KHOYA GUJIYA

KHOYA GUJIYA

(Fried pastry with sweet filling)

Happy Holi to all.

 Gujiya is a very popular north Indian sweet dish, which has a festival significance. On the occasion of “Holi”, these gujiyas are made, not only to give to friends and family but actually the tradition is to offer to all the visitors visiting around holi festival.

Normally for every Indian festival, we say, “this is a colourful festival”, but holi is actually a festival of colours when we Indians really play with colours. We apply colours on each others forehead and cheeks to welcome friends and family members on that day.

In olden days, natural colours were used during holi, things like flowers were used, they were dried and powdered to make different colours for holi. But these days chemicals are used to make these colours, which sometimes are not good for skin. As we know, no festival is complete without a grand meal, so on this festival also a grand meal is made with many savoury and sweet dishes, gujiya is one of them.

In the stuffing of these gujiyas, khoya is used with some nuts, coconut powder and a small amount of sugar. The shape and taste of these gujiyas are so tempting, anyone would feel like eating it.

This is my friend Meera's recipe. It can last on the shelf for 15 -20 days. Whenever they are made in my kitchen, I make them in plenty not only because they last for many days but also because everybody in my family likes it.

RECIPE

INGREDIENTS

FOR DOUGH

• ½ kg all purpose flour (maida)
• 125 ml ghee (unsalted butter)
• Oil for frying

FOR FILLING

• 250 grams khoya *
• 20 grams coconut powder
• 50 grams sliced almonds
• 50 grams raisin
• 2 tsp cardamom powder
• 250 grams icing sugar
  * Khoya is a semi-solid form of milk available in Indian grocery shops in the refrigerated section.

METHOD

FOR FILLING

• Grate khoya and mix all other ingredients in it.

FOR DOUGH

• Mix ghee in flour and rub it in, till it resembles breadcrumbs.
• Add the little water and make a medium hard dough.
• Make small balls and roll it out to about 3-inch diameter, the size of a large cookie.
• Hold in your hand and fold half, and close with your fingers one side of the gujiya.
• Put one tbs filling and close the other side pressing with your fingers. Fold the outer edge with your pointing finger and thumb as u see in the picture. Make a batch of around 10 and keep aside for frying.
• Heat the oil in the wok over medium heat and fry in 3-4 batches till golden brown.
  Around 25 gujiys can be made depending on the size you make.

I am sending this recipe as my blog entry to Hearth and Soul, and with  Cook blog share, and with what'd do you do this weekend, and with Meatless Monday, and with Simple Sunday Link Party, and with See-ya-in-gumbo, and with Delectable Flavours.

MANGO JAM (JELLY)

MANGO JAM (Jelly)

In India mango is called “falo ka raja” which means the king of all fruits. I did some research on Google and came to know that this fruit is largely grown in south east Asia, and almost half of the world's mangoes are cultivated in India alone. After reading that I felt good and proud for India, partly being an Indian origin person and partly being a mango lover. Though India is the largest producer of mangoes surprisingly we Indians consume all its production, and not much is exported. I assume not only because of the country's large population but because of the taste of mango and variety available in India. And off-course people like me who really love mangoes.

In India different varieties have different names like alphonso, totapuri, safeda, langra and many more. My favourite is dashehri, which is famous from the city of Lucknow. Lucknow is the closest city to Kanpur. We were getting a lot of this variety in Kanpur, where I lived for many years in my youth, when I was at school and college.

In this mango jam I did not use any colour or preservative (pectin), it can be kept in the fridge and can last for two months. The natural colour of mango is so nice, there is no need to add any colour. In jams some fruits like mango gives so nice flavour and aroma that you are tempted to really eat big dollops of it on your toast!

RECIPE

INGREDIENTS

• 500 grams chopped mangoes
• 400 grams sugar

METHOD

• Make a puree in the blender with chopped mangoes.
• Mix mango puree and sugar together.
• In a fry pan or heavy bottomed wok cook the puree with sugar on a low flame.
• Keep on stirring, it will take 15-20 minutes to get the consistency of thick jam.
• Leave it to cool.
• If you are using cooking thermometer, check the temperature, when it is showing 90 degrees C, it means jam is ready to its real consistency
• When cold, keep in a sterilize glass jar or bottle and keep it in the fridge. Mango jam is ready to eat.

I am sending this recipe as my blog entry for What'd you do this weekend, and with Cook Blog share., and with Tasty Tuesday party, and with Creative spark link party, and my two favorite things on thrusday party, and Friday Frenzy party, and with Meat less monday, and with Foodie Friday party, and with Hearth and Soul hop, and with Thank goodness it is thrusday, and with Funtastic Friday, and with Healthy, happy and green.

LENTIL STUFFED BELL PEPPER

    LENTIL STUFFED BELL PEPPER

After my retirement when I was leaving Botswana in 2011 for good, I stayed in a hotel for 3 days. The hotel was very good, a 4 star one, but I was not sure whether I will get vegetarian food or not for my three day stay. I have experienced, in my long stay in Africa, that to get vegetarian food was always a problem.

So I made a request at the reception, to see the head chef of their main restaurant. We both, me and my husband, were thinking that we will request the head chef to prepare some vegetarian food for us in those three days.  After meeting the chef, I realized that he was my old student to whom I taught few years ago! He assured us that he will prepare nice vegetarian dishes for us, which was a big relief.

We both were totally amazed and impressed with his cooking in those three days. He prepared a variety of vegetarian dishes for us. This stuffed bell pepper was one of his best preparations. When he brought this dish to the table I could not believe that this is a vegetarian dish. The taste was awesome. Most of the filling was of lentils with some potatoes and onion with spices.   

Later I tried this dish in my kitchen basing on the taste of that day, it came out remarkably good. Thanks to that chef for offering me the dish. Now it is regularly made in my kitchen.

                    

RECIPE

INGREDIENTS

• 8 red/orange or green bell pepper of medium size
• 1 cup whole brown Lentil
• 200 grams potatoes (2 medium sizes)
• salt and black pepper to taste
• 2 teaspoon coriander powder
• 2 tablespoon oil for coating the bell pepper
• 200 grams grated mozzarella cheese

   METHOD

• Rinse, remove the stem of the pepper, cut half way through, and put it aside.
• Wash and rinse the lentils 3-4 times in water. Put in a pressure cooker with 1 and ½ cup of water, add salt and boil for 5-7 minutes after the whistle on a medium flame. Leave it to cool.
• Boil the potatoes, and after cooling them chop finely.
• In a big bowl, add potatoes and boiled lentils, salt, black pepper, dry coriander powder and mix thoroughly. The filling is ready.
• Take all the bell peppers and coat the outer skin with oil or spray them with oil. Stuff this filling in all the peppers. Heat the oven to 200 degrees C.
• Arrange the peppers standing in a tray. Bake the pepper for 20 -25 minutes till the pepper is tender from outside.
• Individually on each pepper sprinkle the cheese on top leave it for another 5 minutes in the oven so that cheese can melt and brown a little on the outside.

Serve hot as soon as it is out of the oven. This is a full meal, can be served with toasted bread or dinner bun, with any drink of your choice. This can be served to 6-8 people.

I am sending this recipe as my blog entry for Weekend Recipe linkup party, and Bake of the week  party, and with Food Year linkup March, and with My Legume Love Affair , and with bake fest party,and with Credit crunch munch under pressure cooker cooking, and with real food Friday

And with Cook blog share,and for First blog Anniversary, and for Meatless Monday, and with What'd you do this weekend.





























I am also sending this recipe as my blog entry for Tasty Tuesday event at creative kids, and with Tasty Tuesday at HonestMum.com., and with Hearth and Soul Hop event, and Friday Free For All February, and with Thursday link party, and Recipe of the week.