Phirni - The Rice Dessert with a twist

Phirni is one of the most common desserts in all of the north Indian weddings. You may remember this from one of the scenes in ‘Dil To Pagal Hai’ movie! It’s a really simple dessert to make using just very few ingredients yet is really delicious and easy. I created this recipe last month when I had a few friends over for dinner. I gave a twist to the usual recipe by adding gulkand (Rose petals marmalade) to it! You must try it once for that really yummy fresh after taste.

Serves 4

Time 30 mins

Ingredients

Rice, soaked         5 tbsp

Milk                      1 liter

Saffron (kesar)      a pinch

Sugar                              3/4 cup

Green cardamom powder        1/2 teaspoon

Pistachios, blanched, peeled and sliced     10 – 15

Gulkand 1 tbsp

Method

• Drain and grind the rice to a coarse paste.
• Bring the milk to a boil on a medium flame.
• Add rice paste dissolved in a little water or cold milk.
• Cook it on low flame till the rice is completely cooked, stirring constantly.
• Add saffron and mix well.
• Add sugar and cardamom powder and cook till sugar is completely dissolved.
• Turn off the stove. Add gulkand and mix well.
• Pour into kullads or any small bowls and garnish with pistachios.
• Chill in a refrigerator for an hour or more before serving.

Peking Lemon Chicken with flat noodles

Peking lemon chicken is really simple variation of saucy Chinese chicken. It’s not usually as sour like the ones with lots of vinegar. It’s a good combination of salty, sour, sweet and spicy. The lemon gives it a great tang and goes really well with noodles, rice or just with a fork! Recently I found the Peking chicken mix in a shop and I thought, well, Peking mix is just lemon, soy and ginger, why not try it myself!? And trust me, looking at the pics you can safely say it would taste yummy! So what are you waiting for? Read the recipe and try it this weekend. Do post in the pics on our FB page www.facebook.com/thetasteandflavours

I have used the flat egg noodles in my recipe. You can try any noodles you like, even maggi! My vegetarian friends can try this recipe with paneer (cottage cheese) or tofu.

Cooking time: 30 mins

Serves 2

Ingredients

Chicken breasts 2

Onion 1

Carrot 1

Ginger paste 2 tsp

Garlic paste 1 tsp

Light soy sauce 1 tbsp

Sugar 1 tsp

Honey 1 tsp

Olive oil 2 tbsp

Flout 1 tbsp

Salt to taste

Black Pepper ½ tsp

Paprika ½ tsp

Lemon juice 3 tsp

Flat noodles 2 packs (or as required)

Directions

• Cut chicken breast into small pieces. Dust them flour.
• Heat oil in a pan and pan fry the chicken pieces till golden brown. Keep aside.
• Keep the noodles for boiling on medium heat in 4 cups water. Put 1 tsp oil and 1 tsp salt in the water.
• Meanwhile, blend together 1 tsp ginger paste, honey, lemon juice and 2 tsp light soy sauce. Keep aside.
• Slice the onion and carrot.
• In the same pan, heat the oil and keep flame on high heat.
• Add ginger paste and garlic paste when hot.
• Add and stir fry the onions and carrot.
• Add sugar to caramelize the veggies. At this stage you can also add broccoli, cabbage, peas etc if you like.
• Reduce flame to low and add the chicken pieces to the pan. Stir well.
• Now add the honey soy blend made earlier and mix well.
• Cook for 2-3 mins.
• Then add 1 cup water and 2 tsp soy sauce and mix well.
• Cover the pan and let it simmer for 7-8 mins.
• Now add salt to taste, black pepper and paprika, and gently fold in.
• Add the boiled noodles to this mixture and mix using a spatula and tongs to coat the noodles nicely.
• Turn off the stove.
• Serve hot with garnish of spring onions.

Black Chick Pea Curry

Here’s a recipe that always reminds me of my dad cos he just loves it. Black chane or the chick pea curry with rice. Yummy! It’s really healthy and nutritious and equally tasty. The gravy tastes a lot like the non veg dishes so you can imagine it to be the vegetarian delicacy in the league of paneer! You just need to soak these overnight, and cooking just takes a few mins.

 

Preparation Time : 40 mins

Serves 4

Ingredients

Black Chick Peas 2 cups

2 medium onions finely chopped

3 big tomatoes pureed

2 green chilies chopped

6 garlic cloves chopped

1 inch ginger chopped

2 tsp Kasuri Methi/dry fenugreek leaves

½ tsp red chili powder

½ tsp Hing

1 tsp cumin/jeera

1 bay leaf

½ inch cinnamon stick

½ tsp garam masala

1 tsp dry coriander powder

1 tbsp refined oil

¼ tsp turmeric powder

Salt to taste

Directions to make black chane/chick peas/chole

• Soak the chick peas in water overnight or atleast 5-6 hrs.
• Boil then chick peas in 4 cups water with ½ tsp salt for 3 whistles on high and then for 25 mins on low heat.
• In a skillet, heat the oil on medium flame.
• Add the hing, jeera, bay leaf and cumin.
• When jeera splutters, add the garlic, ginger and green chilies.
• When garlic gets brown add onions.
• Keep stirring. When onions get pink, add the kasuri methi.
• When onions get golden brown, add the tomato puree.
• Cook on low heat for 8-10 mins till the oil separates from the masala.
• Add all the dry spices – garam masala, dry coriander powder, red chili powder, turmeric and salt.
• Mix well and cook for 2-3 mins more.
• Turn off the heat and then mix this masala paste to the boiled chick peas.
• Check the salt and adjust as per taste.
• Heat the chick peas mixed with masala on low heat for 5 mins so that flavours of the tempering gets incorporated in the whole curry.
• Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with rice, chapati or poori!

Oyster Broccoli Stir fry noodles in peanut sauce

I recently got a Jamie Oliver can of spicy smoked oysters. In India, esp in the northern parts, oysters aren’t available easily and neither cooked often. So I bought this just to see how the experiment goes! I also got the flat egg noodles. one day I thought I’ll make something nice with these 2 ingredients. Luckily I had everything required for a stir fry in the fridge, and had just seen the episode of ‘Everyday Exotic’ on TLC to know about perfect stir fry technique. So here’s this fun recipe of Oyster Broccoli Stir fry noodles in peanut sauce. I am sure once you have this you’ll be making this every week! You can also change the recipe very easily for chicken, fish, eggs or any other main protein you wish to add.

Preparation Time: 30 mins

Serves 2

Ingredients

Smoked Oysters 1 small tin (You can also use ready grilled chicken 200 gms, or cottage cheese, fish, or eggs to make a different version)

Peanuts 1 tbsp

Garlic 5-6 cloves

Egg flat noodles 2 pallets ( add quantity as per your hunger! You can also add the maggi, or any normal flour based noodles also)

Wosterchire sauce 2 tsp

Vinegar 2 tsp

Broccoli 1 small

Carrot 1

Tomato 1

Refined Oil 1 tbsp

Mixed herbs (Oregano, thyme, rosemary, basil) 1 tsp

Salt and pepper to taste

Water for boiling

Recipe of Oyster Broccoli Stir fry noodles in peanut sauce

• Cut broccoli and carrot into small pieces.
• Blanch the broccoli florets and carrot in boiling water for 6-7 mins. Drain and keep aside.
• Crush the peanuts in a blender into smaller pieces but not too fine.
• Meanwhile keep the egg noodles for boiling. Follow the instructions on the pack as it may vary. Usually it takes 8-10 mins on medium heat. Do not boil 100% as it would be further cooked in stir fry.
• In a wok heat the oil. Bring it to high heat. We need very hot pan for stir fry and keep all the other ingredients ready at your side.
• Add the finely chopped garlic. Stir for 5 seconds.
• Now add the mixed herbs and crushed peanuts. Stir for 10 seconds.
• Add the broccoli and carrots. Keep stirring for 1 min.
• Add chopped tomato. Stir for 1 min.
• Now add the oysters from the tin. Reduce heat to medium. Mix well.
• Add the wosterchire sauce, vinegar and ¼ the cup water. Let it cook for 2 mins.
• Now add the noodles and fold in the sauce gently using tongs of a flat spatula.
• Sprinkle salt and pepper as per your taste. Mix gently.
• Cook for 2-3 mins and serve hot! Yummy!!!