Shrimps in poppy seed gravy

This is my friend Vijayta's shrimp recipe. I must tell you it tastes so yummy that it will leave you craving for more.

Ingredients:
2 cups medium sized raw Shrimps
1 1/2 tbsp Poppy seeds
1 1/2 tbsp grated Cocunut
2 medium sized Onions
2 tbsp Ginger garlic paste
2 Green chillies
1 bunch Curry leaves
2 tbsp Tamarind pulp
1/2 tspTurmeric powder
1/2 tsp Chilly powder
1 tsp Dry Corriander powder
1/2 tsp Mustard seeds
1/2 tsp Cumin seeds
1/4 tsp Fenugreek seeds
Fresh Corriander
Salt
Oil

Method:
Dry roast poppy seeds and grated cocunut and make paste of these ingredients adding little water.
Run the Shrimps under warm water with some salt, dry and set aside. Marinate with ginger garlic paste and turmeric and salt and chilly powder.
Now in a pan add some oil and fry the marinated Shrimps. Shirmps should be cooked before adding to the gravy.
Now in another pan add oil, some mustard and cumin seeds and fenugreek seeds. Add finely chopped onions, saute till onions turn light brown.Then add salt and green chillies cut in small pieces. Now add bunch of curry leaves and turmeric and cook for some time...When the onions are little soft add GG paste and cook for sometime. Add chilly powder and corriander powder. When done add that poppy seed paste we made and some water.
Let it cook till the paste leaves oil. At this time the mixture will become thick. Now add the shrimps, cook for 5 minutes and then add the tamarind juice . To adjust the consistency add water and simmer it and let it cook for 5-7 minutes. Add salt if needed and garnish with coriander leaves.
Serve with steamed rice!

Palak missi roti/ Spinach flavoured Indian Flat bread

Missi roti is made with Besan(chickpea flour), wheat flour and jowar or bajara(millet) flour together. Its a mixed grain roti. Delicious as well as nutritous. A whole meal in itself.

Ingredients:
1 cup Wheat flour/ Atta
1 cup Besan(Chickpea flour)
1 cup Jowar or Bajara(Millet) flour
1 bunch of Spinach (puree)
1 tsp Cumin seeds
1 tsp Aajjwain (carom seeds)
Paste of 2 green Chillies
Paste of 2 garlic cloves(optional)
Salt to taste
1 tsp oil
Ghee(Clarified Butter) for brushing the roti

Procedure:
Knead a dough mixing all ingredients expect ghee, with warm water. Divide in 12 equal parts. Take one part and roll into a chapati. Roast on the tava(griddle) on medium-high heat, 3-4 min on each side. Brush with ghee on top. And Palak missi roti is ready.
It can be served with any Indian curry specially Sambhar. Its great to pack for lunch and goes well with some butter or curd or some chutney.

Shakarkand pakoda ( Sweet Potato Fritter)

Sweet potato pakoda is my recipe inspired by the pumpkin sweet pakoda. I have just replaced the pumkin with sweet potato. The pumpkin pakoda is treated as the sweet feast for the guest in the rural vidardha region of Maharashtra. But its simplicity is the key to its wonderful taste. Your kids will just love it and will ask for more! Here is the recipe:

Ingredients:
3- medium sized sweet potatos
1 cup All purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 tsp cardamom powder
3 tsp poppy seeds
1/3 cup of grated coconut (optional)
Oil for frying

Directions:

Boil or steam the sweet potatoes. Peel and mash them. Add sugar, cardamom powder, flour, poppy seeds and shredded cocunut. Mix well to form a semi-thick dough (little thicker than cake mix consistency).
Heat oil in a kadhai or frying pan on medium heat. Put the pakoras with hand or small spoon.
Fry till golden brown. Serve hot.

Drizzle some honey or date syrup while serving. Garnish with coconut.

Pineapple Sheera

This is the sheera with chopped pineapple in it. The already good tasting sheera goes to a new height when pineapple flavour combines with it.

Ingredients:
Rava / Suji - 1 1/2 cups
Ghee - 1/2 cup
Sugar - 1/2 cup
Milk - 2 cups
Chopped pineapple - 1 cup
Cardamom powder - 1/2 tsp
Pineapple essence - 1/2 tsp
Saffron - few threads dissolved in milk
Crushed cashew nuts - 1/2 cup
Pinch of salt

Preparation:
1. Heat ghee in the pan. Add rava and fry till golden brown.Keep moving constantly so that it doesn't burn.
2. Now add the pineapples. Saute for few minutes.
3. Add Hot milk, sugar, half of the cashew nuts, cardammom powder, pineapple essence, saffron and salt.
4. Let it cook on medium heat till all the milk is absorbed and ghee starts to separate from the sheera. If required add some more milk and cook till milk is reduced.
5. Transfer into a serving platter and garnish with remaining Cashewnuts.
Delicious pineapple sheera is ready to eat.

Eggless peach-orange-chocolate cake

This cake is a good idea for all vegetarians out there.......who so much want to grab a bite of the yummy cake but keep away from it because of the eggs used in its preparation! Now you can have a yummy cake without even feeling guilty about it!

Ingredients:
Peach flavoured yogurt - 1 1/2 cups
Condensed Milk - 1/2 cup
Orange juice - 1/4 cup
Butter - 1 1/2 cup
Sugar - 1 cup
Salt - 1/4 tsp
All purpose flour - 2 cups
Grated chocolate - 1/4 cup
Chocolate chips - 1/2 cup
Zest of 1 orange
Baking soda - 1/2 tsp

Preparation:
1. Make sure that butter is at room temp. Beat it well with the sugar .
2. Now add remaining wet ingredients i.e Yogurt, condensed milk, orange juice.
3. Keep beating in one direction to incorporate lot of air.
4. Now add the flovouring i.e Orange zest, grated chocolate and chocolate chips and salt.Mix well.
5. Add the flour and keep mixing in one direction, 1/2 cup at a time. Repeat till whole flour is mixed well.
6. Preheat the oven at 375 Degree F.
7. Add the baking soda and mix well to incorporate it. Pop in the oven for 30-40 min.
8. After the cake is done ....it looks yummy with nice brown crust!
Let it cool and serve with or without icing.

Santra(Orange) Burfi-Nagpur Special

Amongst all the citrus flavour, orange flavour is the most mouth watering! And belonging to the city of oranges, how can the recipe of orange burfi be left behind in my blog? Here's it for all the sweet lovers.

Ingredient:
Peeled and Grated Lauki (bottle gourd)- 2 cups
Thick Orange pulp -1 cup (or 2 peeled oranges)
Zest of 1 orange
Ghee - 3/4 cup
Sugar - 1 cup
Condensed milk - 1 1/2 cups
Cardamom powder - 1 tsp
Chopped dry fruits - 1/2 cup

Preparation:
1. Heat ghee in a pan.
2. Fry grated lauki (bottle gourd) in the ghee till it becomes tender.
3. Now add the peeled oranges, orange zest and sugar.
4. Keep stirring on medium heat till the mixture thickens.
5. Now add the condensed milk and cardamon powder.
6. Keep stirring till the mixture becomes thick enough to be flattened into burfi.
7. Take it off heat and pour on a buttered flat surface. Garnish with chopped dry fruits
8. Let it cool and cut into square/diamond shape. Orange burfi is ready to be relished!
Can be refrigerated for 2-3 days.

Kalakand

Kalakand is the simplest and yummy Indian sweet. Here's the recipe:

Ingredients:
3 cups of milk
3/4 cup sugar
2 tsp lemon juice/ vinegar
pistachio and almonds

Preparation:
Bring 2 cups of milk to boil. Dilute the lemon juice or vinegar in little water and add little by little to the boiling milk until the milk starts curdling. Remove from heat as soon as the milk is curdled. Strain out the water and keep aside the 'chenna' or soft paneer. Now in another vessel add remaining milk, chenna, sugar and reduce the mixture stirring constantly on medium heat.

Put of the heat when the milk is reduced and a thick granulated mixture is left. Spread it over the greased plate. Let it cool and cut into squares or diamonds. Garnish with the cut dry fruits on top.


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