store-bought powdered sugar has cornflour added into it which will alter the texture of this dessert.
• Can substitute Sugar with Honey. 

Add-ons -

• Classic Shrikhand is flavoured with Cardamoms.
• Some recipes call for adding Saffron in it.
• Dry fruits & nuts can be added for an extra note of crunchiness in the dessert. 
• Add few Rose Petals for extra flavouring.
• Can give a twist to this classic dessert by adding  your choice of fruit pulp.
• Mango Shrikhand is yet another popular variation of the same dessert.
  

HOW TO MAKE SHRIKHAND

SHRIKHAND RECIPE - KESAR ELAICHI SHRIKHAND

Lets first start with making HUNG CURD,

INGREDIENTS:

For Hung Curd:

Homemade Curd/Yoghurt - 41/2 Cups to 5 Cups

Utensils Needed:

Strainer

Deep Bowl

Kitchen Cloth/Muslin Cloth/Cheese Cloth

METHOD:

For Hung Curd:

• Place a clean kitchen cotton towel/cheesecloth/muslin cloth over a strainer.
• Place the strainer on a deep bowl/vessel.
• Pour the fresh Curd/Yoghurt into it.
• Bring together the four edges of the kitchen cloth & tie it up using one end tightly around.
• Gently press and drain off the whey.
• When most of the whey water has drained off, place it on top of a deep bowl.
• Alternatively, you can hang it down on a hook in your kitchen counter.
• I leave the bowl in the refrigerator(Overnight or for 4-5 hours). As I live in a tropical climate, Curd/Yoghurt tends to get sour soon.
• So, I left the Curd/Yoghurt in the refrigerator overnight.
• Use a deep bowl/vessel to drain off the whey water. There should be some distance between the Curd/Yoghurt in the strainer & the whey.
• If the bowl happens to be shallow, the hung Curd/Yoghurt tend to get in contact with the whey, which will not help the process. The Curd/Yoghurt would tend to have some whey in it even after a long time of draining.
• Next day or once the whey is drained off from the Curd/Yoghurt, collect the drained whey.
• Whey can be used while kneading the dough for Chapatis, Rotis or into Curries, Dhals etc.,
• The Hung Curd colloquially called Chakka should be very thick, smooth & creamy.
• It would have a texture similar to a Cream Cheese.
• Collect the thick hung Curd/Yoghurt from the cloth into a bowl (silicon spatula works best for the purpose).
• Cover the bowl with a lid and store the hung Curd/Yoghurt in the refrigerator until use.
• Hung Curd/Yoghurt is used in a variety of dishes like Dahi Kebab, can be used as a spread in Sandwiches, as a filling in Parathas, as a dressing for Salads & Raithas and can be converted into a variety of desserts like Shrikhand, Parfaits, Puddings etc.,

SHRIKHAND - KESAR ELAICHI SHRIKHAND

SHRIKHAND RECIPE - KESAR ELAICHI SHRIKHAND

For Kesar Elaichi Shrikhand: 

Hung Curd - 3 Cups

Sugar - 6-7 Tablespoons

Cardamom - 4-5 Pods

Saffron - few strands

Milk - 1/2 Tbspn

For Garnishing:

Slivered Almonds - few

Slivered Pistachios - few

Chironji - few

Rose Petals - few (Optional)

Saffron Strands - few (Optional)

METHOD:

Preparation:

• Soak a few saffron strands in 1/2 a tablespoon of warm milk for about 10-15 minutes.
• Grind the Cardamom Pods into a fine powder and keep it aside.
• Powder the sugar using a small blender jar/coffee grinder.

For Kesar Elaichi Shrikhand:

• Take about 3 Cups of Hung Curd/Chakka in a deep bowl.
• Add powdered sugar, saffron soaked milk & cardamom powder to the hung Curd/Yoghurt.
• Use an electric beater or a wire whisk to whip up the hung Curd/Yoghurt. Alternatively, use a blender to beat the ingredients.
• Whip up the ingredients until smooth, fluffy& the sugar is well dissolved.
• Adjust the amount of sugar at this stage.
• Transfer it into serving bowls, garnish Kesar Elaichi Shrikhand with slivered Nuts and serve it chilled.
• Keep it refrigerated until you serve. 
• Shrikhand - Kesar Elaichi Shrikhand  can be served as a dessert in a Thali Meal or serve it as a side dish for Rotis or Puris.

NOTES:

• Use fresh homemade Curd/Yogurt for best results.
• If you are using store-bought Curd, make sure it is not sour.
• Leave the curd to drain off on a deep bowl, preferably in a refrigerator.
• Store the hung curd in the refrigerator until use.
• Adjust the amount of sugar to suit your sweet tooth.
• Powder the sugar using a blender. Do not use store-bought powdered sugar.
• Garnish Kesar Elaichi Shrikhand with your choice of nuts or dry fruits.
• Keep it chilled until you serve.

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PEAR HALWA

    As sceptical as ever, my daughter lifted her brow when I handed her a bowl of Halwa. Though I didn't mention what it was, she was damn sure that it was experimental. It looked like Kasi Halwa(Poosanikai Halwa) she was trying to find what the base ingredient was. She said some fruit, maybe apple and I said, it was Pear Halwa. She is biased when it comes to experimental recipes like this though she loved the texture of the Halwa, especially the texture of crunchy nuts in it. My next victim was my husband, who ate it with no comment. Then asked for an extra serving, I knew it was good. Have made this Pear Halwa three times in a row, just with the idea of finishing a whole lot of Pear.

    Why Pear Halwa? When you end up with having a few Pears just bland, eating it as such was not working & I was wondering what I could make out of it. And there I went with my whims & fancies & tried to recreate a version of Halwa with Pears. I was totally convinced with the results, perfected the measurements in my second attempt & here you go with the recipe. Trust me you can surely give a try & it is not going to disappoint you at all. 

    I followed the same method as for Kasi Halwa(Poosanikkai Halwa). Pear Halwa is prepared with Pears, Sugar, Ghee and Cardamom Powder and garnished with an extra bit of slivered Almonds & Cashew nuts fried in ghee which gives a whole lot of crunchy texture in every bite. I have not added Milk in this recipe. You have no strict rules while making this Halwa. Pears with its unique taste & the roasted slivered Nuts add texture to this Pear Halwa. And above all, this is an easy recipe & can be incorporated within minutes. 

    Just one thing to remember - Use the grated Pears immediately.  Otherwise, it tends to get oxidized & the colour of the Halwa may turn dark. No need of squeezing out any extra water in it. Add the grated Pears into the Ghee and cook it on a low flame until it turns soft &tender. Let the mixture be dry before adding sugar & flavourings into it. And when it comes to Sugar, I have added 1/4 Cup of Sugar for 2 Cups of Pear. The Pear I used was not sweet. If you are using a sweet variety, I suggest you to adjust it accordingly.

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 Cuisine - Indian

 Recipe Type - Sweet

 Difficulty - Medium

 Serves - 2-3

 Author - SM  

 Preparation Time - 15 -20 Minutes.

 Cooking Time - 20-30 Minutes.

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HOW TO COOK PEAR HALWA 

PEAR HALWA

INGREDIENTS:

For Pear Halwa:

Ghee - 3-4 Tbspns

Cashew Nuts - 10 Nos.

Almonds - 10 Nos. 

Pear - 2 Cups

Sugar - 1/4 Cup

Cardamom - 2-3 Pods

Saffron - few Strands

Yellow Food Colouring - few Drops(Optional)

 Salt - a Pinch

METHOD:

Preparation:

• Grind Cardamoms along with few teaspoons of sugar into a fine powder and keep it aside.
• Soak Saffron strands in few teaspoons of warm water.
• Sliver the Nuts and keep them aside. 
• Wash, peel & cut the Pears into halves.
• Remove the Seeds.
• Grate the Pears using a grater.
• Use the grated Pears immediately. 

For Pear Halwa:

• Heat 3 Tbspn of Ghee in a heavy-bottomed pan, roast the slivered, Almonds & Cashew Nuts.
• Add the grated Pears and cook on a medium-low flame for a few minutes.
• Cook the Pears until it turns soft & tender.
• Cook until the Pears turn dry and there is no water.
• Now add the sugar along with Saffron soaked Water, Cardamom Powder and give a quick stir.
• Add a few drops of yellow food colouring and mix well.
• Cook this on a low flame for about 5-7 Minutes.
• At this stage, Pear Halwa starts to bubble up.
• Now add a Tablespoon of Ghee and give a quick stir.
• Cook this on a low flame for another 5-7 Minutes.
• Add a pinch of salt and the remaining Ghee to the Halwa and mix well.
• When the Ghee starts to separate & the Pear Halwa begins to leave the sides of the pan, switch off the fire. 
• Serve Pear Halwa hot or at room temperature.
• Can keep it refrigerated.  
• Lasts up to a week when refrigerated. 
• The texture of the Halwa remains the same when refrigerated.

PEAR HALWA

NOTES:

• Grate the Pears evenly, which would facilitate even cooking.
• Once the Pears are grated, use it immediately.
• Otherwise, the Pears may tend to get oxidized.
• There is no need to squeeze the extra water out of the Pear.
• It helps the Pears to get cooked well.
• Saute the grated Pears and cook it along with the water until it turns soft, cooked and there is no more water content, before adding the sugar. 
• Some recipes call for adding Milk in the recipe.
• Can use 1/4 Cup of Milk and cook for an extra bit of time until the mixture turns dry before adding the sugar.
• Perfectly cooked Pears gives a perfect texture to the Halwa.
• Adjust the amount of sugar to suit your sweet tooth.
• I have flavoured the Halwa with Cardamom Powder.
• Adding a bit of extra Ghee will give a rich texture to the Pear Halwa.
• Adding Saffron is purely optional.
• Adding artificial food colouring is purely optional.
• I have added a few drops of yellow food colouring to the Pear Halwa. Can use orange/green food colouring too.
• Adding a pinch of salt to the Halwa is purely optional, but it helps to balance the overall taste of the dessert.

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