Masala Fish Fry

Fish is among the healthiest foods on the planet. It is loaded with important nutrients, such as protein and vitamin D. Fish is also the world's best source of omega-3 fatty acids, which are incredibly important for your body and brain.
There are many who don't like fish, but they should know fishes are quite healthier than those processed and junk foods.
So, lets look at the recipe below with easy pictorial format!

Ingredients:

• Fish, cut into pieces, 1/2 kg
• Lemon juice, 1 lemon
• Oil, 2-3 tblspn, to fry

To be made into powder:

• Red chilli powder, 1 1/2 tblspn
• Dried Red chilies, 2-3
• Saunf, 1/2 tspn
• Cumin seeds, 1/2 tspn
• Cloves, 2-3
• Black pepper, 3-4
• Bay leaf, 1/2
• Caraway seeds, 1/2 tspn
• Coriander powder, 1/2 tspn
• Salt, 1 tspn
• Turmeric powder, 1/2 tspn

To be made into paste:

• Garlic cloves, 3-4
• Ginger, 2-3 (1" pieces)
• Coriander leaves, 3-4 tblspn
• Onion chopped, 1/2

Serves: 3-4
Category: Main Course
Veg/Non Veg: Non Veg
Serving: To be served with chapati or hot steamed rice

Recipe:

• Wash fish peices well. Keep aside.
• Take all the spices given in the powder list.

• In a grinder, make them into fine powder.
• Take it out in a bowl.
• Now, in the same jar, add paste ingredients given above.
• Make a coarse paste without adding water.
• Add this paste to the powdered mixture. Mix well. Add 2 tblspn of lemon juice and mix.

• Taste and check for salt and spiciness, adjust.
• Massage this masala paste to fish peices well, and coat all the pieces well.

• In a pan, heat oil.
• Fry fish pieces on high flame for 2 mins then lower the flame and cook till done.

• Take out on a plate and serve hot with lemon wedges and onion rings.

Notes:

• Make sure fish you buy is fresh.
• Clean fishes very well to remove its smell.
• Massage masala paste well so it absorbs its taste well.

Ragda Recipe

A yummy and spicy plate of Raga is enough to satisfy your evening hunger! Make this tasteful and yummy Ragda for your family and enjoy!!

Ingredients:

• Dried White peas, 2 cups
• Onion, 2 finely chopped
• Tomatoes, 2 finely chopped
• Ginger-garlic paste, 1/2 tspn
• Green chillies, 2 sliced
• Curry leaves, 3-4
• Cumin seeds, 1/2 tspn
• Red chilli powder, 1 tspn
• Turmeric, 1/4 tspn
• Coriander powder, 1/4 tspn
• Garam masala powder, 1/2 tspn
• Chaat masala powder, 1/2 tspn
• Salt, to taste
• Oil, 2-3 tblspn
• Coriander leaves, finely chopped
• Fried onion, 1/2 cup (opional)
• Lemon juice, to taste

Serves: 4-5
Recipe Type: Chaat
Category:Veg

Recipe:

• Soak dried white peas in enough water overnight or 8 hours before cooking.
• After its well soaked, discard its water, add the peas to a pressure cooker, add fresh water so it covers peas to 1" above.
• Cook for 3-4 whistles on high flame.
• Check if its tender, Switch off the flame, keep it aside.
• In a big vessel, heat oil.
• Add cumin seeds, when it splutters, add curry leaves.
• Then add add onion and fry till nice soft and golden.
• Add Ginger-garlic paste and fry for 2-4 secs.
• Add tomatoes and green chillies.
• Fry over high flame for 2-3 mins then lower the flame.
• Add turmeric, red chilli powder, coriander powder and fry till the mixture leaves oil.

• Add the white peas with its water.

• Add garam masala powder and chaat masala, and salt.
• Add chopped coriander leaves.
• Check for salt and adjust to taste.
• Take out in a serving bowl, garnish with fried onions and add lemon juice to choice.

Yakhni Pulao

Yakhni Pulao is a yummy dish which is liked for its aromatic and juicy flavourful rice and enjoyed with curd raita. Yakhni is basically a mutton stock in which basmati rice is cooked to inherit the taste of all the spices and stock with the rice.

Category: Main Course
Difficulty: Medium
Serves: 5-6

Ingredients:

• Mutton, 1/2 kg
• Basmati Rice, 1 kg
• Green chillies, 4-5 sliced
• Onion, 3-4 finely sliced
• Green chillies paste, 2 tblspn
• Shahi jeera, 1/4 tspn
• Bay leaf, 2
• Ginger-garlic paste, 2 tspn
• Coriander powder, 1/2 tspn
• Curd, 250 gms, beaten
• Garam masala powder, 1/2 tspn
• Salt, to taste
• Oil, 3-4 tblspn
• Coriander and mint leaves, to garnish

To be put in a tied cloth (potli)

• Cardamom, 2
• Black pepper, 4-5
• Bay leaf, 2
• Cloves, 3-4
• Cinnamon, 1" stick

Recipe:

• Wash rice thoroughly and soak it for 15-20 mins.
• In a pressure cooker, add washed mutton, 1 tspn Ginger-garlic paste, 1 tspn salt. Mix well.
• In a muslin or clean cotton cloth, add all the garam masala in the above list. Tie it and put it in the pressure cooker.
• Cook mutton on high flame for one whistle, then lower the flame and cook for 2 whistle. Open and check if there's enough water. (Though the cooking time depends upon the type of cooker used and the amount of meat being cooked).
• Check if the meat is tender, take out the garam masala potli, and keep the mutton aside with its stock.
• Now in a big vessel, add oil.
• When its hot, add shahi jeera, and 2 bay leaves, add onion.
• Fry onion till nice soft and golden. Add Ginger-garlic paste, green chillies paste. Sauté on low flame tillthe raw smell goes away.
• Add the mutton with its stock, add mint leaves, coriander powder, and stir for 3-4 mins.
• Let it cook till it leaves oil.
• Add well beaten curd and cover the vessel.
• Cook till oil comes on top.

• For 2 cups of rice, add 3 cups of water, minus the amount of water/stock is there in masala.
• Add salt and garam masala powder, chopped coriander leaves and slit green chillies.

                

• Once the water comes to boil, add washed and soaked rice. Check for salt and spiciness again and adjust.

• Cook till the water dries, then cover the vessel with a tight lid.
• Once air comes out of the sides, swtich of the flame.
• Take out in a plate, garnish with coriander and mint leaves. Serve hot with curd raita!

Ragada Patties Recipe

It is quite popular chaat in India, in Mumbai there are so many awesome chaat stalls, I just love all the chaats recipes from childhood. The sweet tangy spicy combination of chaats is liked by most of the people. I usually make it on weekend evenings and my family just love it!

Ingredients: For Ragda

• White peas/safed vatana, 250 gms
•  Turmeric, 1/4 tspn
• Red Chilli Powder, 1/2 tblspn
• Amchur Powder, 1/2 tspn
• Coriander Leaves, Finely chopped
• Coriander powder, 1/2 tspn
• Salt, as per taste

Ingredients: Patties

• Potatoes, 3-4 boiled and peeled
• Green chillies, 3-4 finely  chopped
• Corn/all purpose flour, 2-3 tblspn
• Chaat masala powder, 1/2 tspn
• Coriander powder, 1/4 tspn
• Salt, 1/2 tspn
• Coriander leaves, 1 tspn finely chopped
• Oil, 2-3 tblspn, to fry patties

Ingredients: Garnishing

• Onions, 2 finely chopped
• Green Chutney, 4-5 tblspn
• Sweet Tamarind Chutney
• Curd, (optional)
• Lemon juice, few drops
• Sev, to garnish

Recipe Type: Chaat
Servings: 4-5

Recipe: Ragda

• Soak white peas overnight in enough water.
• Drain all the water from peas, add them to the pressure cooker and water so it covers peas well.
• Cook for 3-4 whistles on high flame.
• Check if its well tendered.
• Add salt, amchur powder, red chilli powder, coriander powder and coriander leaves.
• Simmer for few mins. Keep aside.

Recipe: Patties

• In a bowl, add boiled and peeled potatoes.
• Add corn flour, salt, green chillies, chaat masala powder and coriander leaves.

• Mash it well.
• Make them into tikkis or patties.
• Heat oil in a pan, fry patties till golden brown on both the sides.

Assembling: Making Ragda Patties

• Arrange 2-3 patties on a serving plate.
• Add ragda over it.
• Add chopped onions, Green Chutney, Sweet Tamarind Chutney, chaat masala powder.
• Sprinkle few drops of lemon juice and garnish with besan sev.

• Serve hot!

Date & Tamarind Sweet Chutney

Sweet Chutney or tamarind chutney is usually served with varieties of different chaats like Pani Puri, Dahi Vade, Ragda Patties, Samosa etc, it can be made in batches as it remains good for good amount of days when refrigerated. The chutney tastes sweet plus tangy.
Let's take a brief look at the recipe for making the chutney.


Ingredients:

• Dates (deseeded), 5-6
• Tamarind (deseeded), 2-3 tblspn
• Jaggery, 1-2 tblspn
• Roasted cumin powder, 1/4 tspn
• Red chilli powder, 1/4 tspn
• Coriander powder, 1/4 tspn
• Salt, 1/4 tspn

Recipe:

• Take a deep pan, add dates and deseeded tamarinds.

• Add sufficient water and keep it on high flame.
• Once it starts boiling, medium the flame and boil till dates and tamarind are tender, which takes around 7-8 mins.

• Then add jaggery.

• Add red chilli powder, cumin powder, coriander powder and salt.
• Simmer for 3-4 mins.
• Taste and adjust spices according to you choice.
• Put off the flame and let the chutney cool down.
• Once it cools, grind it to a fine paste.
• If you want you can strain the chutney, otherwise pour it in a clean jar and refrigerate.
• It stays good for upto 10-12 days.
• Serve with chaats!

Note:

• If you do not have jaggery, you can use sugar.
• If you want tangy tamarind chutney, skip the dates, just add tamarind and jaggery in enough water and cook till it reaches the desried consistency.

Khasta Kachori Recipe

Khasta Kachori is deep fried puffed pastry, stuffed with moong daal mixture and topped up with different chutnys, onion, tomato and yoghurt and served as a chaat across many places in India.
There are many variants in Kachori like Masala Kachori, Matar Kachori, Palak Kachoris and many more. Khasta Kachoris are the basic ones which are made everywhere in the country.


Ingredients:
To make the Kachori Dough:

• All purpose flour/maida, 1/2 cup
• Wheat flour, 1/2 cup
• Oil, 2 tblspn
• Salt, 1/4 tspn

For Filling:

• Yellows lentils/moong daal, 1/2 cup
• Dried red chillies, 2-3
• Red chilli powder, 1/4 tspn
• Coriander powder, 1/4 tspn
• Fennel seeds/saunf, 1 tspn
• Cumin seeds, 1/4 tspn
• Chaat masala powder, 1/2 tspn
• Garam masala powder, 1/2 tspn
• Salt, 1/2 tspn
• Sugar, 1/4 tspn
• Oil, 2-3 tblspn

For Topping:

• Onion, finely chopped
• Tomatoes, finely chopped
• Green Chutney
• Tamarind Chutney
• Curd, 1 cup
• Red chilli powder, 1/4 tspn
• Salt, 1/4 tspn
• Cumin powder, 1/4 tspn
• Amchur powder, 1/4 tspn
• Thin sev, to sprinkle

Recipe:

Dough:

• Take a large bowl, add both the flours.
• Add salt, and oil.
• Add water little by little and make a stiff yet soft dough. Keep it covered with a damp cloth.

Filling:

• Roast yellow lentils in a pan for 4-5 mins.
• Let it cool down and grind it with all the ingredients given in the filling list.
• Add 2-3 tblspn of oil to it and mix well.

Curd Mixture:

• Take curd in bowl, add red chilli powder, amchur powder, cumin powder and salt. Mix it and keep aside.

Making Kachoris:

• Divide the dough into small small balls, it should be size of a gulab jamun.
• Roll it into small chapati, size of your palm. Its little thicker than the chapati.
• Take 1 tspn of filling and put it in the centre of the small chapati.
• Gather the edges and seal them well. Just like momos.
• Press it with your hand gently.
• Now using rolling pin, roll into 2 inch diameter. Be very gentle.

• Roll all the kachoris this way.
• Heat oil in a wok on low medium heat, when its hot, slide kachoris carefully.
• They will Puff up in some time.
• Fry on low medium heat till both the sides are golden brown.

• Take them out on a paper.
• After its removed excess oil, put it on the serving plate.
• Break the top centre part, add chopped tomatoes, chopped onions, green chutney and curd mixture.

• Lastly sprinkle some sev.
• I was not having it at the time, but it is recommended to add it before serving.

Notes:

• You can add saunf or sugar little more if you prefer little sweet kind of kachoris.
• You can use urad dal or chana dal instead of moong daal.
• Be gentle while rolling the kachori, if it breaks it wont Puff up in oil.
• Add toppings just before serving.

Dahi Vada (Dahi bhalle) Recipe

Ingredients:

• Curd, 1/2 kg (preferrably little sour)
• Red chilli powder, 1/4 tspn
• Chaat masala powder, 1/2 tspn
• For the Vada Batter:
• Gram flour, 2 cups
• Green chillies and Ginger-garlic paste, 1/2 tspn
• Cumin seeds, 1/4 tspn
• Turmeric, 1/4 tspn
• Cooking soda, 1/4 tspn
• Salt, 1/2 tspn
• Oil, to fry vadas
• For Tempering:
• Oil, 3 tblspn
• Mustard seeds, 1/2 tspn
• Curry leaves, 3-4 leaves
• Salt, 1/2 tspn
• Green chillies, 3-4 sliced
• Coriander leaves, finely chopped, to garnish

Serves: 5-6
Recipe Type: Chaat

Recipe:

• Make a thick flowy batter of gram flour, adding water little at a time.
• Add all the spices and ingredients in the batter list except oil. Mix well.
• Keep it aside for 10 mins.
• Take curd in a large wide bowl, add water to your desired consistency. The curd shouldn't be too thick or too thin. Keep ot aside.
• Take a deep large bowl, add chilled water and little salt. Keep it aside.
• Now, heat oil in a wok and deep fry vadas till nice golden on both the sides.

•  Take them out on a paper to remove excess oil, then put them in the chilled salted water, so it becomes spongy and fluffy.

                   (salted water)

• Do the same with all the vadas.
• They will absorb water within few mins, and increase in size.
• Now take out all the vadas, squeezing extra water from then and put them in the curd bowl.
• So, now when you have put all the vadas in the curd, heat a pan.
• Add oil, when its hot, add mustard seeds, as it crackles, add curry leaves, green chillies. Be careful at this step as oil splatters due to green chillies. Fry them a little.

• Add this tempering to the dahi vade. Adjust salt to taste, sprinkle red chilli powder, chaat masala powder.

• Garnish it with coriander leaves.
• Serve it with green chutney or imli chutney. 😊

Gulgule Recipe (Meetha Pua)

Sweet, fluffy and spongy!!! That's what describes this sweet gulgule, which are also called pua.
Let's look at the simple ingredients list to make this recipe with easy to understand pictures...


Ingredients:

• Wheat Flour, 1 cup (250 gms)
• Sugar, 3/4 cup (180 gms)
• Cardamom powder, 1/4 tspn
• Fennel seeds/saunf, 1/2 tspn
• Cooking soda, 1/4 tspn

Serve: 3-4
Recipe Type: Snack

Recipe:

• Take a big bowl, add flour, sugar, cardamom powder, saunf.
• Add water little at a time and make a thick flowy batter as you can see in the picture.

• Keep the batter to ferment for 1-3 hours.
• After 3 hours, add soda to it (since soda is not healthy I prefer adding little eno fruit salt, just two pinches are enough)
• Keep it aside for 10 mins.
• Meanwhile, heat oil in a wok. It should be hot, if its warm, gulgule will stick to the bottom.
• Now with the help of a spoon, make the gulgule.

• Fry on low medium flame to cook inside and out, till they are golden brown on both the sides.

• Serve hot!
• Enjoy it with a cup of tea for a evening snack...

Onion Samosa (Irani Samosa)

Ingredients:
For the dough

• All purpose flour, 1 cup
• Carrom seeds/ajwain, 1/4 tsp
• Salt, 1/4 tspn

For stuffing:

• Onion, 3 finely sliced
• Cabbage, 1/2 cup thinly sliced
• Poha/flattened rice, 1/2 cup
• Cumin seeds, 1/2 tspn
• Green chillies, 2 finely chopped
• Red chilli powder, 1/4 tspn
• Chaat masala powder, 1/4tspn
• Turmeric, 1/4 tspn
• Lemon juice, 1 tspn
• Salt, 1/2 tspn
• Coriander leaves, finely chopped
• Black pepper powder, a pinch

Serves: 2-3

Recipe Type: Snack

Recipe:

• Make a soft dough mixing all the ingredients from the dough list, adding water little at a time. Cover the dough with a damp cloth. Keep aside.

• In a large bowl, add sliced onions, cabbage, poha, coriander leaves, turmeric, red chilli powder, green chillies, black pepper powder, cumin seeds, chaat masala powder, lemon juice and salt. Mix well.

• Poha absorbs all the moisture let out by onion, while frying & enhances the taste.
• So, the dough and the stuffing both are ready.
• Make small balls out of dough, roll it into chapatis dusting some flour.

• Cut it into two equal halves.
• Fold it to make a triangular shape, it will form a cone.

• Put the stuffing in the cone.
• Seal the edges with a paste made with maida and water.

• Repeat the same procedure with rest of the samosas.
• Heat oil & deep fry the samosas on low medium heat.
• Flip to the other side and fry till golden and crisp.
• Drain excess oil on a tissue paper.
• Serve hot with tomato ketchup or green chutney.
• Imagine the joy of having some hot samosas with hot coffee or tea during this rainy season. Simply heaven!👼

Notes:

• You can make the stuffing of your choice, by adding veggies of your choice, make sure to stir fry them before putting in the cone.

Malpua Recipe | Indian Sweet Pancake

Malpua is a very popular Indian traditional sweet recipe. It is simply an Indian-style pancake recipe where the pancake is dipped in cardamom flavoured sugar syrup.
So the complete recipe with stepwise pictures is here!

Ingredients for the Batter:

• All purpose flour, 2 cups
• Rava/sooji, 3 tblspn
• Milk, to make the batter
• Powdered Sugar, 1/2 cup
• Raisins, 4-5 (optional)
• Cooking soda or Eno 1/2 tspn
• Saunf/fennel seeds, 1 tspn (optional)
• Ghee or oil for frying

Serves: 3-4

Recipe Type: Desserts

Ingredients for Sugar Syrup:

• Sugar, 1 cup
• Water, 1 cup
• Cardamom powder, 1/2 tspn

RECIPE:

• Take a bowl, add all purpose flour, sooji, saunf, raisins, powdered sugar and make the batter adding milk little by little. The batter should be of thick pouring consistency as you can see in the picture.

• Keep the batter to rest for 2-4 hours to ferment.
• After 4 hours, add soda to it.
• Keep it aside for more 15 mins.
• Meanwhile make the sugar syrup adding all the ingredients in the syrup list in a wide vessel.
• Boil the syrup till it reaches one thread consistency i.e check the  syrup taking in between your thumb and index finger, and it should form one thread. Keep this aside.
• Now, when all the things are ready, syrup and the batter, heat a non stick pan with raised sides.
• Add ghee/oil, you can deep fry them if you want, here I am pan frying them.
• When the oil is hot, take a ladle full of batter and spread it on a pan in circular motion.

• Remember not to make it thin, it should be thick.
• Fry on both the sides till they are nice golden brown.

• Take them out on a tissue to remove excess oil, then dip them in the Warm Sugar Syrup.
• Let them sit for 5-10 mins in the syrup to absorb the syrup well.
• Take them out on a serving plate.
• Add your favorite topping, here I have added sweet thickened milk.
• Serve it warm!
• Close your eyes, take a bite and enjoy!😋

Notes:

• Mix the batter only in one direction to make it fluffy and spongy.
• Add soda just before 10 mins before making malpua.
• Mix the batter very well, everytime before taking the batter in the ladle.
• Warm the syrup if it has cooled down before dipping the malpuas.

Sabudana Vada

Sabudana Vada or Sago Seeds Vada is quite popular among Hindus and they usually make it for their vrats or fasts. It is healthy yet tasty and can be made for evening snack or when you are feeling to eat something healthy yet tasty... So here it is with easy photo tutorials!
Let's look at the ingredients...

Ingredients:

• Sabudana/Sago seeds, 250 gms
• Potatoes, 2 boiled and peeled
• Green chilli and ginger paste, 1 tblspn
• Peanuts, crushed, 2 tblspn
• Besan or gram flour, for binding the mixture
• Turmeric, 1/2 tspn
• Coriander leaves, finely chopped, 3 tblspn
• Salt, to taste
• Oil, to shallow fry

Serves: 4
Recipe Type: Appetizer

Recipe:

• Firstly, soak sabudana or sago seeds in water for about 4-6 hours.
• After its soaked well, strain all the water from sabudana. You will see its puffed up.
• Take a large bowl, add sabudana.
• Add boiled and peeled potatoes.
• Add green chilli and ginger paste, turmeric, crushed peanuts, coriander leaves and salt.

• Mix them all well. If it looks too moist add gram flour.
• Meanwhile keep the oil on low flame to heat.
• Apply some oil on your palms, take small portions of the vada mixture.
• Make a ball and just flatten them a bit so it forms a tikki.
• You can make round vadas but flatten vadas cooks evenly.
• Now, fry them in the oil till its golden brown on both the sides.

• Serve it hot with green chutney.
• Enjoyee 🍲😋

Tips:

• Sabudana or sago seeds should be soaked well that when you press it between your two fingers, its mashed.
• Add gram flour just so you can bind the mixture easily, not too much.
• When you are about to fry the vadas, check if oil is hot, not warm.

CTM (Cleansing, Toning, Moisturizing) Basics of Skincare

It's very very ESSENTIAL to take care of our skin to maintain its health, glow, elasticity and suppleness. Many of us always wonder looking at models and actresses, how do they have soo perfect skin? A perfect skin is nothing but your treatment towards your own skin. CTM which is the basic of any skin care is a must to follow by every girl on this earth.
CTM, Cleansing, Toning & Moisturizing is the routine to get clean, toned, soft and supple skin. You cannot skip it, whether you are tired, sleepy or lazy. Makeup can only enhance your looks but naturally beautiful skin wont need makeup to look good.
So let's look at it in the detail.

Cleansing:

Cleansing is the foremost important part of the skin care regimen, the first thing in the morning you do is cleanse your skin with a mild gentle face wash. Make sure to use a soap free face wash, and avoid soaps as it tends to dries out the skin.
Treat your neck as extension of face, many of us tend to avoid neck while cleansing, toning, doing makeup etc, which reveals the signs of aging, improper care.

Toning:

Toning helps to tighten pores, clean skin of whatever grime is left after cleansing. Toning is important if you have oily or combination skin however dry skin beauties can skip it.
There are plenty of toners in the market, choose the one which is alcohol free and natural, the best toner is rose water which works equally well for all.
Take few drops of rose water/toner on a cotton pad and just wipe your face with it.
The more easier one is using ice cubes as toner, take two ice cubes in a cotton cloth, massage with it for 4-5 mins. Let the skin rest for 5 mins. Then comes moisturizing part!

Moisturizing:

Many actresses swear by moisturizing, and its THE advice which every dermatologist will give you... Key to healthy skin, moisturize, moisturize, moisturize! So after you are done with cleansing and toning, take a pea sized amount of your favorite moisturizer and massage it over your skin and neck. And you are done!
Other than that, I have stressed in almost my every beauty post, how essential it is to drink plenty of water! Drink alot of water, follow a balanced diet and sleep 8 hours a night!

You have to follow these simple things along with CTM routine every morning and night before going to bed. However you can use toner only once a day but the rest you cant ignore!
Girls just follow this simple routine everyday and see how your skin thanks you for this.