MISSION MADE POSSIBLE: COOKING VEGETARIAN FOR GUESTS!!!

In a place, where both of us are living far far away from our loved ones, it is almost necessary to have some good friends to spend time with. As I am a stay-at-home mom so I got less opportunity to interact and meet with people, let alone being friendly. But, my husband has a very good social circle, some old friends from School, office colleagues etc and we love having them and their families at our place. We like having guests, they are blessings and have you ever heard this famous verse in urdu,

Shukr kar razzaq ka, buddil na ho mehmaan sey,
khata hay woh rizq apna , terey dastarkhwan sey!!!

Last month we invited one of his office colleague with his family, who were visiting from San Antonio over for a dinner. I usually make a rice dish, 2 meat dishes and a vegetable dish with some salad, chutney and raita, but our friends are vegetarian so I had to think of all vegetarian dishes, I started googling and blog hopping and finally decided the menu which was quite simple....

NOTE:

The credit of photography goes to my husband who took bird's eyeview kindaa shot..he forgot to take snaps of each dish separately but no problem picassa hai naaa!! I cropped out photos and here they are, ENJOY!!!

MENU

Main course

Zeera rice
Malai kofta

Side Dish

Channa Daal

Corn-potato Sabzi

Accompaniments

Raita

Salad

Green chutney

Dessert

ice-cream

and Tea

I am sending this spread to Rak's kitchen for her lovely event.

ZEERA RICE

INGREDIENTS

2 TSP CUMIN SEEDS

1/2 CUP ONION (FINELY CHOPPED)

2 CINNAMON STICKS

5-6 CLOVES

7-8 BLACK PEPPERCORNS

2 BAY LEAVES

4 CARDAMOM

2 CUPS RICE

SALT TO TASTE

STEPS OF PREPARATION

1.Heat oil in a pot, add all the whole spices, once they start to splutter, add onions and fry till golden brown.

2.Now add rice and salt, mix well and then add almost double the volume water and cook covered till all the water dries up.

3.Fluff the rice with a fork, place the pot on a griddle or tawa at low heat for 10 minutes.

4.Serve hot.

MALAI KOFTA

Inspired by Sia's malai kofta

INGREDIENTS

FOR KOFTAS:

1 CUPS PANEER (GRATED)

1/2 CUP GREEN BEANS

1 LARGE CARROT

2 POTATOES (BOILED AND MASHED)

1 MEDIUM ONION (FINELY CHOPPED)

2 GREEN CHILLI (MINCED)

1 TBSP CORIANDER LEAVES

3 GREEN CHILLI (MINCED)

4-5 TBSP CORN FLOUR

11/2 TSP GARAM MASALA

6-8 ALMONDS (CHOPPED)

SALT TO TASTE

1 TSP RED CHILLI POWDER

Oil (TO DEEP FRY)

FOR GRAVY

2 ONIONS

1 INCH GINGER

3-4 GARLIC CLOVES

1 CINNAMON STICK

1 TSP CUMIN SEEDS

A PINCH OF ASAFOETIDA(HEENG)

3 CLOVES

3 GREEN CARDAMOMS

4-5 LARGE TOMATOES, PUREED

1 TBSP ALMOND

¼-1/2 CUP FREASH CREAM

1-2 TSP GARAM MASALA

1/2 TSP SUGAR

SALT TO TASTE

½ TSP TURMERIC

½-1 TSP RED CHILLI POWDER

1 TBSP DRIED FENUGREEK LEAVES (KASURI METHI)

STEPS OF PREPARATION

FOR KOFTA

1.Mix grated paneer and mashed potatoes, onions, coriander leaves and chillies. The mixture should be free of limps.

2.Boil green beans and carrot and corn in water. Grate carrot and mash finely chop green beans.

3.Add it to potato-paneer mixture along with corn.

4.Now add salt, garam masala, red chilli powder, cashews and corn flour to the vegetable-paneer mixture and mix well with hands. The consistency of whole mixture should be similar to that of chapati dough and you should be able to make lemon sized balls without breaking them.

5.Heat oil for deep frying and on medium-low heat, deep fry them in batches of 3-4 balls at time. If the koftas start to break, add 1-2 tbsp of corn flour to the mixture, mix them well and make small lemon sized balls.

6.Fry them till they turn golden brown and crisp and place them in a bowl lined with kitchen towel to absorb excess oil.

FOR GRAVY

1.Heat oil in a pan, add cumin seeds and heeng.

2.Make a paste of (onion,peeled and quartered, ginger, peeled, cloves, garlic, cinnamon stick, clovesand green cardamoms and cashews) and add it to the pan when cumin seeds start to splutter.

3.Stir it continuously for 10 minutes till the paste turns golden brown and the raw smell of onion disappears. The paste should be cooked through otherwise the end result would be bitter.

4.Add kasuri methi, salt and sugar, saute for a minute or two.

5.Now add tomato puree and stir well. Cover and cook for about 10 minutes.

6.Then add garam masala, turmeric powder, red chilli powder and salt to taste and mix well. Bring this whole gravy to boil, about 5 minutes.

7.Mix in fresh cream and ½-1 cup of water (adjust the thickness of gravy and seasoning accordingly and let it cook for few more minutes.

8.Add coriander leaves and just before serving add koftas, and serve.

CHANNA DAL

INGREDIENTS

1 CUP CHANNA DAL

SALT TO TASTE

1 TSP RED CHILLI POWDER

1 TSP TURMERIC POWDER

5-6 BLACK PEPPERCORNS

1 BAY LEAF

3-4 CLOVES

2 CINNAMON STICKS

FOR TEMPERING

1 SMALL ONION (CHOPPED)

2 GREEN CHILLI

1/2 TSP CUMIN SEEDS

1 TSP GINGER/GARLIC PASTE

1 ROMA TOMATO (CHOPPED)

CORIANDER LEAVES

STEPS OF PREPARATION

1.Boil channa dal with all the spices and water. (I pressure-cooked till 3 whistles)

2.Now in a pan, add cumin seeds, splutter add onion and fry till golden brown.

3.Add whole green chilli, tomato, ginger/garlic paste, fry till oil separates. (if u want to add water, add it now to avoid burning.

4.Pour this tempering over dal, add coriander leaves, mix everything and cook till the tempering and dal looks well blended. (10 minutes atleast)

CORN-POTATO SABZI

INGREDIENTS

2 POTATOES (BOILED AND CUT IN TO SMALL CHUNKS)

1 CUP SWEET CORN KERNELS (MICROWAVED)

SALT TO TASTE

1/2 BUNCH MINT LEAVE1 TOMATO (CHOPPED)

1/2 TSP MUSTARD SEEDS

HANDFUL OF CHOPPED CORIANDER LEAVES

1 TSP RED CHILLI POWDER

1 TSP GARAM MASALA

STEPS OF PREPARATION

1.Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds, allow to crackle.

2.Add corn, potatoes, saute, add tomato and all spices, mint leaves and mix it well, till all spices coat it properly.

3.Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot.

RAITA

INGREDIENTS

1 1/2 CUPS YOGURT

SALT TO TASTE

1 TSP CUMIN SEEDS

5-6 BLACK PEPPERCORNS

STEPS OF PREPARATION

1.Dry roast cumin seeds and black peppercorn on a tawa or pan.

2.Let it cool, grind it coarsely.(I grounded it with the help of mortar and pestle)

3.Whisk yogurt, add salt, grounded cumin and black peppercorn, mix well, add water (according to the required thickness) and serve chilled.

GREEN CHUTNEY

I blogged about it here.

SOME THOUGHTS TO SHARE AND STEAMING HOT KADHI!!!1

We entered for a giveaway in a nearby mall a couple of months ago..(well, actually my husband did, I was not interested as I do not consider myself lucky enough to win in any kind of lucky draw)...and even tried to drag him out of it.....:):):):) .But, he insisted on filling out that small piece of paper asking for name and related basic contact information and dropped in a box kept their solely for collecting the participant's info. We eventually forgot about it until one day I recieved a call from one of their representatives, informing that my husband was one of the winner, asking us to visit a resort 30 minutes drive from our house. She told us that there were various prizes (Cash, free shopping spree, cruise, vacation somewhere in US and a car) and we were a gauaranteed winner of any one of the prize.My husband asked me not to get too much excited, as our chances of getting the most sought after prize that was a car were quite slim, but he was hopeful of getting the lowest prize money.

When we reached there, a representative greeted us and escorted us to a big hall. He took our basic info, asked us about our mutual interests and activities, places we visited so far, places we wanna visit in next 10 years, hotels we stayed in, cost of vacation..blah, blah, blah......After that he introduced us to this phenomena in which one can become owner of a condo at some resort, where multiple parties holds right to use the property and each party gets a fixed time in a year to use the property. It took him almost an hour and nothing about the prize so far. In short, he showed us some shabby looking cabins and lodges and insisted on getting the ownership. When he failed to get our interest going he went to get his manager who started all over again.By that time we were so exhausted and tired that we did not even had energy to stop him. When we did not show our interest to him either, another person came and asked us what was wrong with us and he was so mean and rude, somehow we got rid of him. Then, we were asked to go to another building to get our prize, where a lady gave us a stack of cards from which we had to select and scratch a card. After that she asked us to match the numbers on the card with the numbers on a papers. None of the numbers matched but as promised we were given a prize to spend vacation somewhere in USA ..(now lying somewhere as it has too many catches....)

MORAL OF THE STORY: These Americans definitely know their business.they know how to get money out of our pockets.

KADHI

Now coming back to the cooking, I am very fond of this bihari style kadhi, it is very close to the punjabi kadhi. The only difference I figured out between this one and a punjabi kadhi is the onion paste which enhances its flavour and texture. I never imagined a kadhi without a pakora in it but my husband likes plain kadhi with pakora on the side so I served it that way. I bring to you this delicacy straight from my kitchen stove, try this out, I am sure you will ask for more.....:D

INGREDIENTS FOR KADHI

1 CUP YOGURT

2-3 TBSP CHICK PEA FLOUR(BESAN)

1 TSP RED CHILLI POWDER

1 TSP TURMERIC POWDER

SALT TO TASTE

FOR PASTE

1 MEDIUM ONION

2 GREEN CHILLI

3-4 CLOVES GARLIC

Grind onion, green chilli and cloves with 1-2 tbsp water.

FOR TEMPERING

7-8 ROUND WHOLE RED CHILLIES

1 TSP CUMIN SEEDS

7-8 CURRY LEAVES

STEPS OF PREPARATION

1.Beat yogurt with fork until it becomes smooth and pour it in a large pot.

2.Dissolve besan in water to get thin consistency and it should be lump free.

3.Then add salt, red chilli, turmeric and onion paste.

4.Add 3-4 cups of water and leave it uncovered on medium flame, stirring occassionally.

5.After first boil, lower the flame and cook for atleast an hour.

6.When it is almost done,heat oil in a pan, add red chilli, cumin seeds and curry leaves and fry till aroma comes.

7. Immediately pour it into the kadhi.Garnish with coriander leaves

INGREDIENTS FOR PAKORAY

2 CUPS CHICK PEA FLOUR(BESAN)

1-2 SMALL GREEN CHILLI

SALT TO TASTE

1 TSP RED CHILLI POWDER

1 TSP TURMERIC POWDER

1 TSP CORIANDER POWDER

1 SMALL ONIONS(SLICED FINELY)

1/2 TSP GARAM MASALA

1 TSP CHAAT MASALA

1 1/2 TSP AJWAIN SEEDS

1 TBSP CUMIN SEEDS

HANDFUL OF CORIANDER LEAVES(CHOPPED FINELY)

OIL FOR DEEP FRYING

STEPS OF PREPARATION

1.Place all the ingredients in a bowl except onion and by slowly adding water and stirring at the same time obtain the consistency which should not be too thick or too thin.

2.Add onions and mix well then start dropping them one by one with the kelp of a spoon in hot oil.

3.Deep fry well till they turn golden brown and take out with a slotted spoon on a plate lined with paper towel.

4.Serve with kadhi and rice.

I am sending it to shanthi here.