Potli Samosa Recipe

Ingredients for Potli Samosa

For making dough:

·         Dough

·         Maida (all purpose flour) - 1 cup

·         Salt - ¼ tsp

·         Oil or ghee - 2- 2.5 tbsp

·         Oil - to fry samosas

For stuffing:

·         Potato - 2 medium (boiled)

·         Green peas - ¼ cup

·         Paneer - 1.5 inch square piece

·         Cashew nuts - 4-5 (chopped)

·         Raisins - 1 tbsp

·         Green chilly - 1 (finely chopped)

·         Salt - ¼ tsp

·         Red chilly powder - less then ¼ tsp

·         Garam masala - less then ¼ tsp

·         Green coriander - 2 tbsp (finely chopped)

How to make Potli Samosa

Add salt and oil in maida (all purpose flour). Pour water to knead the dough. Knead the dough for 3-4 minutes until it becomes soft. Cover the dough and keep for 20 minutes so that it gets fermented.

Meanwhile prepare stuffing for the samosa.

Preheat a pan with 1-2 tsp oil. Peel the potatoes and mash them finely. Add green chilies, peas in the pan and cook for 2 minutes. Mash the peas as well. Also add mashed potatoes, paneer chunks, cashew nuts, raisins, coriander powder, red chilly powder, salt, garam masala and green coriander in the pan. Cook for 2-3 minutes. Stuffing for the samosas is ready.

Knead the dough more to make it softer. Make small balls out of the dough. 8-10 balls ca be prepared with this much quantity of dough.

Cover the balls with cloth so that they don’t get dried up. Take one ball and roll it. Make sure it doesn’t become much thin. Take the puri in your hand and place 1-1.5 tsp stuffing in the center. Apply little water at the corners of the puri and give it a shape of potli. Seal from all sides very carefully.

Take a pan to heat oil. Place 3-4 samosas or as many as possible at a time and fry them on medium flame till they get golden brown color. Take out the fried samosas in a plate.  Like wise prepare and fry all samosas.

Pinning hot potli samasas are ready. Serve with green coriander chutney or tomato sauce.

We often make pizza in oven, but if we don’t have oven or there is no electricity then it can be made on tawa with utter ease. Pizza prepared on tawa is as delicious as prepared in oven.

Vegetable Manchurian Recipe

Ingredients for Veg Manchurian Balls

·        

Cabbage - 2 cup (grated)

·         Carrot - 1 cup (grated)

·         Capsicum - 1 (grated)

·         Green chilly - 1 (finely chopped)

·         Black pepper - 2 pinch

·         Corn flour - 4-5 tbsp

·         Soya sauce - 1 tsp

·         Ajinomoto - 2 pinch

·         Salt - as per taste (½ tsp)

·         Green coriander - 1 tbsp (finely chopped)

·         Oil - to fry Manchurian balls

Ingredients for Manchurian Sauce

·         Oil - 2 tbsp

·         Ginger - 1 inch piece (grated)

·         Green chilly - 1-2 (finely chopped)

·         Soya sauce - 1 tbsp

·         Tomato sauce - 2 tbsp

·         Chilly sauce - ½ - 1 tsp

·         Vegetable stalk - 1 cup

·         Sugar - ½ - 1 tsp

·         Ajinomoto - 2 pinch

·         Salt - as per your taste (½ tsp)

·         Vinegar - 1 tsp

·         Green coriander - 1 tbsp (finely chopped)

How to make Veg Manchurian

Boil all the gated vegetables. Take a utensil and add 1 cup water. Add vegetable in boiling water and boil for 3 minutes. Make sure the vegetables don’t get very soft. Strain all water from the vegetables and keep the stalk. We will use this stalk for making manchurian sauce.

Add chopped green chilies, black pepper, soya sauce, ajinomoto, green coriander leaves and salt in the boiled vegetables mix all ingredients well. Make small balls out of the mixture (lemon size) and place them in a plate.

Add oil in a pan. Now add one manchurian ball for frying to check whether it splatters or not. If the ball splatters then add 1-2 tbsp corn flour more. Add as much manchurian balls in the pan as possible at one time and cook till they get golden brown color.  Prepare all manchurian balls like wise. Now we will make manchurian sauce for them.

How to make Sauce for Veg Manchurian

Take oil in a pan; add ginger, green chilly, soya sauce and tomato sauce. Cook for while.

Add vegetable stalk in the corn flour and mix until all lumps get dissolved. Add this mixture in the pan, when its starts to boil, add green chilly sauce, sugar, salt, ajinomoto and green coriander leaves. When it starts boiling, reduce the flame to minimum and cook for 2 minutes more. Add manchurian balls in the gravy and cook for another 1-2 minutes.

Indo- Chinese veg manchurian is ready. Serve pinning veg manchurian and enjoy eating it.

Suggestion: it is said that ajinomoto is not healthy for pregnant women and children.

Potli samosa are like small packets or bag that look very beautiful, unique and very delicious. Compared to other samosa, potli samosa are very small in size and can be served as starter in any party or can be prepared for any special occasions or can be accompanied in supper.

Often this potli samosa is made with masala stuffing of potato and peas, but you can use any stuffing as per your taste like mawa, dates, paneer, tofu, roasted dal etc.

Gobi manchurian indo- Chinese recipe

Gobi manchurian indo- Chinese recipe is one of the most liked recipes. Prepare it dry or with gravy, or serve it as a side dish or as snack, you will surely like this recipe incorporated with Indian spices. Let’s prepare manchurian with gravy.

Ingredients for Cauliflower Manchurian

·         Cauliflower - 400 grams

·         Maida (all purpose flour) - 4 tbsp

·         Corn flour- 5 tbsp

·         Green coriander - 2 tbsp (finely chopped)

·         Ginger paste - 1 tsp

·         Green chilly - 1 (finely chopped)

·         Tomato sauce- 2 tbsp

·         Soya sauce - 1 tbsp

·         Chilly sauce - 1 tbsp

·         Vinegar - 1 tsp

·         Chilly flakes - ½ tsp

·         Sugar - ½ or 1 tsp

·         Black pepper - ¼ tsp

·         Salt - ¾ tsp

·         Oil - to fry cauliflower and to make manchurian sauce

How to make Gobi Manchurian

Cut out the florets from cauliflower and wash twice. Strain all water with help of sieve and pat dry.

Take 1 tbsp corn flour separately. Mix rest of the corn flour and maida with help of water until you get a thick consistency mixture. Add less then ¼ tsp of salt and black pepper in the mixture.

Heat oil in a pan; when oil gets heated, fry florets in oil after dipping them in the corn flour mixture. Add as many florets as possible in one time and fry them until they get golden brown color. Like wise fry all florets.

How to make manchurian sauce

Add ½ cup water in 1 tbsp corn flour. Stir it until all lumps get dissolved. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a pan. Add ginger paste, green chilies, tomato sauce, chilly sauce, corn flour mixture and soya sauce in the pan and cook for 1-2 minutes. Also add chilly flakes, salt and vinegar. Manchurian sauce is now ready. Add fried florets and green coriander and mix well until all florets get nicely coated with the sauce. Gobi manchurian is now ready. Serve hot.

Suggestion:

If you wish to add onions and garlic in Gobi manchurian then, firstly finely chop 1 onion and 5-6 garlic cloves. Before add ginger paste, add onion and garlic and cook until onion turn pinkish in color. Repeat rest of the procedure and make Gobi manchurian.

Vegetable Manchurian is one of the most liked recipes. The process of making veg Manchurian is similar to that of making vegetable kofta. The sauce prepared for veg Manchurian involves usage of soya sauce, tomato sauce, vinegar and ajinomoto, which enhance its flavor and give it a unique taste.

Baked Kachori Recipe

Ingredients for Kachori Covering

·        

Maida (all purpose flour) - 2 cup

·         Oil - 3 tbsp

·         Salt - 1 tsp

·         Sugar - 1 tsp

·         Instant dry yeast - ¾ tsp or

·         Active dry yeast - 1 tsp

Ingredients for Stuffing

·         Potato - 2 medium (boiled)

·         Green peas - ½ cup

·         Green coriander - 2 tbsp

·         Cumin seeds - ¼ tsp

·         Asafoetida - 1 pinch

·         Green chilly - 1 (finely chopped)

·         Ginger - ½ inch piece (grated)

·         Turmeric powder - less then ¼ tsp

·         Coriander powder - ½ tsp

·         Fennel powder - ½ tsp

·         Red chilly powder - less then ¼ tsp

·         Garam masala - less then ¼ tsp

·         Mango powder - ¼ tsp

How to make Baked Kachori or Masala Bun

Knead dough for making kachori’s. Take out flour in any utensil and make a small well in center of the flour. Add sugar, instant dry yeast (there is no need to active instant dry yeast in lukewarm water), ½ tsp salt and 2 tsp oil in the maida and mix well.

Add little amount of lukewarm water in the dough at a time and prepare a soft dough like that used for making chapatti’s. Knead dough for about 4-5 minutes until it becomes soft. (For kneading this much amount of water 1 cup water is used). Grease the dough with little oil, cover it and keep it aside for 20-25 minutes for fermenting. Meanwhile prepare stuffing for the kachori’s.

Heat oil in a pan and add asafoetida and cumin seeds. Roast for a while, and then add green chilies, turmeric powder, coriander powder, fennel powder and green peas. Mash the green peas. Now also add mashed potatoes, salt, red chilly powder, garam masala and mango powder. Mix all ingredients well and cook for 2-3 minutes.

Dough has fermented, now stuff the kachori’s. Divide the dough and stuffing in 8 equal halves. Take one part in your hand and make a round ball. Flatten the ball with your hand and make a dent in center. Fill the stuffing in the center and seal the stuffing from all sides. Flatten the kachori. Grease the baking tray with oil and place the kachori on the tray. Like wise prepare all kachori’s. Cover the kachori’s; and keep them aside for 2 hours for fermenting.

Kachori’s got fermented well. Now keep them in oven for baking. Set the oven temperature to 200 degree centigrade and cook kachori’s for 20 minutes in oven. Check after 15minutes. Bake more if not cooked properly.

Kachori’s are now baked properly. Baked kachori is now ready. Serve with hot tea or coffee.

Chili Potato

Ingredients for Chili Potato

       Potato - 3 (250 grams)

·         Green coriander powder - 2 tbsp (finely chopped)

·         Green chilies - 2 (finely chopped)

·         Ginger paste - 1 tsp

·         Corn flour - 4 tbsp

·         Tomato sauce - 2 tbsp

·         Soya sauce - 1 tbsp

·         Chilly sauce - 1 tsp

·         Vinegar -1 tsp

·         Chilly flakes - ½ tsp

·         Salt - ½ tsp

·         Sugar - ½ tsp

·         Oil - to fry the potatoes and cook chilly potato

How to make Chili Potato

Wash potatoes properly, peel and slice them length wise thinly. Mix the sliced potatoes with corn flour nicely. They should get coated nicely with corn flour.

To fry corn flour coated potatoes, heat oil in a pan. When oil gets heated up place corn flour coated potatoes in pan and fry till they get golden brown color. Fry all potatoes like wise and place them in as sieve so that excess oil gets strained out.

Prepare sauce for fried potatoes

Heat another pan, add 2 tbsp oil. When oil gets heated add ginger and green chilies. Cook for a while. On low flame add chilly flakes, tomato sauce, and soya sauce. Mix well. Add ¼ cup of water in 1 cup con flour and stir until all lumps get dissolved and then mix up with roasted spices and sauce. Also mix green coriander leaves and mix all ingredients nicely.

Chilly potatoes are ready. Take out in a saucer and garnish with green coriander leaves. Serve hot and spicy chilly potatoes.

Suggestion:

If you want to add onion- garlic flavor, then take 1 finely chopped onion and 5-6 garlic cloves. Before adding ginger paste and green chilies, add finely chopped garlic and onion. Cook until onion gets pinkish color. Add rest of the spices like wise in the proper sequence. Green onion can be used for garnishing.

If you like eating kachori’s and want to avoid eating oil then baked kachori’s is want you will love eating. This recipe can be converted into potato stuffed masala bun by just giving them a round shape.  So let’s make baked kachori’s or potato masala bun.

Curry Leaves

Curry leaf is an essential ingredient in Indian cooking especially in South India. However, it's customary for most of us to simply remove and throw the leaf from our food and not consume it. Well, you shouldn't be doing that! Wonder why? Read on...

Curry leaf has many medicinal properties. It stimulates digestive enzymes and helps break down food more easily. Have a glass of buttermilk mixed with a little hing (asafoetida) with a few curry leaves thrown after meal for good digestion.

 A good remedy for nausea and indigestion. Extract juice of curry leaves, squeeze a lime and add a pinch of sugar. 

- Chew a few leaves every day to lose weight 

- Curry leaves are also known to improve eyesight, so make sure you do not throw away the leaves while eating. It is also believed to prevent cataract. 

- Curry leaves are also good for hair growth and colour. If you don't like its raw taste, you can buy the curry leaf powder widely available in the market and have it with dosa or hot rice. You can also make it at home. This will prevent pre mature greying of hair. 

- Alternatively, you can also add a few curry leaves to your hair oil and boil it for a few minutes. Applying this hair tonic will keep your hair healthy.

These are just few of the many benefits that the curry leaves possesses. Include this in your daily diet for better health.

Pudina / Mint

Peppermint has been one of the popular herbs known since antiquity for its distinctive aroma and medicinal value. The herb has a characteristic refreshing cool breeze sensation on taste buds, palate and throat when eaten; and on nasal olfaction glands when inhaled. This unique quality of mint is due to the presence of menthol, an essential oil in its fresh leaves and stem.

Botanically, the herb belongs to the Lamiaceae family of the genus; Mentha and botanically named as Mentha piperita. It is actually a natural hybrid-cross between water mint (Mentha aquatica) and spearmint (Mentha spicata).

Mint herb is originally native to Europe, and now cultivated in all the regions of the world. It grows well under shady conditions and feature lance-shaped purple-veined, dark-green leaves with serrated margins and purple color whirly-flowers.

In general, the mint plant is usually sterile; producing no seeds and reproducing only vegetative reproduction, spreading lateral through its underground rhizomes. There exist more than 20 varieties of mint herbs with a wide range of color, fragrance, and flavor.

Health benefits of peppermint

• Mint contains numerous plant derived chemical compounds that are known to have been anti-oxidant, disease preventing and health promoting properties. Total antioxidant strength (ORAC) of fresh peppermint herb is 13978 µmol TE/100 g.
• The mint herb contains no cholesterol; however, it is rich in essential oils, vitamins and dietary fiber, which helps to control blood cholesterol and blood pressure inside the human body.
• The herb parts contain many essential volatile oils like menthol, menthone, menthol acetate. These compounds effect on cold-sensitive receptors in the skin, mouth and throat, the property which is responsible for the natural cooling-sensation that it initiates when inhaled, eaten, or applied on the skin.
• The essential oil, menthol also has been analgesic (painkiller), local anesthetic and counter-irritant properties.
• Research studies have also been suggested that the compounds in the peppermint relax intestinal wall and sphincter smooth muscles through blocking calcium channel at cell receptor levels. This property of mint has been applied as an anti-spasmodic agent in the treatment of "irritable bowel syndrome" (IBS) and other colic pain disorders.
• Peppermint-herb is an excellent source of minerals like potassium, calcium, iron, manganese and magnesium. 100 g fresh herb provides 569 mg of potassium. Potassium is an important component of cell and body fluids that helps control heart rate and blood pressure. Manganese and copper works as co-factors for the antioxidant enzyme, superoxide-dismutase.
• Further, it is rich in many antioxidant vitamins, including vitamin A, beta carotene, vitamin-C and vitamin E. The leaves of mint also contain many important B-complex vitamins like folates, riboflavin and pyridoxine (vitamin B-6); and the herb is an excellent source of vitamin-K.
  
  

  Selection and storage

  Fresh as well as dried peppermint leaves are available in the market year around. Whenever possible, buy fresh mint over the dried form of the herb since it is superior in flavor and rich in phyto-nutrients, vital vitamins and anti-oxidants. Fresh mint should feature vibrant green color leaves, and firm stems. They should be free from molds, dark spots or yellowing.
  Just as with other dried herbs, whenever you purchase dried mint, try to buy one that is organically grown since this will ensure you that it is free from pesticide residues and has not been irradiated.
  Fresh mint leaves should be stored in the refrigerator; place in a zip pouch or wrapped in a slightly dampened paper towel. Dried mint can be kept fresh for few months when stored in a tightly sealed glass container in a cool, dark and dry place.
  
  

  Medicinal uses

  • As mentioned above, the essential oils in the peppermint act on cold-sensitive receptors in the skin, mouth and throat, the property which is responsible for the well-known cooling sensation that it provokes when inhaled, eaten, or applied to the skin. This property of mint can be applicable in the preparation of cough/cold reliving remedies like syrups, lozenges and nose inhaler.
    
    
    • Peppermint oil has analgesic, local anesthetic and counter-irritant properties and has been used in the preparation of topical muscle relaxants and analgesics.
    • It is also being used in oral hygiene products and bad-breath remedies like mouthwash, toothpaste, mouth and tongue-spray, and more generally as a food flavor agent; e.g. in chewing-gum, candy.
    • It is also being used in oral hygiene products and bad-breath remedies like mouthwash, toothpaste, mouth and tongue-spray, and more generally as a food flavor agent; for instance, in chewing gums, candy, etc. (Medical disclaimer).
    
    

    Culinary uses

    Peppermint should be washed thoroughly in the water in order to remove sand and dirt and to rid off any residual pesticides. In order to keep the fragrance and aromatic flavor intact, mint is generally used just before preparing recipes.
    • Mint leaves used extensively in the preparation of herbal tea.
    • As a flavoring base in ice cream and other confectionery.
    • Along with parsley, mint is being used as a garnish.
    • Mint has also been used in the preparation of soups, and sauces.
    • Freshly chopped mint leaves can be a great addition to green salad.
    
    

    Safety profile

    Individuals with gastro-esophageal reflex disease (GRD) are advised to limit peppermint in their diet since compounds in mint leaves relax smooth muscles in the esophageal wall and sphincters by blocking calcium channels in them, which can aggravate their reflux condition. (Medical disclaimer).

Imli / Tamarind

Sweet and tangy tamarind is one of the widely used condiment spices found in every South Asian kitchen!

The tree is very large with long heavy drooping branches and dense foliage. Full grown-up tree might reach up to 80 feet in height. During each season, the tree bears irregularly curved pods in abundance all along its branches. Each pod has thick outer shell encasing deep brown color sticky pulp enveloping 2-10 hard dark-brown color seeds.

Botanically, the tree is among the large tropical trees belonging to the family of Fabaceae, of the genus:Tamarindus. Scientific name: Tamarindus indica.

Tamarinds are evergreen tropical trees native to Africa. They grow throughout tropical and subtropical regions of Africa, South Asia, South America and Caribbean islands.

Health benefits of Tamarind

• Tamarind fruit contains certain health benefiting essential volatile chemical compounds, minerals, vitamins and dietary fiber.
• Its sticky pulp is rich source of non-starch polysaccharides (NSP) or dietary-fiber such as gums, hemicelluloses, mucilage, pectin and tannins. 100 g of fruit pulp provides 5.1 or over 13% of dietary fiber. NSP or dietary fiber in the food increases its bulk and augments bowel movements thereby help prevent constipation. The fiber also binds to toxins in the food thereby help protect the colon mucus membrane from cancer-causing chemicals.
• In addition, dietary fibers in the pulp bind to bile salts (produced from cholesterol) and decrease their re-absorption in the colon; thereby help excretion of “bad” or LDL cholesterol levels from the body.
• While lemon composes of citric acid, tamarind is rich in tartaric acid. Tartaric acid gives a sour taste to food but is also a very powerful antioxidant. (Anti-oxidant E-number is E334). It helps the body protect from harmful free radicals.
• Tamarind fruit contains many volatile phytochemicals such as limonene, geraniol, safrole, cinnamic acid, methyl salicylate, pyrazine and alkyl­thiazoles. Together these compounds account for the medicinal properties of tamarind.
• This prized spice is a good source of minerals like copper, potassium, calcium, iron, selenium, zinc and magnesium. Potassium is an important component of cell and body fluids that helps control heart rate and blood pressure. Iron is essential for red blood cell production and as a co-factor for cytochrome oxidasesenzymes.
• In addition, it is also rich in many vital vitamins, including thiamin (36% of daily required levels), vitamin A, folic acid, riboflavin, niacin, and vitamin-C. Much of these vitamins plays antioxidant, and co-factor functions for enzyme metabolism inside the body.

Medicinal uses of Tamarind

• Its pulp has been used in many traditional medicines as a laxative, digestive, and as a remedy for biliousness and bile disorders.
• This spice condiment is also used as emulsifying agent in syrups, decoctions, etc., in different pharmaceutical products.
  
  

  Selection and storage

  Fresh tamarind pods are available in late spring and early summer seasons. However, several different forms of processed tamarind such as compressed tamarind blocks, ready-to-use slice, paste, concentrates, balls, etc. are made available in the markets.

  Choose fresh unbroken pods packed in boxes. If you are purchasing processed form, buy the product from a well reputed authentic brand. Avoid old, desiccated pulp, or off-smelling products. 

  Once at home store the pods or pulp in the refrigerator where it will stay fresh for several months.

  
  

  Culinary uses

  elicately sweet and sour, tamarind is one of the most sought-after ingredients in Indian, Middle Eastern and south-East Asian cooking. In some Indian households, the pods are cut open and fresh pulp is used as and when required. The seeds are then removed by beating the pulp with “wooden stick” kept at home especially for this purpose. One may also carefully use paring knife to separate seeds.

  In general, a small slice of the pulp is soaked in half a cup of warm water for about 10 minutes. Swirl the pulp with your fingers so that the pulp is dissolved evenly in water to make thin sauce. Strain the juice through a thin cloth sieve and use for cooking.

  Here are some serving tips:
  

  • Tamarind is a common ingredient all over India and South-East Asia in curries, “rasam”, chutneys, as well as in vegetable and lentil recipes.
  • The pulp is also favored in “hot and sour” soups as well in marinades.
  • The juice made of tamarind pulp with addition of dates, sugar, honey, cardamom, cloves, and coriander seeds are a refreshing drink marketed in different parts of the world.
  • Its pulp is also used in confectionaries as solidifying agent.

  
  

  Safety profile

  Tamarind has no known reported cases of allergic or toxicity, and may be safely used in pregnancy and in nursing mothers.
  
  (Medical disclaimer: The information and reference guides on this website are intended solely for the general information for the reader. It is not to be used to diagnose health problems or for treatment purposes. It is not a substitute for medical care provided by a licensed and qualified health professional. Please consult your health care provider for any advice on medications.)