Tip of the Week: Vol 2: How to Make Green Chillies & Ginger Paste Last Longer in Refrigerator!

Back to Basics again today! I don’t know about you but I just can’t cook Indian recipes without having Green Chillies & Ginger paste in my refrigerator. I basically use this paste for almost all of my dishes! But grinding it fresh every time, takes up my time especially in the morning when I am packing lunch boxes & doing million things. So, I prefer making a batch & storing it in my fridge but the problem is the paste catches fungus in about 4-5 days and I have to discard it. So, when I told my mom how ‘n’th time I had to throw away the paste, she shared her secret of How to make Green Chilli & Ginger Paste last longer in fridge with me! I tell you moms knows a lot of cooking tips, you just need to be after them to get the secrets out 🙂

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You will need:

1 Cup Green Chillies

1 Inch Ginger piece

1/8 Tsp Turmeric Powder

½ – 1 Tsp Salt or to taste

1-2 Tbsp Warm Oil

Water as required

Steps to Make Green Chillies & Ginger Paste Last Longer in Refrigerator:

1. In a mixer grinder jar, add green chillies which are pre- washed & remove their tails & heads.
2. Add ginger piece.
3. Add turmeric powder which will keep the paste vibrant looking & green for long time.
4. Add oil. It is the main ingredient which makes the paste last longer without catching fungus. Use a little warm oil.
5. Cover the lid & grind it to a smooth paste. If you still see some fibres add little bit of water & grind again.
6. After grinding it to a smooth paste, transfer it to an air tight container. It will last in refrigerator easily for 15 days & in freezer for 25-30 days.

If you want to see how I made this Green Chillies & Ginger Paste, then head over to video recipe by clicking this link:

https://www.youtube.com/v/Fc-L3bWPpes?version=3&f=user_uploads&c=google-webdrive-0&app=youtube_gdata

Click “Print” or “PDF” button below if you want to save this recipe!

Also checkout: How To Cook Chickpeas/Kabuli Chana Or Kidney Beans/RajmaFaster Without Soaking?

How to Make McDonalds Oreo McFlurry at Home

I don’t remember how many times I have had McDonald’s Oreo McFlurry till now! Whenever we, passed a McDonald’s counter in a mall, we always had to have some dessert because they are yummy! You can have it on the go, they are priced relatively cheaper & I kind of liked their innovative ideas they bring forth every few months in their menu. So, while enjoying the famous Oreo McFlurry it occurred to me, “hey I can make this at home”! It seems so simple & with just two trials, I made my very own version of McDonald’s Oreo McFlurry. When I added some cream to this recipe, I found it to be quite heavy & honestly my stomach never felt heavy whenever I ate it at McDonalds. So, I am totally skipping the cream plus you have an advantage of choosing low fat ice cream if you are health conscious & still want to indulge in this sweet treat once in a while.

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You will need:

Single Serve Cup Vanilla Ice Cream (75 ml) low or full fat

3 Oreo Biscuits

Serving: Single

Steps to Make MacDonalds Oreo McFlurry At Home:

1. In a bowl, add ice cream & keep it aside for a while till it softens. This will make it easier to work with ice cream.
2. In a blending jar, crush 2 oreo biscuits you get crumbly texture. Approximately for 20 seconds.
3. Roughly break/crush the remaining 1 biscuit with hands for some crunch in the ice cream.
4. Your ice cream should be soft by now. Add the oreo biscuits crumble to ice cream & mix it very well.
5. Now add in the roughly broken oreo & mix. Keep it in refrigerator to set atleast for 30 mins.
6. Garnish with some oreo biscuit pieces & enjoy!

Important Pointers:

• Make a batch & store it in air tight container in your refrigerator. This can easily last for atleast 15 days.

If you want to see how I made McDonalds Oreo McFlurry at Home, then head over to video recipe by clicking this link:

https://www.youtube.com/v/Rp23_jgsl9E?version=3&f=user_uploads&c=google-webdrive-0&app=youtube_gdata

Click “Print” or “PDF” button below if you want to save this recipe!

Khatta Meetha Dhokla Recipe: How to make MTR/Gits Instant Dhokla Mix Recipe at Home!

In the past, whenever I had gone to supermarket for grocery shopping, I always ALWAYS ended up picking up lots of Instant Mix packets of Dhokla, Khaman, Idlis, Dosas etc. I used these instant packets almost everyday for a quick breakfast fix. But soon I realised, these packets actually add a lot to my monthly grocery budget & most importantly, it always kind of scared me to look at those preservatives they mention in their ingredients list! So, I decided no more instant mixes at my home! And true to TGS motto,“Make at Home, here is an easy recipe of Khatta Meetha Dokhla. If you will follow the proportion of ingredients as mentioned below, I promise you will never buy an instant mix packet again. It is easy to make but it takes a little pre-planning for making the batter & allowing it to ferment but it does not end up consuming your time!

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You will need:

1/2 Cup Rice

1/4 Cup White Urad Dal / Split Urad Dal

1/4 Cup Rava/Semolina/Sooji

1/4 Curd

Water as needed to grind the batter

2 Tsp Green Chillies & Ginger Paste

2 Tsp Sugar

1 Lemon Juice

1-2 Tbsp Freshly chopped Coriander Leaves

1 Tbsp Oil + oil for greasing

1/2 Tsp Mustard Seeds/Rai

1/4 Tsp Asafoetida/Hing

8-10 Curry Leaves

1/2 Tsp Eno Fruit Salt per plate (Total 1 1/2 Tsp)

 2-3 Pinch of Freshly Crushed Black Pepper Powder

2-3 Pinch of Sesame Seeds/Til/Taal

Curry leaves for garnish (optional)

Serving: 2-3 Persons

Serving suggestion: Serve with Green Coriander Chutney

Steps to Make Khatta Meetha Dokhla:

1. Mix rice & urad dal in a vessel, wash & soak it in water for 4-5 hours.
2. After 5 hours, grind it coarsely using water, consistency should be like dosa batter. For grinding, I used approximately 1/4 cup water.
3. After grinding, take the batter in a bowl & add rava/semolina & curd. Mix well, cover with a lid & allow it to ferment for 5-6 hours.
4. After 6 hours, once fermented, add salt to taste, Green chillies & ginger paste, sugar, lemon juice, freshly chopped coriander leaves. Mix it well & keep aside.
5. In a small pan, heat oil add mustard seeds or rai, allow it to crackle.
6. Add hing, curry leaves & switch off the gas.
7. Add tempering to the batter & mix.
8. Divide the batter into 3 equal portions. Add Eno only to the portion you are about to steam.
9. In a steamer, place your greased Dhokla plate & allow the water to come to a boil.
10. Pour the batter in the plate evenly. Use a spoon if required or just tap the vessel once
11. Sprinkle black pepper powder & sesame seeds over the batter.
12. Cover with lid & let it steam on high flame for 10-12 minutes
13. After 12 minutes, remove the Dhokla plate from the steamer, allow it cool, then cut into pieces, garnish with curry leaves & serve with Green Coriander Chutney. 

Important Pointers:

• Do not add eno to entire batter or it will harden. Add just before placing the plate in the steamer.
• You can use long grain or short grain rice. I generally use short grain rice for dokhlas, dosa etc. as it is much cheaper.

If you want to see how I made this Khatta Meetha Dhokla Recipe, then head over to video recipe by clicking this link:

https://www.youtube.com/v/BY8qK6zPIWg?version=3&f=user_uploads&c=google-webdrive-0&app=youtube_gdata

Click “Print” or “PDF” button below if you want to save this recipe! 

Minty Mango Lassi Recipe: Indian Mango & Mint Yoghurt Smoothie Recipe

I have a quick recipe to refresh you for summers today – Minty Mango Lassi. I have already shared how to make Traditional Sweet Lassi like people make in Punjab, using a ‘Madhani’ or ‘Whisker’.This Minty Mango Lassi is a variation you can make for summers & this time I am using a blender, which makes this amazing Lassi in few minutes. I have used Fresh Mint in this drink, it makes the Lassi SO SO refreshing and I found Mango + Mint is a great combination.  

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You will need:

1/2 Cup Full Fat Milk Curd (Fresh)

1/2 Cup Mango Pieces (should be sweet & preferably Alphanso Mangoes)

3 Tsp Powdered Sugar or as required

6-8 Fresh Mint Leaves

4-5 Ice Cubes

Mango pieces & Mint Leaves for garnish

Serving: 1 Glass

Steps to Make Minty Mango Lassi:

1. In a mixing jar, add sweet alphanso mango pieces, sugar. Cover the lid & blend for 30-40
2. seconds or until its well blended.
3. Now add fresh curd & blend again for 30 seconds or till it is blended.
4. Add some ice cubes, which will help the thick & creamy Lassi to lighten in texture & make it chilled.
5. In a serving glass, add ice cubes & pour the Minty Mango Lassi over it.
6. Garnish with fresh mango pieces & mint leaves.

Important Pointers:

• Do not overbeat the curd in blender or else it will turn into butter.
• You can us powdered sugar or sugar syrup because too.
• Depending upon how sweet the mangoes are & how sweet you prefer your Lassi to be, you can alter the sugar amount.  
• Always use fresh curd to make Lassi. Do not use old & sour curd, it will not taste good.
• Instead of water, use Ice Cubes to make the Lassi less thick in consistency & it will also chill the Lassi at the same time.

If you want to see how we made this Minty Mango Lassi, then head over to video recipe by clicking this link:

https://www.youtube.com/v/cXAxNpG6Qcw?version=3&f=user_uploads&c=google-webdrive-0&app=youtube_gdata

Click “Print” or “PDF” button below if you want to save this recipe!

Some Useful Tips for Monsoon Skincare

I know this is a food blog! But as much as I love food, I also like to take care of my skin, hair & health. So, you will read lot of stuff related to these things too on TGS! And finally, it has started pouring in Delhi, reliving us from the scorching heat of summers! But I am not sure how long I will get to enjoy this beautiful weather, as Delhi & rains are not really that compatible. So, quickly sharing some tips on Skincare for this monsoon!

Monsoons are arriving! With every downpour, your spirits are revived. Your skin, however, does not experience the same enthusiasm and instead suffers from oiliness or dehydration brought on by monsoon. This is the time when the skin becomes irritable due to humidity and rashes caused due to season change, give way to other skin problems.

Rains can be pretty harsh on your skin. You may be surprised that your skin, which looked radiant throughout summers, suddenly looks clammy during rains. Here are five tips and products to protect you from the damages caused by weather-change:

1.       Use a Moisturizer-cum-sunscreen: Your skin behaves differently in monsoon, it becomes important to take special care of it. While everything around you is bright and beautiful, the increasing humidity does not allow your skin to breathe properly making it appear dry.Smooth on a moisturizing body lotion that contains sunscreen in proper concentration. The body lotion is not only supposed to protect your skin from drying but also saves it from tanning. Vaseline Healthy White is a moisturizer that contains SPF 25 to prevent your skin from tanning and also makes is 4 times fairer instantly.

2.       Cleanse the skin: The skin should be cleaned 3-4 times a day with non-soapy options. This helps to clean excessive oil and dirt from the skin pores and helps it breathe. Cleansing also keeps blackheads and whiteheads away.

3.       Say No to Frizz: While umbrellas prevent your hair from getting wet, the moist and wind make your hair frizzy. To avoid your hair from becoming this annoying frizz covering it with fashionable yet protective scarves. Additionally, wash hair a little more frequently than you usually do in the monsoon as all the humidity and sweat causes it to get dirty soon and attract dust and pollution.                                                                                                

4.       Hydrate yourself: Drink at least 7-8 glasses of water to maintain skin hydration, as the skin loses a lot of water due to exertion in the rains .

5.       Avoid fungal infections: Fungal infections are the most common complaints of the rainy season. Never keep your skin wet for a long time. Bathing with lukewarm water and using antifungal creams, soaps and talc will prove to be effective in combating fungal invasion. Some of these common infections are athlete’s foot, ringworm, or itching caused by wet damp clothing. What works best is petroleum jelly that heals your skin from various such infections.

Disclaimer: I do not claim to own this image: source 

Rajasthani Besan Wali Bhindi Recipe: A perfect recipe for Lunch Tiffin!

Every morning I struggle, thinking what I should pack ‘different’ for my husband’s lunch time tiffin. Though I normally prefer making everyday roti & sabzi but it gets boring & repetitive week after week. So, I have started tweaking those everyday sabzi & try to make it in different variations. Now, Bhindi/Okra/Lady Fingers are so so common in Indian households and I am sure you make Bhindi ki sabzi atleast once or twice in a week. Here is a quick & different version of Bhindi ki sabzi, inspired by my visit to Rajasthan in 2010 – ‘Rajasthani Besanwali Bhindi’! What I observed is that you will find extensive use of Besan/Chickpea/Gram Flour in their cuisine which is very unique. It was loved by everyone in my home & I did receive quite a lot of compliments too. It is a perfect sabzi to make in the morning when you have thousand of things to do!

PS: Do you see a kabab like thing in pictures, that I made for tiffin? It’s made from leftover Sindhi Sai Bhaji, I will share recipe for that soon!

Click “Print” or “PDF” button below to save this recipe!

You will need:

250gm Bhindi/Lady Fingers/Okra – Slit in half length wise

1/4 Cup Gram Flour/Chickpea Flour/Besan

1/4 Tsp Turmeric Powder

1 Tsp Coriander Powder

1 Tsp Red Chilli Powder

1/2 Tsp Fennel Seeds/Saunf Powder

1/2 Tsp Cumin Seeds/Jeera Powder

1/2 Tsp Dry Mango/Amchur Powder

1/4 Tsp Asafoetida/Hing

1 -2 Tbsp Water to sprinkle

Salt to taste

Serving: 2-3 Persons

Steps to Make Rajasthani Besanwali Bhindi:

1. In a pan add oil & allow it to heat. Add cumin seeds & let it flutter.
2. Add asafoetida followed by Lady Finger/Bhindi/Okra – slit in half lengthwise.
3. Mix well. Let is cook on medium flame for 2-3 minutes. Give it a stir after 2-3 mins & let it cook again.
4. Add salt to taste, turmeric powder & mix.
5. Cook bhindi fot 8-9 minutes, stirring occasionally, till it gets a little crispier on medium flame.
6. Once the oil separates, add besan/chickpea flour/gram flour, coriander powder, Red Chilli Powder, Sauf Powder, Jeera Powder, & Dry Mango Powder. Mix everything well.
7. Cover with lid & let it cook for 3-4 minutes on low flame.
8. Open the lid after 3-4 minutes, sprinkle some water if required, so it doesn’t stick to the pan.
9. Mix & give it another 2-3 minutes, then turn off the gas.
10. It’s ready to be served.

If you want to see how I made this Rajasthani Besanwali Bhindi,then head over to video recipe by clicking this link:

https://www.youtube.com/v/B5YMwNY7xEo?version=3&f=user_uploads&c=google-webdrive-0&app=youtube_gdata

Click “Print” or “PDF” button below if you want to save this recipe!

Sweet Lime Soda With a Twist of Ginger & Mint Recipe

Delhi is very busy in breaking 62 years old summer time temperature records by hitting new high of 45-46-47 degrees almost everyday, forcing us to stay most of the time indoors & looking for ways to beat the heat! Well, as far as my attempts go I am trying to make recipes which help in maintaining our body temperature & keep us hydrated. Ginger Lemonade is being made almost every single day at my home but I wanted to spice up the recipe + tweak the ‘Sweet Lime Soda’ that you get in restaurants. So, I came up with this ‘Sweet Lime Soda With a Twist of Ginger & Mint’ to refresh & keep us going this summer!

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You will need:

1 Tbsp Grated Ginger

12-15 Mint Leaves

2 Tbsp Powdered Sugar

1 Tbsp Lemon Juice

300 ml Soda Water

Ice Cubes

Mint Leaves for garnish

Serving: Single

Steps to Make Sweet Lime Soda With a Twist of Ginger & Mint:

1. In a large mixing bowl, add grated ginger, roughly chopped or torn with hands mint leaves, powdered sugar & ice cube.
2. Using a muddler/whisker/madhani, extract juices from ginger & mint by mixing & pressing for 2-3 minutes.
3. Allow it to sit for 2-3 minutes.
4. Muddle again for few minutes till you see the juices coming out of ginger & mint.
5. Using a strainer, strain the juice in a bowl, pressing the mixture with a spoon.
6. Add lemon juice to strained extract.
7. In a serving glass, pour the extract & add some ice cubes.
8. Pour the soda water over the mixture.
9. Give it a quick stir.
10. Garnish with fresh mint leaves & serve.

Important Pointers:

• Ice Cube helps in quick muddling & extracting of juices.
• You can use granulated sugar too. I used powdered sugar because it is easy & quick to dissolve. You can even use sugar syrup.
• Substitute sugar with honey, for more healthier version.

If you want to see how I made t Sweet Lime Soda With a Twist of Ginger & Mint, then head over to video recipe by clicking this link:

https://www.youtube.com/v/C_JiPlnznqU?version=3&f=user_uploads&c=google-webdrive-0&app=youtube_gdata

 Click “Print” or “PDF” button below to save this recipe!

Leftover Rice Stuffed Paratha Recipe

Simple plain rice is not a favourite recipe at my home, unless it is served with some spicy accompaniments like dal, rajma, chole, sambhar or some curry. Like, last week I made this simple rice with some cumin, turmeric, red chilli powder, potatoes & salt for my nephew (because he is a toddler!!); he sniffed it, tasted a bite, made a funny face and went back to playing! Basically, he didn’t like the taste of simple yellow rice!! So, there I had a leftover which needed to be tweaked, re-cooked & served to be loved by all. So, I came up with this interesting Leftover Rice Stuffed Paratha. I am been cautions about the calories here, so I have used little oil for cooking, you can of course shallow fry it as per your liking. Also, you can top up the paratha with a gallop of butter if you like! Yum!

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You will need:

1 Cup Leftover Rice

1 Medium Sized Onion Chopped

1 Green Chilli Chopped

1 Tbsp Coriander Leaves Chopped

1 .5 Tsp Red Chilli Powder (or as per taste)

1/2 Tsp Coriander Seeds Powder

2-3 Tsp Oil per Paratha

Wheat Flour Dough as required

Salt to taste

Serving: Makes about 4 Parathas

Steps to Leftover Rice Stuffed Paratha:

1. In a mixing bowl, add leftover rice & mash the rice with your hand or in a blender.
2. Now add in onion, green chillies, coriander leaves & mix well.
3. Add spices – salt, red chilli powder, coriander seeds powder & mix again.
4. Keep this stuffing aside.
5. For rolling paratha, on a flat surface take about tennis ball size of dough & with a rolling pin, roll the dough till half way. Use dry flour to roll as needed.
6. Place about 2-3 Tbsp stuffing kept aside at the centre of the rolled dough.
7. Now start sealing the dough to form a round ball like shape, pressing the stuffing in.
8. With the help of dry flour & rolling pin start rolling the stuffed dough using very light pressure & keep  sealing the ends with fingers as you roll.
9. Quickly run a knife below the paratha in case it might have got stuck at the base.
10. Heat a pan/tawa, drizzle oil.
11. Place the paratha in the pan carefully.
12. On medium flame let it cook for 30-40 seconds.
13. Now flip the paratha with a spatula.You will see some light brown spots.
14. Apply oil on one side & after 30-40 seconds flip it again.
15. Press lightly with spatula & cook for another 20-30 seconds.
16. Repeat the process other side – apply oil, flip over, press gently with spatula for few seconds.
17. Turn the flame on high & cook for 5-8 seconds.
18. Flip again, cook for 5-8 seconds & turn off the gas.
19. Paratha is ready to be served.
20. Serve with curd & top it up butter (optional).

Important Pointers:

• Since I used rice which already had some spices in it, I didn’t add lot of spices. But if you are using plain white rice, then add turmeric powder & increase the quantity of other spices.
• I have used very little oil for cooking. You can shallow fry it too.
• Top up Paratha with Ghee or Butter if desired.

If you want to see how I made this Ginger Lemonade, then head over to video recipe by clicking this link:

https://www.youtube.com/v/fFpBvc9w4t4?version=3&f=user_uploads&c=google-webdrive-0&app=youtube_gdata

Click “Print” or “PDF” button below to save this recipe!

Tip of the Week: Vol 1: How to cook Chickpeas/Kabuli Chana or Kidney Beans/Rajma faster without soaking?

I never plan my meals in advance! No, seriously! I am more like ‘feel like eating, cook that‘ kind of person. So, when I crave for making some beans like Chana or Rajma, I usually face a hard time cooking them. You cannot just throw them in pressure cooker & cook, it will never cook through, especially Rajma. These hard beans need a minimum of 8-9 hours of soaking, which means planning ahead of time. Well, not anymore, I am sharing a quick tip with you that will bring the soaking time of these beans to 1 hour max!

So what you need to do is, wash your beans as usual, & put them in pressure cooker with ample of water. Add in some baking soda. Do not add salt or any other spice! Cover the pressure cooker lid & turn off the gas just before it is about to whistle. Do not wait for the pressure cooker to whistle, turn off the gas immediately before that. What exactly we are doing is holding the pressure back in the cooker & not letting it vent out. Let it stand for exactly 1 hour, before opening the lid. And voila, you will have beans looking like they have been soaked overnight. Now they are ready to cook as per the recipe! 

Chocolate Mango Milkshake Recipe : Easy Summer Milkshake Recipe

Summer time is equal to mango time in our home! We are some serious mango lovers and basically can have mangoes at anytime of the day & in any form. So, I decided to mix two of my favourite ingredients – chocolate & mangoes to create this amazing Milkshake. Chocolate + Mangoes = Yummy combination! It is again so easy to make & seriously delicious! If you choose ripe & sweet mangoes then probably you can skip the sugar completely! Plus the chocolate adds sweetness too!

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You will need:

1 Cup Juicy ripe mango cut into pieces

400 ml Chilled Milk

2 Tbsp Powdered Sugar or as per taste

16 gm Milk Chocolate ( my choice Cadbury Dairy Milk)

Ice Cubes

Mint leaves & grated Chocolate for garnish

Steps to Make Chocolate Mango Milkshake:

1.       In a blending jar, add mango pieces, powdered sugar & chocolate pieces.

2.       Cover the lid & blend it for 20-30 seconds.

3.       Try to not blend the chocolate pieces a lot.

4.       Add Milk & churn for 20-30 seconds more.

5.       In a serving glass, add ice cubes & pour the Chocolate Mango Milkshake over the ice.

6.       Garnish with grated chocolate & mint leaf. 

Important Pointers:

·         You can use regular sugar if you don’t have powdered sugar.

·         I am using chocolate directly from the fridge, to avoid blending the chocolate completely. You would like to retain some pieces.

If you want to see how I made this Chocolate Mango Milkshake Recipe, then head over to video recipe by clicking this link:

https://www.youtube.com/v/nKQOdhX4gz4?version=3&f=user_uploads&c=google-webdrive-0&app=youtube_gdata

Click “Print” or “PDF” button below if you want to save this recipe!