Thursday 12 September 2013

HEALTHY TIKKIES




 

Tikkies are a very popular street food in India, specially in UP. Whenever we visited my uncle’s place in Gorakhpur, eating tikkies used to be on the top of the to-do-list.
Though the original recipe uses potatoes as main ingredient, I tried to sneak in as many vegetables as I could to make it healthier (as name suggests itself) and added bread for better binding.
These are just perfect for a healthy snack/starter or your kid’s lunch box. Though the list of ingredients does look a bit longer, but believe me it is a quick recipe. On the other hand, You can prepare and keep it frozen, just fry before serving.

INGREDIENTS:-

Boiled potatoes- 2
Bread slices – 4-5
Spinach – ½ bundle
Carrot – 1 finely chopped
Green peas – ½ cup
Corn kernels – ½ cup
Onion – 1 finely chopped
Ginger – 2” grated
Green coriander – 2 tab sp
Red chilly powder – ¼ tsp
Chat masala – ½ tsp
Garam masala powder – 1 pinch
Lemon juice – 1 tab sp
Salt – 2 tsp
Oil -1 tab sp + shallow frying
METHOD
Heat 1 table spoon oil in a pan, add chopped onion, fry till it becomes translucent
Add carrots and green peas cover and cook for 2 minutes.
Open and add spinach and corn kernels, cook for  1-2 minutes stirring frequently. 

Now add salt, grated ginger, chili powder and amchoor powder and garam masala, mix well and switch off the gas.
Now take bread slices soak them in water for few seconds, take them out and squeeze it properly. Now to this add boiled potatoes, fried vegetables and lemon juice.
Mash everything together with hands or you can use a potato masher, try not to puree everything.
Make tikkies of your desired  size. Shallow fry on a griddle or Tawa.
Serve with your choice of sauce .

Monday 9 September 2013

HAPPY GANESH CHATURTHI



BESAN KE LADDU



INGREDIENTS:

Besan (chickpea flour)                         :               2 cups
Ghee (clarified butter                           :               2/3 cup
Sugar                                                      :               1 ½ cup
Water                                                     :               ¼ cup
Green cardamom powder   :               ¼ teaspoon
Method:
*       Put on a big pan (kadai) on gas and mix ghee and besan in it.
*        Roast this mixture over slow to medium heat for 20-30 minutes.
*       Keep it aside. Take another pan and put in the sugar with water and bring it to boil.
*       Add cardamom powder  and boil it on high heat.
*       When sugar starts to dry, turn off the heat. Stir continuously and vigorously.
*       You will get a coarse powder of sugar, if there are big chunk of sugar in it, powder it in grinder.

*     Now add this sugar powder to roasted besan and mix well with hands and shape laddus of your desired size.

Yields: 24-25 laddus of walnut size.