Rakshabandhan is the celebration of the special bond between a brother and a sister. Such an auspicious occasion calls for celebration with the best of festive food. Here are a few mouth watering recipes of dishes you can prepare on Rakshabandhan.
Banana Cutlets
Ingredients:
6 Raw bananas 1/4 cup fresh peas, boiled 1/4 cup beet root, boiled and finely chopped 1 tbsp. each mint leaves & coriander leaves finely chopped 4-5 green chillies finely chopped 1" piece ginger grated (optional) 1/2 tsp each mustard & cumin seeds 1/2 tsp asafetida 1/2 tsp turmeric powder 1 tsp Amchur (dried mango powder) oil to deep fry 1-1/2 cups Breadcrumbs salt to taste
Methods of Preparation:
Steam whole bananas with skins, till soft. Remove skins. Mash while still hot. And keep aside. Heat 2 tbsp. oil in a pan, add seeds, and allow them to splutter. Add asafoetida, mint, coriander, chillies, ginger, amchur, peas and beet root. Mix this well with the mashed bananas. Add salt and other spices as well.
Heat the oil in a pan. Shape the cutlets with the mixture; roll them in the breadcrumbs and deep fry till golden brown. Drain and serve hot with green chutney or tamarind chutney or tomato ketchup.
Gujia
Ingredients:
250 grams Flour 500 grams Khoya (mawa, evaporated milk powder) a few Raisins 100 grams Almonds (finely chopped) 3 tablespoon Cooking oil, for kneading the dough and a considerable amount for deep-frying the Gujias 100 ml Water 250 grams Sugar
Methods of Preparation:
Mix the oil and flour thoroughly so that it reaches a binding consistency. Add some water and knead the entire mixture, lightly. When it forms soft dough, set it aside and cover it with a damp cloth. Fry the khoya in cooking oil till it becomes light brown and then mix the sugar in it completely. Add almonds and raisins and fry for a few more minutes. Remove this from the stove and let it cool. Make small thick chapattis out of the kneaded dough. Fill half of each chapatti with the khoya mixture and fold the chapatti over, sealing the sides of the chapatti, to ensure that the khoya is safely wrapped within. Make the sealing secure by pinching the edges with your fingertips. Deep-fry these gujias until they becomes light golden brown, keeping the flame low. Take out the gujias and place them on brown paper or newspaper for the oil to drain away. Serve hot or store it in an airtight container to feed your loved ones on Rakhi day.
Boil milk reduce heat and let it simmer for 45-minutes to one hour till thick paste like. Keep stirring in between. Add sugar and coconut powder and stir till sugar dissolves. Grease a thali (steel plate) and pour the batter. Garnish with pistachios and almonds. Let it cool and cut into square or rhomboid pieces.
MONSOON SPECIALS
The monsoons are known for making people crave something spicy and crispy to munch. Here’s how you can cook up a fast snack.
Schezuan Vegetable Fingers
Ingredients: 1 small carrot, diced 100 gms French beans, diced 100 gms Cabbage, chopped 1 cup boiled mashed potatoes 1 Green capsicum, chopped 1 tsp chopped Garlic 2 tbsp Schezuan sauce 1 tbsp Soya sauce - 1 tbsp 1-2 tbsp White Flour (Maida) 1-2 Eggs Salt and pepper to taste Oil - to fry
Methods of Preparation:
Combine together all the vegetables and heat oil, sauté the garlic and add in some onion, add all the veggies, schezuan sauce, soya sauce, salt and pepper to taste, and cook for 2-3 mins, add potatoes and remove.
Add some Maida into it and some egg if required and mix well.
Shape into long finger like shapes and coat with beaten eggs and breadcrumbs and deep fry and serve hot with chili garlic tomato sauce.
Khichuri
Ingredients: 60 gms Rice 60 gms Lentils (Moong dal) 100 gms Potatoes 100 gms Cauliflower 1 tsp Cumin seed (Jeera) 2 Green chilies, sliced 10 gms Sugar 2 Bay leaves (Tejpatta) 1 tsp Turmeric powder 1 tsp Red chili powder ½ tsp Cumin powder (Jeera) 2 tsp Oil for frying 1 litre Water Salt - to taste
Methods of Preparation:
Roast the dal till light golden. Cut the potatoes and cauliflower into big chunks. Heat oil in a frying pan. Then fry the potatoes and cauliflower, till golden brown.
In a pan take oil and heat it. Add the cumin seed, bay leaf and let it sizzle. Add the rice and stir well. Add the dal, the rest of the spices, water and close the lid of the pan. It is done when the dal and rice are completely cooked and have a semi-solid consistency.
Pour 1 tsp of ghee over the cooked rice and dal and add sliced green chilies and the fried cauliflower and potatoes. Serve hot.
MOTHER’S DAY SPECIALS
It’s Mother’s Day on the 14th of May, 2006. Celebrated on the second Sunday of May, make this day an extra special one for your mom. Give your mom a day off by preparing something easy and yummy to eat.
Mother's Day Special cookies
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups flour 3/4 cup caster sugar 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 cup sweetened condensed milk 1 cup chopped nuts 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/2 cup butter or margarine (softened)
Method of preparation:
Sift together flour, 1/2 cup of the caster sugar and salt. Stir in the condensed milk, vanilla and butter. Blend well and fold in chopped nuts. Allow to chill well.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
Roll the dough pencil thin and form in a round or crescent shape. Arrange cookies on a baking tray.
Bake on the top shelf of the oven for 12 minutes until set. Do not allow the cookies to brown too much. Let the cookies cool on the baking tray, but while still warm roll them in the leftover powdered sugar.
French Toast Ingredients:
6 thick slices bread 2 eggs 2/3 cup milk 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional) 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg (optional) 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional) Salt to taste
Method of Preparation:
Beat together egg, milk, salt, desired spices and vanilla. Heat a frying pan over a medium-high flame. Dunk each slice of bread in egg mixture, soaking both sides. Place in pan, and cook on both sides until golden. Serve hot.
CHEDDAR RICE BALL
Ingredients ii. Rice iv. Lemon juice ii. Spinach v. Eggs iii. Cheese vi. Red pepper sauce (or Capsico) vii. Bread crumbs
Method • Combine - 1 ½ cups cooked rice • 1 cup boiled spinach, chopped • ¾ cup grated cheese • 2 tbsp lemon juice • 3 beaten eggs • A few drop red pepper sauce (or Capsico), salt, pepper and mustard to taste.
Form into balls. Roll in breadcrumbs (approximately ¾ cup) and fry. Serve hot with chilli sauce.
Crispy Crunchy Cabbage Pakoras
Ingredients • ½ kg cabbage • Salt to taste • ¼ tsp. Turmeric powder • ½ cup gram flour • White oil for deep frying 5-6 green chillies, finely chopped • A pinch cooking soda ½ bunch coriander, finely chopped • 1 tsp. ginger-garlic paste
Method Grate/chop finely the cabbage. Sprinkle little salt and marinate for ½ hour. Then pass it through a clean muslin cloth and squeeze out the water. In a large mixing bowl mix together all the ingredients except the oil, to form a fairly stiff mixture adding more gram flour, if required. Heat oil in a heavy bottomed deep fry pan and let the oil smoke. Reduce the flame and deep fry small portions of the mixture to crispy golden pakoras, in batches of 10-12. Serve hot with tomato ketchup, mint chutney, chilli -garlic sauce or any favourite dip of yours.
Variation You can replace gram flour with freshly ground chana dal, masoor dal or urad dal.
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