Manjit

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Zaikabharat brings you the authentic taste of India with mouthwatering, simple, and easy recipes. Cooking relieves stress for me, provides with an opportunity to be creative, boost my mood, and brings back wonderful memories of my mom's kitchen. I have been a culinary part-time instructor for several years in addition to my professional careers as a cancer research scientist, an educator, a healthcare administrator, and a community leader. I have done several cooking demos, TV shows, and I still continue to do so. I would like to share my cooking adventure through this blog and hope you enjoy these recipes.

Tuesday, December 11, 2012

Shrikhand with Mango Pulp


Ingredients:
2 cups yogurt made from whole milk
1 can condensed milk

1/2 cup mango pulp
2-4 green cardamoms, powdered

3-4 drops of rosewater
Pinch nutmeg
A few almonds or pistachios, blanched

 
Preparation:
Hang the yogurt for about 45 minutes in a fine muslin cloth until all the water drains away.
Remove yogurt from the cloth and transfer it into a clean bowl.
Add condensed milk, mango pulp, rosewater, nutmeg, and cardamom powder to thick yogurt.
Blend all the ingredients until you get a creamy paste.
Garnish with blanched nuts of your choice.
Chill and serve.














 

Shrikhand


Ingredients:
2 cups yogurt made from whole milk
1 can condensed milk

2 tablespoons sour cream
2-4 green cardamoms, powdered

3-4 drops of rosewater
Pinch nutmeg
A few almonds or pistachios, blanched


Preparation:
Hang the yogurt for about 45 minutes in a fine muslin cloth until all the water drains away.
Remove yogurt from the cloth and transfer it into a clean bowl.
Add condensed milk, sour cream, rosewater, nutmeg, and cardamom powder to thick yogurt.
Blend all the ingredients until you get a creamy paste.
Garnish with blanched nuts of your choice.
Chill and serve.

Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Coconut Laddoos

 
Ingredients:
300 grams dessicated coconut
1 can (14oz/396 g) sweetened condensed milk
1/2 teaspoon cardamom powder
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
Few slivered almonds or pistachios for garnishing (optional)

Preparation:

Take a heavy-bottomed or a non-stick pan. Heat it over the medium flame.
Add butter and melt.
Add condensed milk, cardamom powder and dessicated coconut in the pan.
Stir the mixture over medium to low heat until it starts to thicken (it takes 5-10 minutes) and rolls easily into balls.
Turn off the flame. Cool the mixture and roll into balls.
Roll the balls in coconut powder to coat the surface.
Garnish with slivered almonds or pistachios and serve.


Friday, November 16, 2012

Mysore Pak



Mysore Pak is a popular south Indian sweet dish and is very tasty.

Ingredients:
2 cups bengal gram flour (besan)
2 cups melted butter (unsalted) or ghee
2 cups sugar
11/2 cups water
1/3 teaspoon cardamom powder (optional)

Preparation:

Take one cup of melted butter or ghee in a pan.
Add bengal gram flour into the ghee and fry until golden brown on low heat.
Meanwhile take another heavy bottomed pan.
Add sugar and water into the pan.
Boil on medium flame until it becomes one thread sticky syrup.
Add stir fried gram flour and cardamom powder.
Continue to stir on medium heat.
Add remaining butter or ghee slowly with continuous stirring.
When mixture starts to move freely leaving the ghee on the sides, transfer the mixture into a greased tray.
The mixture sets very quickly. With a sharp knife cut it into squares or desirable shapes. Garnish with sliced almonds.
Store at room temperature or keep in refrigerator.



Thursday, June 28, 2012

Pineapple-Orange Punch


My kids love this punch


Ingredients:
1quart pineapple juice
1quart orange juice
2quarts (1litre) ginger ale
1tblsp freshly squeezed lime juice

Preparation:
Combine juices and ginger ale in a large punch bowl.
Stir well.
Add required ice cubes and serve cold.

Note: Make sure juices and soda are kept in refrigerator before mixing. Lime slices can also be added as garnish and for a flavor. Additional sugar is not required as juices and soda contains enough sugar.

Sunday, May 27, 2012

Pedas



















Pedas are delicious Indian dessert good for any occasion. This recipe is very quick and easy to make.

Ingredients:
2 cups instant dry milk powder (Nestle Carnation)
1 can (14 oz) condensed milk sweetened (Nestle Carnation)
1 stick (4oz) unsalted butter
1/4 teaspoon green cardamom powder (grind fresh)

Preparation:
Melt butter in a pan on a medium to low heat.
Add milk powder and condensed milk into the melted butter. Mix thoroughly.
Add cardamom powder for additional flavor.
Continue to stir for 4-5 minutes until the mixture starts to thicken.
Turn off the flame and bring the mixture to room temperature.
Grease your hands with butter and make flat balls or roll in desired shape.
Place them on a plate.
Garnish with coconut powder or slivered almonds or pistachios or cashews.
Keep in refrigerator to set for an hour and serve.
Pedas can also be served at room temperature but store in refrigerator.

Tips:
You can use cookie cutter to give some fun shapes to pedas. Kids enjoy doing this for holiday season.
Food color (a pinch) can be used to give saffron or yellow color to pedas.
Rose essence (few drops) can be combined with cardamom powder to give little exotic flavor.
No additional sugar is required.

Friday, April 27, 2012

Pan Fried Salmon















It is a great simple fish recipe. It can be paired with any red or white wine.

Ingredients:
1 pound fish fillets
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper powder
1/4 tsp red pepper powder for extra spice (optional)
1/2 tsp garlic paste
1 lime, freshly squeezed
1/2 tsp cumin powder
1 tbsp yogurt
2 tblsps oil or butter for better taste
Coriander leaves, finely chopped for garnishing

Preparation:
Rinse fish fillets and pat dry before marination.

A. Marination:
Marinate fish fillets in all the ingredients above except for oil used for shallow frying and coriander leaves used for garnishing.
Keep marinated fish fillets for 1 hour at the room temperature or in refrigerator for 2 hours.

B. Panfrying

Heat oil or butter in a pan.
Put marinated fish fillets in a heated pan and fry 3 minutes per side or until crisp brown.
Drain extra oil on a paper towel and transfer it to a clean serving plate.
Squeeze few drops of fresh lime and sprinkle pepper powder over the fillets.
Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot.