Atta Dim sums with Hot Dip

Lockdown!! Our life has been adjusted to this new phase. Yeah!! we have learned a few new words in our dictionary and our life has totally made a 360 degree turn with this phase. Really craving for street foods all chats, golgappas, momos.

MOMOS or DIM SUMS now it’s has become a superstar in every home and everyone drools over it.
I used to stay in a hill station and there few Tibetans used to make momos still I relish those yummy treats, the steaming hot momos, red hot piping chutney with thukpa. I can never forget my Sunday evening outings which always ended with this tempting delight.
Making momos/ dim sums at home is easy if you prepare stuff earlier, it’s hygienic too.

Basically Maida (all-purpose flour) is used in making momos so, I tried to give it a twist by making it from aata(whole wheat flour) Momos/ dim sums from Atta ( whole wheat flour)..isn’t it strange? And it’s healthy too. Generally, I avoid momos because of maida(all-purpose flour). But if you make it this way, you can enjoy till your tummy says ” Ahhhaaaa!!….😁
This dim sums/ momos recipe has no fat except a little amount of oil is used to brush on momo container. So overall a no fat it’s a healthy dim sum recipe with atta to fill our crazy tummy.

Ingredients for momos

Whole Wheat flour(atta) 2 cups
Salt to taste
Oil
Soya granules 2 cups
Carrots finely chopped 1/2cup
Cabbage finely chopped 1/2cup
Onion finely chopped 1/2cup
Black pepper to taste
Ginger garlic 1 teaspoon finely chopped

Steps to be done before

1. Take a pan, add 2 cups of water boil it.
2. Add 3 cups of soya granules, allow it to soak. Stain and keep aside.

Method to make the dough

1. Take the 2 cups of wheat flour (atta) and ¼ teaspoon salt in a mixing bowl add water in parts and knead to a soft dough. Cover the dough with a moist cloth so that the dough will not dry. Keep it aside for 30 minutes.

Veg momos/dim sums stuffing (soya granules)

1. Take a pan, put some oil and add finely chopped vegetables( 1/2 cup finely chopped carrot, 1/2 cup finely chopped cabbage,1/2 cup finely chopped onions, 1 teaspoon finely chopped ginger and garlic).
2. Add soaked soya granules.
3. Add salt, soya sauce, black pepper stir fry till all the moisture from the veggies evaporates.
4. Keep aside and let it cool.

Shaping Wheat Momos/dim sums

1. Take the dough and divide it into small or medium-sized balls.
2. Sprinkle some wheat flour on a dough ball.
3. Roll each dough ball into a thin circle of about 6inches in diameter. Try to make thin evenly circles from the dough.
4. Apply water with your fingertip towards the outer circumference edge of the circle.
5. Place 2 to 3 tablespoons of vegetable stuffing in the center.
6. Lift one side of the edge and start to pleat, start floating from one side and close all sides by pleating and joining it in the center.
7. Prepare all the momos in this way, cover the momos with moist cloth or napkin while doing other momos/dim sums to avoid drying up.

Prepare the steamer

8. Heat 2 or 3 cups of water in a steamer or in a pressure cooker. Let the water come to a boil.
9. Arrange the momos /dim sums( in a greased pan) in the steamer, keep some space between the momos/dim sums so that they don’t touch eachother and steam them in the steamer.
10. Steam them for 10 to 12 minutes.
11. Hot steamed momos/ dim sums are ready.

For momos/ dim sums chutney

Ingredients

Dry red chillies
Vinegar 1 teaspoon
Salt to taste
Garlic 4-5 crushed
Sugar 1 teaspoon

Method

1. Soak the dry chillies in water for 15minutes.
2. Take a pan put some water add soaked red chillies.
3. Add vinegar.
4. Strain it and cool later grind it into a fine paste.
   5 Take a pan, put 1 teaspoon oil, add crushed garlic and then add the chilli paste, add some black pepper (optional) add sugar and salt. Stir fry till it is done.
5. Transfer this hot chutney into a bowl.

Tips

1. Don’t overdo the steaming while doing momos/ dim sums as the dough becomes dry.
2. Steaming time may vary upon the thickness of momos’ / dimsums cover and size of momos/dim sums.
3. When you touch the momo/ dim sums the dough should not feel sticky, sticky means it has to be cooked for some more time.
4. If the momos/ dim sums are done it will have a glossy look and the fillings will be visible from its thin layer.
5. Cooking time may vary with the size of the steamer, size of momos / dimsums and thickness of its cover.
6. Cover the dough and the prepared momos (before steam) with a napkin while making other momos /dim sums.

Eggless Cake

There times when you want to pamper your loved ones. And sometimes want to really show your love to that one special person. What better way than to bake a heavenly cake which reminds him of you – hot and delicious. So today we will make a special cake for the special person for a special occasion. A sensuous curvy cake with heavenly ingredients like honey, rose water, nutmeg, cardamom and lemon. This is no ordinary bake. It is designed to enchant him and keep asking for more of this sinfully delicious yummy delight and ofcourse, you!

Ingredients
Flour 2 cups
500 gms castor sugar
315 gm cashews chopped
2 tbsp rose water
2 tbsp honey
1/2 tsp lemon rind grated
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground cardamom
1/2 tsp almond essence
1/2 cup milkmaid (condensed milk)
1/4 cup cream (or Malai)
1/4 cup butter
1/4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 cup milk

Method
Grease a heart shape cake mould (8 inch) with 2 thicknesses of butter paper. Brush it with melted butter.
Melt butter and add castor sugar into it. Beat it until light and creamy.
In a bowl, mix flour, baking soda, baking powder and the above mixture
Stir in cashews, rose water, honey, malai, lemon, spices and almond essence.
Fold the mixture in one direction. Add milk to make a batter.
Put the mixture into cake mould and bake it in a preheated oven 220℃ for 20 minutes until cake is evenly golden brown on top and feels firm to touch.
Pit a skewer into the cake it comes out clean, the cake is ready. Let it cool on wire racks completely before serving.
Tips
Add orange jam or shredded carrots to give the cake a twist.
If not done, bake for a few more minutes.
Decorate it with love shaped strawberries and cream frost entire cake.

Love Toast

To begin a misty morning with a breakfast that anyone would love to have.I love to have cripsy toast with a cup of coffee.So,I tried love toast. Toast with a twist which my family love to have too.Sometimes it’s a best option for school tiffin too.

When you cook from heart your family really adores it.A chivalrous man would love this voluptuous heart to start the day with lots of love and care.Your kidz would love your twists . As a mother you would surely think of giving them hygenic and nutritious food.So let’s start with a simple toast with a twist.

Ingredients

2 slice sandwich bread (brown bread or multigrain bread are healthier options)

4 tsp mayonnaise

1 tsp butter

2 large eggs

Salt to taste

Pepper to taste

Finely chopped fresh herbs (parsley or basil)

Heart shaped cookie cutter

Method

• Spread mayonnaise on both sides of 2 slices of bread
• Cut the bread with heart shaped cookie cutter
• Take a 12-inch non-stick skillet, melt butter on a medium flame
• Add bread. Cook for 5 minutes or until golden brown both sides
• Add 1 large egg, sprinkle a pinch of salt and pepper. Reduce flame. Cook for 5-7 minutes on low flame until whites are set.
• Sprinkle herbs (parsley or basil)
• Serve your Love Toast with much delight on a lovie morning

Tips

• Keep patience till the egg sets otherwise it will ooze out
• Try out egg omelette by keeping cutter on griddle
• Vegetarians may use besan instead of eggs.Take besan add chopped onion ,tomatoes,green chillies mix properly and use this mixture in place of egg.Use a love shaped cookie cutter to give a heart shape to your bread then add the besan batter into the heart shape portion wait till it sets.
• 

Fish Fry with Mustard Paste

Fish is one of the staple diets of Odisha. There is a saying in Odisha, ‘Fish tastes good when flavoured in mustard gravy’. I too love it in mustard paste – the one my momma makes with lots of love. Although i am not a die hard fan of fish but I love to have fish fry when it is cooked with Mustard paste. The mustard coating of tastes delicious when it is cooked slowly .

Fish is a rich source of variohs health benefiting minerals. It is good for skin and hair. It gives a refreshing look with a better skin and everyone knows that cod liver oil is rich source of vitamins that we get from fish is best for our brain development.Therefore It is quite healthy to have fish and it is easy to prepare. Here, I am going to write a mouth watering recipe of fish fry.

Preparation Time:

15 mins

Cooking Time:

30 mins

Ingredients:

Fish 1/2kg (Rohu/Catla) big round pieces

Onions( finely chopped)

Tomato 1(chopped)

Coriander chopped

Green chillies chopped

Turmeric Powder 1teaspoon

Red chilli powder 1/2 teaspoon

Cornflour 1 sooon

Salt to taste

Mustard oil

To make Mustard Paste

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Black /yellow Mustard Seeds 6-7 teaspoon

Garlic 10 -15 pieces

Jeera 4 teaspoon

Green chillies 4

Directions:

1.Marinate the fish with salt and 1/2 teaspoon turmeric for about 15 minutes.

2.Peel and chop onions, tomatoes, coriander leaves, green chillies. keep aside.

3.Take 5-6 teaspoon mustard seeds, 10-15 garlic flakes, 4 teaspoon of jeera ,4 green chilies , add a little water and grind all together into a smooth paste.

4.Add turmeric powder, red chili powder and a spoon of cornflour to the mustard paste with little water and stir it .

5.Heat mustard oil , coat the marinated fish in mustard paste fry them on one side .

6.Add chopped onions, tomatoes,green chillies and coriander leaves, fry one side and after 5 minutes turn the fish to fry the other side.Fry it in low flame so that it doesn’t get burn.Mustard paste burns quickly so extra care should be taken.Slowly it gets cooked, fry it until it turns light golden both sides .

6.Now its ready to be served with rice.You will really enjoy this fish fry.

Happy Cooking!!

Tips

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1.Use yellow mustard (prefer)seeds,it will taste less bitter.

2.Make a dry coarse paste then add water and grind it to fine smooth paste.

3.Cook on slow flame.

4.Use non-stick tawa.

5.Mustard Oil enhances the taste.If required in between use it so that the fish doesn’t get burnt. Sufficient oil should be added.

6.Turn carefully as fish may break that’s why add cornflour (if require,add more) .Frozen fish may break. Handle them gently, addition of cornflour will prevent them from breaking.

Delicious Pasta

Pasta is our favourite dish among all our bacha party and adults . But what one bothers while serving it is the use of refined flour. While the precooked versions of Pasta at stores are available but one can make it at home which is both yummy and tasty yes healthy too! It avoids all the ills effects of refined flour while retaining the taste!

White Sauce Pasta : without refined flour

White Sauce Pasta is one of my favorite Italian recipes and whenever I feel like eating something rich, creamy and cheesy I go for it. My husband requests for it as he cherish it in breakfast. This white sauce pasta recipe uses whole wheat flour for the sauce. To make it healthy I thought of using wheat flour,and it came out well so I thought to share. I have used some cheese and mayonnaise for the extra cheesy effect in the recipe. You can feel free to skip those two for health reasons. However, I add both when I give this in school tiffin as it stays soft and saucy for long. White Sauce is one of the classic sauce recipes of Italian cuisine and is extremely easy to make. The sauce uses butter,flour and milk in the ratio of 2 tbsp:2 tbsp: 1 cup. I have added extra milk to make it saucy. You can add according to your taste.

With a final touch of some oregano and chilly flakes or mixed italian herbs, you will have a nice white sauce.Now a days you can find these herbs easily in stores. If you use fresh herbs it’s aroma is divine.

Preparation method of White Sauce Pasta

Ingredients:

Whole Wheat Pasta Butter: 2 tbspOnions: 2 finely slicedWhole Wheat Flour: 2 tbspMilk: 2 cups + as neededCheese: 1/2 sliceMayonnaise: 1 tbspChilli Flakes + Oregano: as neededSalt: to tasteCornsChopped capsicum

Method:

1. Boil pasta in enough water in a large pan with enough salt. Cook till the pasta becomes tender (not too soft nor too firm). Takes around 10 minutes. Drain, wash with cold water apply little oil ,mix it and and keep aside.

2. For the sauce, heat another pan. Add some butter and once it melts. Add finely sliced onions and saute till they turn translucent.

3. Now add the flour and saute for 2 minutes.

4. When the flour has mixed well, add the milk and mix well so that there are no lumps formed. The whole mass will start becoming saucy and thick. You can add more milk if required according to your taste you can make changes as required.

5. Add corns and chopped capsicum, stir fry.

5. Add the pasta and enough salt for the sauce and mix well.

6. Immediately add the cheese slice and mayonnaise and mix well.

7. Sprinkle chilli flakes and oregano or mixed herbs and serve hot.

Tips

1. Cheese and mayonnaise are optional.

2. The milk quantity can be adjusted according to consistency. If you feel the sauce is very thick, you can add extra milk after adding pasta.

3. The homemade pasta unlike the precooked one’s is quite healthy. Make healthy pasta delightful by adding your own ingredients to relish!

Healthy pasta when it’s made at home it is more soft and nutritious as we can add ingredients according to our choice. You can take wheat flour to make healthy pasta and you can add herbs or anything your kids like and give it a twist so that more flavours can be added.

We have to put the pasta into warm water and boil it for 2 minutes or till it is cooked.

Super soft tender nutritious pasta is ready to cook.

Happy Cooking!!

Dahi Baigan

Dahi Baingan is a typical orissa dish made with brinjal and curd tempered with spices.It is a authentic oriya dish which is very tasty and can be done quickly.It is prepared without onion and garlic.This dish usually prepared During festival season as we won’t prefer onion and garlic during the season.
My husband loves baigan..So in summers usually I pick fresh baigan from my kitchen garden to make this dish..It ‘s delicious and yummy!!Try out …..This delicious recipe…. happy cooking😊

Ingredients

1 – Brinjal or Chinese Eggplant
Curry leaves – a few
mustard, fenugreek, fennel seeds-for tadka
250 g – Curd or yogurt
1 tsp – Sugar
Salt to taste
2 – Green chillies
Dry red chilly
A pinch of hing in tadka
Oil for frying

How to Make Dahi

Baigan (Oriya Dish)

1.Slit brinjals into four halves don’t cut whole and salt on brinjal.

2.Deep fry the brinjal pieces and keep aside.

3.Mix yogurt lightly with sugar, salt and little water and fried brinjals and keep aside

4.Heat one table spoon of oil in a pan and put the tadka mentioned above and splutter

5.Add red chillies and fry them and then add curry leaves.

Add it to yogurt and serve

Chicken Pakoda

Chicken Pakora is a simple recipe where it is mixed with some spices and flour and deep fried in oil, which are perfect to enjoy in a bachelor party or a gathering with friends or kitty parties or during evenings…

Let us check out on making this recipe below…

Chicken Pakora Recipe

A tea time snacks recipe made with deep frying boneless chicken…

Ingredients

500 gms boneless chicken pieces washed
one egg 2 , 1 /2 cup vinegar,salt
1 tbsp ginger garlic paste,a bit red orange food colour
Black pepper powder
Maida 4 cups
Cornflour 4 tbsp
oil for deep frying

Instructions

Firstly, take a bowl, into it add boneless chicken pieces marinate it with vinegar,salt,peeper powder,ginger garlic paste ,black pepper and food colour
.Mix all the ingredients well.marinate atleast for 30 minutes .
Take another bowl add maida into it, add corn flour and mix it well.a pinch of food colour .Mix the whole mixture well, Add oil in a wok and heat it.Add the chicken pieces (after coating it in mixture) into the oil and deep fry them until they turn golden red on medium flame for 12 minutes.Stir the chicken pieces up and down while frying.Remove the fried chicken pieces from oil.Place a tissue paper on a plate and serve the chicken pieces on them.Serve them hot with a hot cup of tea!!!

Bajra or Jowar Pancakes

I have made a healthy breakfast with pancakes n banana shake….Here I go…
BAJRA/JOWAR PANCAKES
____________________________
Ingredients
,.1/2 cup bajra flour
• 1/2 cup white millet (jowar) flour
• 1/2 cup besan

1/2cup rice flour
• 2 tbsp finely chopped onions
• 1 tsp finely chopped green chillies
• Salt to taste
• 1 tbsp fresh yoghurt
• 1 tbsp finely chopped coriander (dhania)
• Oil for greasing and cooking
• Green chutney and yoghurt to serve

Method
• Combine all the ingredients along with approximately 5 or 7 tbsp of water in a deep bowl and mix well to make a batter of pouring consistency.
• Grease a non-stick mini uttapam pan with a little oil.
• Pour 2 laddle of the batter in tawa and spread it gently in a circular motion to make it round.make a round uttapam/pancake.
• Cook using a little oil, till it turns brown on both sides.
• Serve immediately with green chutney/sauce..
Happy cooking ☺

Pumpkin Flower Fritters

Pumpkin flower fritters also known as kakharu phula bhaja (in Odia) or kumro phool bora (in Bangla) are very tasty and very popular in Odisha as well as West Bengal.

Ingredients

Pumpkin flower 10-12 in number.

Rice 4 tbsp.

Red chili 1 no.

Garlic cloves 2 no.

Green chili 2 no.

Chat masala (optional) 2-3 pinch

Cumin seed ½ tsp

Turmeric powder 1 pinch

Mustard oil For shallow fry

Salt As needed

Water As needed

How to cook Pumpkin Flower Fritters

First soak the rice for 30-40 minutes. Meanwhile, cut out lower part / sepal (which contains a stalk, a bottom and at center a stigma (0.5-1 inch length and yellow in color)) of the flower except the petal. Clean the flowers individually under slow running water and pat dry in paper napkin. Keep aside. Then grind the soaked rice, garlic, green chili, red chili, cumin seeds in a blender and make a smooth batter, neither  a thick consistency nor thin / running consistency. Add salt, a pinch of turmeric powder and mix well. Heat mustard oil in a nonstick pan / tawa on medium flame. Now take one flower, dip in batter, shake off excess batter and finally put on pan. Do this step for rest of the flowers. Cook for 2 minutes or till crisp on one side. Then flip and cook the other side by drizzling little oil. Fry until both sides are crisp. Serve hot with rice, dal combo as it is or just sprinkle some chat masala before serving !

Notes
If the batter is thick, then the coating around the flower will be thick and all you taste is the batter and hence the exact taste of the flower can’t be felt. If the batter is too thin, then there can’t be any coating on the flower. So be careful while making the batter, it should neither be thick consistency nor thin / running consistency.

It tastes a great if fried with mustard oil.

Wash the lower part which is cut out from the flower, chop finely except the stigma and stalk. If there is any left over batter, then add these chopped parts into the batter. Give a quick stir and put all batter at once on the pan and make a big pancake like structure. Drizzle some mustard oil and shallow fry till both sides become golden brown as well as crisp. This tastes a great.

Always try to grab these fritters as hot as possible.